Removing Scratches on car

bob2oo7

Hi guys

I was just wondering about some products for sale that will remove scratches from your car

I scrathed my car yesterday with my bike, very annoyed....

I looked up some products online and they seem to be able to do the trick and get rid of it

Do these products really work? or just a waste of money?

K nacker

I am currently using a turtle wax product called "Color Magic" comes with a chipstik. Sorts out 80 to 90% of light scratches but washes out after a couple weeks/washes.

I would also be interested to hear of any good "affordable" scratch remover product out there.

si_guru

Those products repair/remove surface marks - they cannot put back missing paint.

Personally I think you are best to got to a motor factor and buy 1 litre of mild buffing compound (€20-ish) rather than spending 10-12 euro on a small tube of "magic".

Nonoperational

It depends on the scratch. Generally if the scratch can be felt with your nail it's going to need paint. If it's just a scratch in the clear coat then you can polish it out with some cutting polish.

K nacker

Beware car buyers; I know a lot of car dealerships who use Color Magic to disguise scratches when displaying cars on forecourts. Great quick fix, hides a multitude of sins, but as I said earlier it washes out in a couple of weeks.

L-M

Go into any motor factors and ask for they're smallest bottle/tub (don't pay more than 15 euro) of G3 Compound.

Bring said compound home, wash the scratched area, get a sock and wet it, and put some of the compound onto the sock. Start rubbing it in, if it dries out at some more water, and keep rubbing in circular motions, then using a dry cloth wipe it off.

That's the best you're going to do without spending a fortune on silly stuff.

Kashkai

Colour magic will last longer by applying a coat of colour magic, then a coat of Autoglym super resin polish and finally a coat of Autoglym extra gloss perfection. This locks in the colour magic for months.

Did this to a few scratches on my old car and it fooled every dealer I brought the car to when buying my new car.

spunk_monkey

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Colour magic will last longer by applying a coat of colour magic, then a coat of Autoglym super resin polish and finally a coat of Autoglym extra gloss perfection. This locks in the colour magic for months.

Did this to a few scratches on my old car and it fooled every dealer I brought the car to when buying my new car.

should the coat of colour magic only be applied to the scratched area, or the whole car?

Would this do the trick: coat of CM, autoglym super resin polish, the a coat of hard wax? Asking as that is what I've got!..I would have thought the polish would remove the CM, no?

Also, is CM not a polish in it self? Is there any need to use the lipstick?Thanks

K nacker

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Colour magic will last longer by applying a coat of colour magic, then a coat of Autoglym super resin polish and finally a coat of Autoglym extra gloss perfection. This locks in the colour magic for months.

Did this to a few scratches on my old car and it fooled every dealer I brought the car to when buying my new car.

A pattern emerging here. The customer applies the Color Magic to fool the car dealership. The car dealership valets the car, steam cleans the car washing out the Color Magic, sees Scratches and applies Color Magic to fool the customer.:cool:

L-M

Actually, get some 10w40 car oil and wipe it over the scratch, it'll vanish for a week or so :pac:

TomMc

TW Colour Magic polish contains coloured dyes or pigments which disguise the appearance of lighter scratches and also some basic protection. The lipstick is for deeper scratches or stone chips (localised repairs). Both only give short term results. CM is applied to the entire car like any other regular polish.

Why would you use a cleaner polish like Autoglym SRP immediately afterwards. This would only remove some or all of the colour pigments applied previously. So you either use Colour Magic polish to fill in scratches with a colour dye or you use SRP to fill in swirl marks. Using them both together is pointless. They are doing much the same job just with a slightly different focus, but are not compatible.

So you either use a proper scratch remover like Autoglym paint renovator carefully with a soft microfibre cloth, then SRP (fill swirls) and then EGP (for more protection) if you like. Never apply an abrasive compound or polish by hand in a circular motion or you will inflict more minor scratches or swirl marks surrounding the one you are trying to remove. Back and forth or up and down motions only in the direction of the scratch. You are trying to round off the hard edges of the scratch so the light catches it differently and so is less noticeable. Not cut away or remove several microns of paint or clearcoat unnecessarily.

The lazy or quick fix is with TW colour magic for lighter scratches where your fingernail doesn't catch. Apply it more often on its own (every month or two) or else top if with a pure wax (without cleaners) to lock in colour pigments and for more protection. Just do not use a cleaner wax or one which contains a high solvent or petroleum content or again you will be removing coloured dyes applied earlier.

Kashkai

"Lazy or quick fix"

Seeing as how it takes about two hours to give my car the three coats of colour magic/srp/extra gloss, I wouldn't call it lazy. It works for me and all minor scratches are gone for at least 4 - 6 weeks after which time I'll polish it up again as usual. Btw, the srp does not remove the colour magic. Do you actually know what you're talking about or are you just trolling?

I love my car and take care of it but there does come a point when you have to draw a line between keeping her looking well and obsessing about it. I recently traded in my 6 year old Megane and every dealer I went to (and I went to about 20) said it was in showroom condition and said they'd have no trouble selling it. One guy even offered me a job valeting his stock of second hand cars to get them up to the standard if my Megane

K nacker

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

"Lazy or quick fix"

Seeing as how it takes about two hours to give my car the three coats of colour magic/srp/extra gloss, I wouldn't call it lazy. It works for me and all minor scratches are gone for at least 4 - 6 weeks after which time I'll polish it up again as usual. Btw, the srp does not remove the colour magic. Do you actually know what you're talking about or are you just trolling?

I love my car and take care of it but there does come a point when you have to draw a line between keeping her looking well and obsessing about it. I recently traded in my 6 year old Megane and every dealer I went to (and I went to about 20) said it was in showroom condition and said they'd have no trouble selling it. One guy even offered me a job valeting his stock of second hand cars to get them up to the standard if my Megane

Sorry to burst your bubble mate, But "your car is the best i'v ever seen. I could sell it tomorrow"etc is B*** S**** salespeople use to make you feel your getting top trade-in allowance.

Which sounds better to the customer?

"Your car is a banger i'll allow you €5,000" or
"Your car is like new I'll allow you €5,000"

TomMc

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

"Lazy or quick fix"

Seeing as how it takes about two hours to give my car the three coats of colour magic/srp/extra gloss, I wouldn't call it lazy. It works for me and all minor scratches are gone for at least 4 - 6 weeks after which time I'll polish it up again as usual. Btw, the srp does not remove the colour magic. Do you actually know what you're talking about or are you just trolling?

Lazy or quick fix relates to using a colour charged polish only, not a three step process.

If SRP removes oxidation and cleans microscopic dirt particles why would you think it wouldn't remove a colour dye or pigment based protectant as well. Especially since it isn't part of the paint itself, nor is it chemically bonded to same. If the rain washes it off after a few weeks a cleaner polish like SRP (which also contains chalk as an abrasive) would also cut through it.

You wouldn't apply a cleaner polish after waxing as it would remove or reduce the effectiveness of same. Doing so with a colour charged polish will also strip off dyes or pigments. That is why the manufacturers do not recommend applying subsequent products (after same). They are quick fix products for the average consumer who does not have the time, dedication, tools or technique to do what is really required. So this type of product meets the needs of the average motorist who wants a diy friendly product which will hide defects rather than risk further damage by trying to remove them with an abrasive polish.

Even Sonax in Germany have brought out a new line of colour charged nano polishes with wax protectants and they are the biggest car care brand in Europe. They may be a quick fix (cheap and cheerful) but they suit the majority as they do what it says on the tin. And thats all that counts for most end users.