I have noticed a couple of minor scratches on my 07 Titan. They are not that bad but I have to do something about them. I've heard that you can buff these out. Would someone mind telling me how this is done. Any help will be greatley appreciated.

depending on the depth of scratch the only way to remove them is by polishing. you can buy that "scratch remover" at wal mart but it wont really help much. what u need is a high speed polisher and they are found at most quality detail shops. if you want to do it urself look into something from meguiars their polisher is what i use. just read the instructions carefully and prctice because if your not careful you could get orange peel or even burn the paint. best of luck!

Yup I use the Meguiars scratch remover. It seems to work for all of those surface scratches. Just gotta put a little elbow grease into it.

I use the Meguiars scratch remover and it works wonders for me :D

try scratch X from Meguiars first, along with a high quality microfiber towel, and apply with alot of (as others ^ have said) ELBOW GREASE! It may take a few applications but it does work. Don't get discouraged if you do not see results right away. It is a very non-aggressive product and works a little bit at a time. It is designed so that the average everyday person can use it safely and effectively without causing any more damage to their ride. Apply it in a few applications and you should get good results.

If you want to get really crazy you could invest in a Radom Orbital Buffer, pads, and a polish. I have a Porter Cable machine with various cutting pads and polishes.
The only problem is that now everyone wants me to do their cars.

Steve

^^^^^^^^^ that would be the next best step. I invested in one (G100 from Meguairs/Porter Cable but had lifetime warranty) along with various pads, paint cleaners, swirl removers, polishes, and sealers and theres no going back to the "hand method" for me!
I perfected it enough to where I do about 4-5 vehicles a month as a side job detailing for $$$$. My truck has become free advertising. Best of luck. If you want some free info on detailing and various products that have proven results, try meguiarsonline.com

thats the one i have and i am convinced there is no better product out there. im currently on the path to find a diff wax than the griots best of show that im using now

thats the one i have and i am convinced there is no better product out there. im currently on the path to find a diff wax than the griots best of show that im using now

I have bought some of Griot's products...Good Stuff!!

^^^^^^^^^ that would be the next best step. I invested in one (G100 from Meguairs/Porter Cable but had lifetime warranty) along with various pads, paint cleaners, swirl removers, polishes, and sealers and theres no going back to the "hand method" for me!
I perfected it enough to where I do about 4-5 vehicles a month as a side job detailing for $$$$. My truck has become free advertising. Best of luck. If you want some free info on detailing and various products that have proven results, try meguiarsonline.com
I'm trying to find a pro detailer who will instruct me on the use of a circular polisher...EEEEKKK!!!

Anyone want to volunteer there vehicle??? Only kidding!!

Steve

i like ibiz wax i bought it at a car show i also have trade secrets wax i like the ibiz better

Here is a pointer to some of the best detailing instructions you will find!

http://guidetodetailing.com/topics.php?topicId=17

Excellent guide to taking care of the paint on your truck! :2cool:

I'm trying to find a pro detailer who will instruct me on the use of a circular polisher...EEEEKKK!!!

Steve

steve the one that i got from griots which meguiars also sells comes with a guide and dvd on how to use. that provided a great starting point for me. i have picked up some tips since then but that one is by far the easiest and least likely to damage something for a first time user

Matt,

Cool avatar of the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, the good ole' days.

I have the same one but it is a Porter Cable 7424 which is a Random Orbital polisher. Does yours have 6 speeds?

I'd like to get one that is strictly circular which can burn through clearcoat and paint in no time. I go to a detailers web site and people on there say that the R.O. will save your paint but not your time, whereas the circular ones, in the trained hands, make quick work of scratches.

My ex-girlfriends mom had her Black Explorer done one time by a detailer who used a cicular motion machine and EEEEKKKK!!! It swirled the paint so bad that in spots the clearcoat and paint were just about gone.

Steve

yea i have used the circular only they are a royal PITA i use my meguirs one only and turn it all the way up to speed 6. to speed things up i got the buffing pad as well and i gotta tell you it takes me about 1.5 hrs to get it done but well worth the time. thanks for the words about the avatar beleive it or not i have gotten several pms asking me who this is.... im only 26 and i know who he is, hes got the flash while all the others got a__

The rule of thumb on the scratch is that if your finger nail can get caught in it (if you feel it when you run your finger nail over it) then you cant fix it with any detailing. If this is the case then you should use the Meguires product because it contains dyes that will be helpful in covering up the scratch. If the scratch is more minor then you can detail it away with polish.

I use the PC 7424 too and it is great. I would be careful with a non-random orbital polisher, you could easily cause a bigger problem. If you cut through your clear coat you are in trouble.

BTW-everyone with a Titan needs the PC, even if you just wax annually. Because the truck is such a monster it will save you hours (and it does a better job).

thats the one i have and i am convinced there is no better product out there. im currently on the path to find a diff wax than the griots best of show that im using now
Here I thought it was just me that had problems with Griot's Best-of-show wax. Do you get the splotches that are difficult to take off?

I also have the Porter Cable random orbit sander/polisher. Love it, just wish it was a bit lighter.

yea i actually do, i talked to one of their reps at a detailers show i was at about six months ago. he was telling me that the natural elements in the products can cause inconsistencies. he said to remedy it you should shake really well. i did that and it helped but i am on the quest for some better waxes. my buddy who routinely does higher end stuff was telling me about some options. ill keep everyone informed

As an FYI, here is a response that I receive from Griot's customer service when I was trying to figure out why the wax was so difficult to remove:

It sounds like you are doing most everything correctly, let me just tweak a few steps and you will get the "Best of Show" results you are expecting and our other customers have become accustomed to. First, use less wax. I know you said you were being conservative, but a little goes a REALLY long way. I would recommend using about a dime to nickel size amount, and using the red plastic cap to smear it around the entire red wax pad. As long as it is damp, it will work fine. It by no means needs to be saturated or dripping with wax. You should apply the wax at around setting 4 or 5, but if you want to turn up the juice a little to 6, you can do that too. The size of the area you chose sounds fine, but you can go even smaller at first depending on the amount of wax on your pad. This is the most important step: make about six passes each way, in a cross hatch pattern (both up and down and back and forth). By the time you have done this, there should be no more build-up, or streaks, or gloppy spots. The wax should really have begun to dissipate and almost disappear. Go ahead and do the entire vehicle like this, and allow the wax to set up a bit. By the time you get back around to the start, switch to a clean Orange Foam Pad and pull on a Wax Removal Bonnet. These do a great job to continue to "burnish" (as Richard puts it) the Carnauba into the paint, and will remove nearly all of the visible residue. Take a few swipes with our Microfiber Wax Removal Cloths, and you'll get the rest. If you do run into those stubborn spots, spray a little Speed Shine on the area, and it should come off easily. Don't leave the wax on too long, or it does become harder to remove. Best of Show can definitely be more difficult to remove than some of the other Brand X's available out there, but if you think about it, it's that quality in the wax that you really want. We cram as much Carnauba into a liquid wax possible, and that is what's going to give your car the best protection (and shine!), not the wimpy products that come off super easily (what kind of protection is that?).

The above steps should make the process a lot easier. The wax isn't defective, and your storage is great. The only other troubleshooting tip I can think of is to make sure there are no other previous waxes on your vehicle. If you used our Paint Prep (http://http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=11135) on your vehicle, you should be fine, otherwise the chemicals and impurities from any previous products will definitely create bonding issues with Best of Show and cause havoc on your paint. Give these suggestions a try, and be sure to send me pictures of the (beautiful) finished product. If you have any further questions, that's what we're here for. Feel free to contact me directly or you can reach our Customer Service Department at (800)345-5789 Monday-Friday 6am-6pm.

Here is a pointer to some of the best detailing instructions you will find!

http://guidetodetailing.com/topics.php?topicId=17

Excellent guide to taking care of the paint on your truck! :2cool:


That's a bad-azz link. Thanx!

Glad to see all the info on getting out a scratch. I will be putting them to use this weekend. My son put an 18" scratch across both doors on the drivers side with the handle of a wagon. OUCH!

wow it would have been hard not to cry lol

imo the only way to go is a high speed buffer (what some call circular) i use them everyday and know how, if you do not be careful as other have said you will burn through in a split second literally.. i use 3m and nortons products. i start with either 3m fine cut compound (or a heavier one depending on the depth of the scratch) set the buffer around 2500 or so.. imo apply the compound to the car not the pad some will tell you the opposite. i like it this way so i can take the wool pad and move the compound around so i get a more even coat either way works i just prefer this way. dont push let the buffer do its job.. DO NOT STOP in any one area you need to maintain constant motion and try to not turn the buffer on it side try to keep the pad as flat as possible. DO NOT use a super high speed you will make a mess... keep moving till the compound starts fading away. you can concentrate on one spot if you know where the scratch is but again keep moving unless you know what to do.

imo i always recc a high speed over anything else.. simply find a freind or someone with a old car that has crap paint. start there. if you can find one like this what harm can you do.. or go to a local junkyard and grab a couple of the cheapest panels you can find and start with those.

once the compound is done move to a swirl mark remover or what others call "glaze" this is applied usually with a foam pad either flat or egg crate style depends on the company. i like nortons pads the best. i only use 3m glaze i have not found another that works as fast or does as good of a job.

this applied same as the compound but i like to start at a slower speed like 1500 or so the lighten the pressure and move the speed up a bit watch for the glaze to start fading. the foam pads are very hard to burn the clear with so much less to worry about here..

i can answer any questions if anyone needs lmk..