AH!--Scratched my targa! Help!

[BlackSupra93]

hey guys,
i had my targa stored in my trunk and absent mindedly tossed a cardboard tissue box into the back seat. Well, i missed the back seat and the damn box went straight into my trunk. I found this out when i got home, and saw the tissue box along with a LOOONG ass scratch across the length of the targa. the tissue box sat perfectly on the roof and slid every time i made a turn:(
I hoped it was a surface scratch, but theres was alot of dust on the roof while it was stored...I washed the area off, dried it and put a wax coat on the targa in hopes to cover it over...but party of it(10 inches..?) is still visible.
Now, i am washing the rest of the car tommorow and i am going to try again...but i think some dirt make a friggen light tissue box scratch my roof.
is there any kind of scratch filler/remover i should get...? or should i just polish the hell outa the scratch..?
:(
Bob

[BlackSupra93]

just so u guys know...its not a deep scratch like one where all the paint is removed...its the hairline kind that looks like a permanent spider web streak against a black car.

[Dave Capone]

Try Meguires Cleaner Wax, It works very well on getting rid of scratches.

[jello_g]

If you can feel the scratch with your finger nail, then you really have no recourse other than a respray. On the other hand, if the scratch is superficial you have some options. You can use a glaze such as Mother's Sealer and Glaze or Meguiar's #7 Show Car Glaze, both of which contain fillers that hide the appearance of fine imperfections. Depending on how bad the scratch is, several applications may be necessary. Note that fillers have a tendency to wash off after a while, so you should follow up glazing with a good layer of wax for protection (I like putting on at least 2 layers of wax to ensure complete coverage). A more permanent solution than glazing is to use a polish, which removes a small layer of surrounding clear coat so that the scratch is effectively leveled off and hence becomes less noticeable to the eye. However, effective polishing is best done with a machine in capable hands (ie. done by a professional). You can polish by hand, but it will take a fair amount of elbow grease before you see any results. I've never personally tried these products, but I've heard that 3M Perfect-It Swirl Mark Remover and Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover are good at removing light scratches. Good luck!

[BlackSupra93]

thanks for all the help guys, i washed and waxed today, and now its only visible when the sun shines at it at and you look from a certain angle...but...its still there:( . i took my fingernail across it, and i cant feel it, so thats good. i'll try one of those products you suggested before my next wax.
thanks for the help i appreciate it
Bob

[ides]

I'd refrain from using the sealer wax. Sealer wax = *cringe*

This incident couldn't have come at a better time, since now you have the opportunity to SMR your entire car! :D

3M has some good stuff for swirls, scratches, etc. It'd be to your benefit to stick with those for now when it comes to swirls, scratches, etc.

Another to point out is products such as #7, you'll more than likely want to wash the car after application and removal.

An accurate assessment of the surface isn't quite possible when the surface is present with fillers.

I agree with machine vs. hand. SMR'ing and entire car can be quite hard on the back, neck, etc. (if done by hand). In this situation, I would opt for using a PC.

From your description, this dilemma can easily be solved.

Good luck.

-Ides

[jello_g]

Hey ides, I'm trying to pick your brain - which sealer waxes make you cringe and why? Just wanted to know what products to avoid.


Regarding #7, I've used it many times now and only when the paint surface is clean and smooth. Any rough spots are clayed before I proceed. As such I never feel a need to wash the car after #7 before waxing; #7 wipes off easy enough and I never have any streaking problems. Do you think I would get better results by washing the car again after #7 but before waxing?

Thanks,
Gerald

[aznsupra]

it doesnt matter what wax you use, wax DOES NOT cover up or make scratches go away. as a matter of fact, some can even intensify them...just get some scratch remover, i have 2 kinds, one is in a small yellow bottle, i dont kno the name of it, and im too lazy to go look and the other one i have is eagle1 haze/swirl remover and polisher or something like that..anyways, since u said the scratch is really light, just get the eagle1 product and with a towel just buff it out.

[ides]

Originally posted by aznsupra
it doesnt matter what wax you use, wax DOES NOT cover up or make scratches go away.

Thanks aznsupra. Relatively direct and to the point.

The Meguiars Cleaner Wax (the one in the maroon can) is essentially a "you get what you pay for" item. It is a low-grade wax, but that does not mean you can't get good results from it. I'd prefer to use something that yields a better end-result, that is all.

If you actually want to "clean" the surface of the car, you're better off with using something like Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion.

wash-clay-pinnacle-wash (in that order)

-Ides

[Ratt|ehead]

I've used Meguirs scratchx on a few scratches and they either got removed or its very faint.
People say that it leaves more scratches...but I havent found that!

When I used a machine buffer, it swirled my car, so I used scratchx all over my car and it looks much better!

[ToyotaCivic9]

ha-i'm selling my Honda and I decided that i would clean it and wax it up. but beforei cleaned it and waxed it, you could see no dings scratches etc. After i cleaned that pos it still looked fine

[ToyotaCivic9]

ha-i'm selling my Honda and I decided that i would clean it and wax it up. but beforei cleaned it and waxed it, you could see no dings scratches etc. After i cleaned that pos it still looked fine then i waxed it and now all the dings and scratches project out from the car! Literaly you could see a scratch from 100 meters away on this car no mater what angle you look at it it shows distictively. :( and by the way if you want to buy this car contact me jasxu1622@hotmail.com

P.S. if you are wanting to buy this car there are no scratches or dings.

[CivicRacer]

turtle wax makes a product where it comes with a stick kinda like a lip stick that u put over a scratch that kind fills in it in then it comes with a color polish that blends into the color of the car they come in different colors like red green blue tan and black and white they blend into whatever color u have then when you are done using that u go over it with the regular wax you us and that should hide the scratches