Car care question

[Willow]

What is the best and easiest way to remove scratches from the rear bumper? These are from the previous owner who scuffed it from putting things in and pulling stuff out of the trunk. They are not deep at all.

[Jstas]

Is it like chrome or painted?

Either way, push it off a cliff. That'll teach 'em!

[mole']

post a pic???

[kawizx9r]

For minor blemishes/etc. I use this stuff



Microfiber cloth is a must.

[Willow]

Is it like chrome or painted?

Either way, push it off a cliff. That'll teach 'em!

Sorry, it is painted and typical plastic.

[Willow]

post a pic???

I will do that tonight...but Black ops might get in the way

[steveinaz]

For minor blemishes/etc. I use this stuff



Microfiber cloth is a must.

+10^

If Scratch-X isn't abrasive enough, try 3M polishing compound.

[AudioGenics]

try a plastic compound / polish conditioner
3M auto care product.
for small scratches

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Plastic-Pol...9326301&sr=8-1

or this

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Perfect--Ru...9326444&sr=1-1

[Willow]

Do I use an orbital buffer or is this a Danielson method...left a circle....right a circle...

[Jstas]

Um, for a polishing compound, you're better off doing it by hand. An orbital buffer can overheat the area and typically doesn't move fast enough to make a polishing compound effective when using a machine. A polisher is like an angle grinder with a soft pad on it. However, it moves very fast and can very quickly burn through the paint. Both situations are not desirable. If you've never used one, this is probably not the time to practice. If you want to learn how, grab a junk fender from a junkyard for like $20 and practice on that.

If you use a polishing compound, do it by hand. You are less likely to have a problem and what you lose in speed you can more than make up in pressure. It will take patience and elbow grease though.

Stuff like the Meguiar's polishing stuff is really just the same polishing compounds with liquid lubricants to make life easier on your polishing arm. It's also why it's not really recommended to use them with a machine. You can use a microfiber cloth but honestly, a CLEAN terry cloth works just as well. The terry cloth will hold on to the polishing compounds better than a microfiber cloth will. It also tends to bring it's own level of mild abrasiveness to the party and that can help out. A cotton cloth works well too but also holds dirt. That is the only benefit to the microfiber cloth. They don't hold dirt. If you're not careful, you can eliminate the scrapes yet do even worse damage with circular scratches that a spec of dirt caught in your cotton cloth ground in to your paint.

Whatever you get, follow the directions and recommendations on the product. There are plenty of options but I will tell you now that if the scratches go clear through the paint in to the primer, sealer and filler coats, no amount of rubbing with a polishing compound or cloth of any sort will make them go away. You will need to sand, fill, sand again, primer, probably sand again and then paint. You may need to wet sand the first color coat too. You'll also need a special kind of filler. Polyester Bondo will just crack on a plastic bumper. There is a plastic type of filler you will need to get. It will have an activating agent as well as a flex agent to allow the filler to flex as the plastic bumper expands and contracts in the sunlight.

And patience, dude, patience. It sucks doing body work and that's why body guys get paid so much. But honestly, the materials are cheap, it's all in the prep and finish work. Half-ass your work and you'll get half-ass results.

[ShinAce]

I've always use polishing compound by hand. Rag+paste+elbow grease = success.

It does take the clear coat off, though.

[silvertuner]

depending on how deep it is, it may require a wetsand and a buff. ive detailed professionally for 7 years, and i do detail on the side from time to time still (everything from ford focus' to my uncles audi s5) and anytime i run into heavy scuffs i cant buff out by hand, i resort to the orbital with a cut pad and VERY heavy compound. if that doesnt work, some 1500 and 2k grit sand paper comes into play. i highly advice against people not familiar with this process doing it. if it cant come out by hand, save yourself an expensive paint repair and take it to a shop.

like stated, get some "scratch-x" and a microfiber, and scrub scrub scrub. if it comes out, hit it with a quick coat of wax and ur done.