*Official* Ask A Detailer Thread

Thanks. I see this was the wrong place to come.

 

No ... it was the right place to come and several people said it would need a machine polisher to have any chance of getting them out.

However you specifically stated it was 1) a rental and 2) you didn't want to take a hit on your insurance after 3) intentionally taking said rental wheeling.

So you got the recommendations but your taking some heat for bad choices as well.

 

No it's just that honestly you can't 100% fix that level of damage. You could pay a pro detailer $500 to try to get it out but honestly where does that get you? Plus if you aren't properly washing and claying the car before you hand buff compound you could be swirling the shit out of the clear coat making it look worse and more noticable.

You could wash and clay the truck to keep the scratches visibility down to a minimum and cross your fingers that they don't notice... but its black :S

But probably shouldn't have taken a rental truck down trails if you werent willing to pay for a repaint. I don't know what to tell you there. Someone in the forum said it well about detailing "you can heal the sick, but not raise the dead".

 

I would say get it buffed and hope for the best then return it and hopefully they don't notice do to a dark garage or something

 

This was the right place. The main worry is the pin striping, its a rental right? I highly doubt they would care about the swirl marks since a majority of people don't even notice it.

If I'm not mistaken, you "could" use some sort of wax with fillers in it. But for the most part, as stated a bunch of times.. a machine polish might be the answer depending on how bad it is and even then

 

I got that part of the machine polish. Than you all. It's the flaming of, "just man up and pay." That gets to me. I am manning up... men step up and try to fix something first usually, not just whine like a bitch and pay out the ass. I will if I have to, just trying to buff it out.
What was or polish with a fine cut can I use?

 

The man up part was own your decisions. You are trying to cover up to evade taking responsibility. Boys do that not men.

You will need a dual action machine polisher with a set of heavy cutting pads, a cutting compound (not fine, a fine polish will not work) and a set of polishing pads with a finish polish. Clay bar kit with a set of microfiber towels helps.

Chemical Guys makes a cutting compound and optical grade polish set called V38 and V36.

But again we are talking hundreds of dollars of stuff so likely the insurance hit is better money wise. Unless you already own pads and a polisher.

 

Can we avoid getting this thread locked if we can, please.

It is what it is at this point, so here's what you need to do:

• Wash the truck THOROUGHLY.
• Gently run your fingernail over the scratches.
  • If you nail catches on them, then it's been scratched past the clear coat and you should pay the insurance to repaint it because no amount of polishing will fix it.
  • If your nail doesn't catch, move on to the next step.
• Clay bar the areas that need to be fixed
• (Assuming you already have a machine polisher) Get a heavy-cutting foam pad and some rubbing compound (ScratchX or Ultimate Compound are good, inexpensive ones) and begin buffing the scratches out
  • If you don't have a machine polisher, take it to a detailing shop because you'll be spending A LOT of time hand polishing, and that might not even make a difference in the scratches.
• Follow up with a polish
• If everything works, put a coat of wax on it and call it a day.

The easiest and best solution would be to take it to a detailer and have them look at it. We can't tell for just pictures. But, if they don't show up on camera like you mentioned, then they may be really small and fixable.

Last thing to keep in mind [obviously] is to watch your costs to correct this and make sure they're not higher than the insurance cost.



EDIT: basically what @PackCon suggested.

 

Sorry, forgot to tag @JaCado in there.

 

Thank you. I will pay for it either way, I just don't think they are that deep and think They will buff out. Going to go pick up a polisher today. I have brought worse back, just not on a black car.

 

Maybe a couple others can chime in,
I believe theres a porter cable 6in dual action polisher that can be found at Harbor Freight is pretty decent for what it is.

 

That was sort of my next question. What polisher and what speeds am I looking for.

 

It just sucks because black shows everything.

I have the one from HF, and it definitely is not the Porter Cable one! The PC doesn't vibrate as much, is a bit quieter, and easier to use.

To its credit, though, the HF one is not bad at all for the price point. Mine has lasted for just over 4 years now, and that's considered a long time for Harbor-Freight-actual-reliability standards. It's a great beginner polisher and perfect for just using it once a year. But if I could do it again, I'd get the Porter Cable.

 

Thanks again @Benzdriver81

 

That really depends on how much you're planning on using it.

Just once in a blue moon? The Harbor Freight one is pretty good.
Wanna start getting serious about detailing and use it more than 6 times a year? Check out the article that @harpolith posted:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/foru...g-recommendations-beginner-mike-phillips.html

Beware: it's a very long article, but worth the read!

 

Yeah. Blue moon kind of thing. I am not looking to spend my weekends running a diaper over my truck. I like wheeling to much for that to happen. Fishing and trails for the weekends is the life for me.

 

Oh whoops! I know I've seen recommendations of a something being picked up at Harbor Freight and thought it was a Porter Cable. My mistake

 

It's all good, friend!

Lot's of cheaper products end up being name brands under a different label. To my knowledge, none of the Harbor Freight brands (Central Pneumatic, Chicago Electric, Haul Master, etc.) are cheap versions of reputable brands. They're just cheap brands lol

 

Get a PC or Griots 6". Along with 5" backing plate and 5.5" pads. You'll be running on speeds 4-6 for any correction work. I prefer the Griots over the PC for its slight increase in power. Speed 6 on the Griots is... plenty.

 

Yup thats the one I'm looking to purchase.