buffing out scratches

fuzzdecay · 04-15-2008, 04:43 PM

some 'bag at work keyed my smart exactly two weeks after i bought it. i'm livid, i've washed my car so gently and there wasn't a single scratch on it, even in the clearcoat. now i have a foot long scratch on my hatch.

i have black panels, and i know it's possible to buff scratches out, i was just wondering what the proper procedure is? i called my dealership on friday and no one's gotten back to me. has anyone else had to deal with this, yet?

ugh. i'm so angry my baby has been marred.

jonnysan · 04-15-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzdecay

some 'bag at work keyed my smart exactly two weeks after i bought it. i'm livid, i've washed my car so gently and there wasn't a single scratch on it, even in the clearcoat. now i have a foot long scratch on my hatch.

i have black panels, and i know it's possible to buff scratches out, i was just wondering what the proper procedure is? i called my dealership on friday and no one's gotten back to me. has anyone else had to deal with this, yet?

ugh. i'm so angry my baby has been marred.

Go thru the same steps as a body shop would dealing with damage on a lower front valance or plastic panel on most cars of today. Depending on how deep the scratch is, I'm not sure you can buff plastic like the smart has without a good chance of burning/melting the plastic before the scratch goes away...you know? I'd take it to a body shop and ask a body man's advice.

esrazor · 04-15-2008, 05:17 PM

There are a few threads about cleaning and some of them relate to scratches. Check out "Cleaning the Polycarbonate Roof." Here's a quote from Gene SD on 1/30/08:

To Minimize Fine or Hairline Scratches:
Plastic Polishes applied and removed per manufacturer instructions.
Suggested Polishes:
Mirror Glaze Clear Plastic Polish, Cleaner & Detailer (by Meguiars 800-347-5700 or
Meguiars.com)
Novus Plastics Polish #1, #2 (by Novus Inc. 800-NOVUS60 or noscratch.com)
Plexus Plastic Cleaner and Polish (by BTI Chemical Co. PlexusPlasticCleaner.com)

We used to have plexiglass fish tanks and when we got scratches in them we used the Novus Plastics Polish 1 & 2 to get rid of them. Haven't tried them on our car yet. We did use Plexus on the entire car and it made it look shiny and smooth. It seemed to make any fine scratches disappear but I don't know if it'll work for yours. I'm sorry someone didn't respect your sweet car!

saronian · 04-15-2008, 11:24 PM

Maguires Scratch X, or 3M Scratch Remover can both smooth out scratches in the clearcoat. Depending on the depth of the key mark these products will usually smooth out the line. They're available at auto stores, WalMart and are easy to use.

Be sure and re-wax the area after buffing.

stevenvillatoro · 04-16-2008, 06:42 AM

If you're not happy with whatever scratch-removal result you may try, just order a new panel. It'll take you two minutes for the rear piece! And you'll have a good-as-new result.

fuzzdecay · 04-16-2008, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevenvillatoro

If you're not happy with whatever scratch-removal result you may try, just order a new panel. It'll take you two minutes for the rear piece! And you'll have a good-as-new result.

the first thing i did when i saw the scratch was call my local smart center, but i was told i can only buy panels in sets, not individually.

i was going to try plastic polish, but its pretty deep. if that doesn't work, i'll be attempting to wet-sand/polish/wax. wish me luck?