YACT: So we buffed off the white paint...

Ikonomi

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2003
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Update: Right, so. Our friend's stepdad ended up giving us some rubbing compound when we stopped by to say hi, so we went to work on the abraded car. It worked like a charm. We even got out stuff that had been there for years. There were some deep scratches, through the paint, on the nose of the car, and we couldn't do anything about that. But it looks one hundred percent better than it did.

Only problem now is the finish is dulled slightly where we had to use the compound. Will waxing fix this? It's not bad, but you can see that the sheen is gone. I hope we can fix it, and finish the job right.

...

My friend was in a very minor accident the other day, resulting in some white paint and a few small scratches on his black car.

I remember reading that rubbing compound is excellent for fixing this sort of thing, but I'm not sure where to get it. I also don't know which kind would be best to use (3M alone makes several)... It's an area of paint about a foot long overall, and about five inches at the widest.
 

Ikonomi

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2003
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Damn, the obvious strikes again. :Q

I thought it was all professional grade stuff, or something. Thanks a lot, I'll let him know. This is great.
 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
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Be warned, if this is the 3M rubbing compound I think it is...you're gonna need a buffer to apply it properly.
 

TechnoKid

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2001
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Use Fine Cut II. I wouldn't go straight to rubbing compound just yet, it really agressive. Make sure you your a good polish afterwords.
 

Ikonomi

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2003
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Originally posted by: TechnoKid
Use Fine Cut II. I wouldn't go straight to rubbing compound just yet, it really agressive. Make sure you your a good polish afterwords.

Okay, thanks for the tip. Going to try that first.

yllus, got it. Thanks.
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
13,968
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As Technokid said, you should always start with the least aggressive compound that will work and progress from there. I get all of my stuff from a local body paint supply store. I use mostly 3M's Machine Glaze for my car, but that's not to obvious scratches.

Good luck, and be sure to check Autopia if you run into any problems.
 

Ikonomi

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2003
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Thanks for the help, guys. It worked really well.

Now we just have to deal with the dull spots in the clear coat...
 

drnickriviera

Platinum Member
Jan 30, 2001
2,451
259
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You can buff out the dull by hand with a polish, but I use what descartes uses. 3m machine glaze and a buffer with a polishing pad.