Well it is bound to happen sooner or later I suppose... Weather is finally breaking, so I pulled the baby (96 iris blue cab) out of hiding and dropped the top. After picking up my friend, we headed to dinner where I found a nice parking space right out front of the restaurant. I didn't even think about that car being in danger of a bumper scuff as there were few cars and plenty of room. Well I was wrong! The second I came out of dinner I knew the car wedged tightly in front of me had scuffed my bumper...

I am very very ****, and I know this. I'm sure everyone here understands. I spent a little time cleaning the dirt off the spot and played with a little wax. Admittedly the scuff is hard to notice from more than 2 feet away. However, I would think I can get it to be no longer noticeable at all from any distance. What should I do?

I took the vehicle to my normal detailer. He thought it was so slight; it wasn't worth risking damage from buffing. He said that plastic heats up faster than the metal and is therefore more likely to burn the paint. Is that true? It makes sense to me since plastic can't disipate heat as well as metal.... However, I have to think this just means it will take extra care/time...

 

At some of the dealers around here...mostly the high-end dealers...there are professionals that come by and all they do is repair bumper scuffs with air brushing. Check out the high-end dealers in your area, I bet you'll find one and ask them their opinion on repairing your bumper.

 

Check out the latest copy of 911 and P World. Phil Raby has written a little about the bumper scuffing on his pcar, and how it was repaired. It may be of help.

 

Trey,

You gotta find a new detailer.

If the scuff is that minor, it's just in the clear coat which is pretty thick. Try some 3M Swirl Remover or Astro-Shield polish. Or the Zaino Z5 may be agressive enough to work. Try it by hand, be patient, get a cup of coffee, this could take 30 minutes or so. You CANNOT harm the paint by hand with these products. The scuff is in the clear coat and that's all your working on. A damp polishing pad or Microfiber towel will work well.

If the hand results doesn't satisfy you, any good body shop can remove the scuff in about ten minutes with some 2500 grit and Finesse It.

 

i agree w/ mike... unless there's small fracture cracks or primer (white) showing in the paint... what kind of b.s. is your detailer trying to feed ya?... although he may just know his limits, which is better than him doin' a micky-mouse job 'itfp'. it can be rubbed / buffed out. i'd do it by hand. & i think all high-end products will work. personally i use 'griots' (no aff'l). start out with a more agressive polish & work up to the finest (that's how you get the gloss -back)... & then wax that puppy to 'new' condition.

take your time doing it & wipe clean @ each stage to see the progress. i've had the same happen... kinda' shrugged it off when seeing my car, but buffed it out the next morning

bol & cheers.

not too sure about meg. product... as i was a detailer for several years on exotics (worked thru college)... zaino, griots & 3m always out shined (easier to use) & lasted anything meguiars made. even though i used the stuff religiously for years. my¢2.

 

Mike,
I totally agree with the need to find a new detailer. Finding detailers has been the bain of my existence for the last two years. I have moved every six months do to work. Unfortunately it isn’t easy to quickly find a great shop! Now I am living in Louisville, KY and this is the guy the Porsche dealer recommended. He did a fine job when simply waxing the car. He did it all by hand, which made me feel safe. The rest of the car doesn't need polished as it is pretty much perfect (as you would expect from a '96 with only 13k miles).

I feel pretty confident this scuff is just in the clear coat. Like I said it is hard to find and there certainly isn’t any color loss. The weather is supposed to be nice this Sunday. Perhaps I will spend sometime washing the car and working on this spot. I have a bottle of 3M imperial hand glaze (I believe) is this a good product for the job. I also have some Meguiars professional swirl remover as well as Blitz 100 Grand for wax. I don’t mind spending sometime working it out by hand. 30 minutes is well worth my peace of mind. I can say in the 10 minutes I have already spent with a little Meguiar’s paint cleaner it has improved dramatically…

 

Trey,

Sounds like you're on the right track. Start with the least agressive product and work towards more aggressive if the scuff doesn't come out

 

Well...

Thanks for the advice! I spent a little time yesterday washing my car. After getting her squeaky clean, I took 3m imperial hand glaze to the above mentioned spot. After about 20 minutes and a sore shoulder, the scuff was rendered nearly invisible from any distance even in bright light. I might give it a little more polish the next time I wash the car but it looks great as is…

I am back to sleeping at night! J

 

Trey,

My rule of thumb is that if you can feel the scratch with your fingernail it is too deep for just buffing off. Looks like yours was not that bad.

As an alternative, if the scuff mark does not come out w/ 3M imperial hand glaze easily, I find that 3M Perfect-it II FINE Cut rubbing compound is excellent as the next step in aggressive tools. Just put a dime sized dab on a dry cloth and rub away. I have worked out some really bad looking scratches with this stuff. I like it because it is not as abarsive as other compounds that I have tried.

Imperial hand glaze doesn't contain any abrasives and is a poor tool to take out surface scratches unless you work very hard at it, as you have found out.

Good to hear it wasn't anything major.

 

3M makes some nice buffing compounds...probably available at your local autobody supply shops:

http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/e...er/output_html

Mike Lincoln

 

Trey,
I know a former rennlister who has a detailing business in Louisville. If you want I can forward his email address to you.

 

I don't know if you guys have it in the states, but i always use T-Cut to remove stuff like this, it removes a thin layer of the laquer to restore shine and get rid of small surface scratches. I used it on my last car where someone ran a key down the rear panel and it made that almost un-noticeable.

In 911 & Porsche world the writer called chipsaway and they did a really surprising job of fixing his split bumper, I am sure they could get rid of a scuff.

 

If you don't want to invest in professional products, Mequirs Scratch-X available at Targetr for around $6 has a mild abrasive and can be used either by hand or with a PC. Glazes have fillers rather than abrasives and would at best only temporarily cover up the scuff.
You can always get detailed info on products and technique at Autopia.org.