toofast928

So what's the best way to remove very very light scratches that show up under fluorescent light? Tried 3m polish and Meguiar. Thanks--

Bill Ball

The paint on these older cars is almost harder than rocks. I'll tell you what I use: 3M Finesse-It II. This is a professional finishing polish. Probably only available at automotive paint supply stores. That's where I got a quart 15 years ago. I still have most of it. Combined with an orbital buffer it is very mild but almost strong enough to remove enough paint to get rid of the fine spider web surface scratches. With a regular circular buffer it would do the job, but circular buffers are for pros. You can have at it with an orbital and eventually it will remove them but it takes a lot of buffing. On other cars I have had, the job was much easier than on the 928. Still, for me and most people, the orbital buffer is the safest way to do this. You need a more poweful orbital than you can get at Sears. I use a Porter Cable 7336. Others like the dual head Cyclo. Then, even as much as I never thought polymers were the right thing to put on paint, I really like Rejex. That's all.

IcemanG17

The stuff Bill is talking about works really well! It is a pro qualilty product that was originally designed for use in body shops.

Products that work well (especially with random orbit buffers & the porter cable is very good) are the Griots 3 step series (ranging from very mild to moderate "cutting" action) and even straight rubbing compound (be very very careful though) Our paint is extremely hard, but the clearcoat is very soft (odd huh)...which makes waxing interesting sometimes. Depending on the color of your 928 you may not even have clearcoat at all, typically white and guards red (mine and Bills colors) don't have clear coat at all.

Try Rejex as a top coat/sealant....follow the instructions when you apply it (less than 85 degrees, only in shade & let cure at least 8 hours inside) it works very well!

toofast928

Rejex is a glaze?

Jim_H

Went to a Sherwin Williams Automotive supply store and bought a 3M kit. It has
1 qt Extra Cut Rubbing Compound
1 qt Swirl Mark Remover
1 qt 3000 Final Glaze

Worked like magic

Visit the Concours & Car Care Forum too. They are very knowledgable and helpful
https://rennlist.com/forums/concours-and-car-care-86/

IcemanG17

No, Rejex is a pure sealant only, with minimal if any "cleaners" in the wax. Almost all waxes have some degree of cleaners in them to help remove leftover polishing compounds or other minor imperfections in the paint.

Ron_H

Be sure that you use no products containing silicone prior to applying Rejex. The Rejex dealer recommended 3M Swirl Mark Remover as a prep. I started with a wax removing soap wash, then a cleanser, then 3M, and finally, after rubbing, huffing and puffing, and lubing my elbow again and again, Rejex.
Once it is on, Rejex won't come off easily, so do it correctly.

Alas, my paint is losing it on the roof and hatch as a result of the P.O.'s overzealous use of a buffer. ( I love to blame everything on him). When people caution that buffers should be used carefully, they aren't joking. I have burn spots where the clear is burned through, particularly on the edges, but also in the middle of panels. But my car is a driver, and I am not so disappointed in the paint after 19+ years. When I strike it rich, I will get it painted so as to attract more infuriating dings from numbskulls in parking lots. Happens every time.

toofast928

So 3m is still the safest polish?

Ron_H

I only know that Rejex advised me to use it in prep for their product because it contains no silicones and Rejex won't adhere well to silicone on the paint. I had been using other products so they advised me to get that stuff off before applying Rejex.

IcemanG17

Safest is a relative term....even the "best" polish will ruin your paint if used incorrectly! Some things to look for when searching for a good polish (i.e first step to remove the imperfections in the paint) is something that is "clearcoat safe" if you have a clear coat. I've had good luck with the Griots #3 (the mildest) and a chemical oxidation remover made by Car Polishing Systems (CPS) called "pretreatment", which is supposed to by a chemical oxidation remover instead of just grinding the paint down (physical process) to remove swirls and oxidation....it works pretty well....

Other products recommended by the Zone 7 concours guide are:

Meguiars #83 DACP (with porter cable buffer)
3M Imperial hand glaze
P21S paintwork cleaner

toofast928

One last Q. I don't have a buffer. For years I hand polished and applied wax. Do I need the buffer to remove the light scratches?

Daniel Dudley

3M imperial hand glaze will work, but it is really fine. You can still do it by hand, use a back and forth in one direction only. Meguires has a hot line # on the back of all their products. I used #7 show car glaze on my Black 944S. Worked like a champ. Did it by hand, one section at a time.

Jim_H

No. I wasn't confident enough to use one though the product could be used with a buffer. It was interesting stuff, when you poured it out it was kind of creamy and milky looking. As you rubbed it in it became clear and smooth, almost slick.

IcemanG17

Jim is right, hand polishes work, but they are exactly that...more work. Buffers make the work far easier..BUT...they also make it that much easier to ruin your paint too! However when used properly the results are excellent...try the concours forum Jim mentioned...lots of good info on there!

Shark Attack

A friend of mine that is a body man once told me to use Pledge, yes the furnature polish. I did and yes under the lighting you are talking about, it worked. now what it will do to paint over time... i don't know. I now use something called "liquid glass" and this stuff is also great stuff. last i checked it was about 32.00$$ US/qt. but it does also work very well. Infact to the point where you WILL get remarked from the shine. I used liquid glass on my vett when i lived in FLA, the car was red, red is known to fade in sunlight. i had the car for 7 years and the paint still looked like brand new. It is on both of my family cars now and the black truck it really still has a deep look to it when its clean and its a 2001. and is never in a garage. and is driven in all weather and we are in Erie, PA. very harsh winters