thelinux

My 2 month old 2008 TL was hit by some kind of rubber mat on the freeway near the driver side front wheel and this is what I got.

Picture under the direct sunlght.



Picture under shade. Looks like that the rubber materail transferred on to the paint.



Picture under shade with flash on. The one in blue circle is some deep scratch. I tried the finger nail test. It feel like it stops if I sweep real slow. It's not that deep.


OK, how do I remove these?

I am thinking Wash -> claybar -> Quixx -> Wash & Wax ???

If I need claybar this, what kind of claybar should I get? And How do I use claybar? I've never used it.

bAek-sU

i dont think claybar would take that off.. maybe it will.. i would just touchup paint that

thelinux

I am intending to use claybar to remove the rubber transferred. Not for the scratch in blue circle.

slawek65

Use good polish and TL will be like brand new again. I don't think You needed touchup paint for this.

bAek-sU

o i was refering to the blue circle.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

please, stop with the claybars...that is not the intended use for claybar....polish is what you need, and you can probably get most of that out....

Jesstzn

What kind of waxes do you have on hand? List them and I'll see if I can suggest something.

Denzil

iTrader: (1)

It looks like that can be polished out. I've polished out much worse-looking bumpers.

PortlandRL

That's mostly superficial; it should buff right out.

thelinux

Will polish take off that black mark? I think some rubber material from the mat is transferred on to the bumper and that black mark is what it is. I thought claybar is for these kind of things No?

combat mediC

iTrader: (1)

Damn, car is worthless now

jk. good luck on getting it to come out.... btw I had a brand spanking new gsxr-1000 back in 2003 and we were at mcdonalds and a douche bag knocked it over w/ his s10. I feel your pain.

exceldetail

Clay will remove light to moderate paint and rubber transfers, but polish is actually quicker and more thorough.
Polish or a compound should clean up that scratch pretty good though. Make sure you protect anything that clay or polish comes in contact with.

thelinux

How do I polish? Sorry but I know very little about these things.
Are scratch remover (like quixx) and polishing different things?

SupaRookie

-go to exceldetail.com and utilize the 15% off
-by the Ultimate Detail Machine (UDM)
-buy orange pad
-buy some microfiber
-buy Optimum Compound
-buy Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (UPP)
-checkout and dont look at the total
-come back here and there will be further instruction

paz840

iTrader: (2)

your scratch may be minor enough that hand polishing should do the trick, try something like quixx or scratchx before you shell out big bucks for the UDM

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

clay bar is intended to remove airborn particulates that get embedded into the clearcoat....tiny little particals that would look like dust or overspray that has landed on the surface of your car and left to embed themselves into your paint....weekly washing can keep this from happening to your car, but not 100%....

just get some polish and work it into the area and see how much you can get out....then take some more pics and report back....we can talk more about the clay and polishing tecquines later...for now just get the polish and work it in until you see results....your going to be using the polish like its sand paper, work check your results and work again...dont be stingy with the polish either....

thelinux

So quixx for polishing? Everyone agrees?

Jesstzn

You didn't respond to my question above. You might have something on hand that will do the job.

thelinux

I am still confused.
quixx is not a polish?

I have a craftsman waxing machine bought from sears.
Do I use this machine with some polishing compound like that 'optimum compound' to polish it?

Or quixx??

What's the difference between quixx and polish?

exceldetail

Quixx is a good product, make sure you go with the light grade first, or you will be back here with another set of problems. Follow the directions on the box as stated. If you have a polish at home sitting on the shelf, try that first. Better yet, go BUY SOME and do the whole car if you've never done it before....lol
Ah he**, Im getting carried away. Polishes are car care products (liquids) which contain a cream like substance comprised of lubricationg oils and/or water with small diminishing abrasives. As you apply this product to a foam pad and then onto the surface in a circular or lineal motion, the abrasives "roll" themselves out into smaller diameters until the dissapear. All while this is happening, the abrasives smooth out vertical edges on scratches and swirls, making them less noticeable.
Quixx is a polish, but more along the lines of a "compound" which is just a fancier name for a "more" abrasive polish.
Simply apply a small dab (fingernail size) to a foam app or microfiber towel, gently spread product along scratch, then apply additional pressure while "polishing" out the scratch. Maintain direction in the same manner as the scratch. Wallah.......wipe clean, inspect, repeat if necessary. Protect with a wax or sealant.

thelinux

Sorry about that.
I know it's lame but I have some turtle wax leftover. :-( And a waxing machine. That's all I have now.
I wanted to get some good wax but I don't know which one is good.

thelinux

Thanks.

So is Optimum Compound (http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...7056&pd=293097) a same kind of stuff with quixx?
I've never done any polishing in my life before. I've done only waxing. So, I am kind of scared to try any scratch remover or compound because I think I could ruin my car.

Sounds like polishes are the safe bet at this point for me.
So what kind of polishes would you recommend? Who makes great polish?

Jesstzn

Turtle Wax tho not a great wax has some cleaners in it .. Take a bit and a terry towel and a little time and see if it will remove the transfer marks ... might suprise you .

thelinux

OK, I will try that first. Looks like that's the safest one to try first for me.

BTW, do I need polish even if this is a new car? Mine is 2008 TL with only 2000 miles on it. It might have sitting on the dealer lot for about a year. Still will I get some good result with polish?

exceldetail

Even though its new, its still needs pampering. Polishes help remove all the crud that hides the true color and quality of the paint. It also minimizes (when done properly) swirls and scratches. The Optimum Polish is a very mild polish. Its able to reduce very light scratches and swirls, and general paint cleaning. The compound is the next progressive level in abrasiveness. The 4oz would be closest to the light grade included in the Quixx product. Theres two polishes included with Quixx, one is light grade, the other a compound.
BTW, all vehicle paint needs occasional polishing. It should be included in your maintenance regimen, just as engine maintenance is. It maintains the vehicles value as well. Waxes protect, polishes enhance that protection.

thelinux

OK, I see optimum compound and optimum compound II and I also see optimum hyper compound.
Among these 3, which one? Looks like optimum hyper compound is comparable to heavier grade of Quixx.
So I guess I have to use optimum compound or optimum compound II.
Which one should I get? What are the differences between these 2?

exceldetail

For the scratch, I recommend the 4oz compound.
For the car, I recommend the 32oz Polish.
Hyper is the highest level of abrasiveness Optimum designs.
Optimum polish for very light swirls and paint cleaning.
Compound for scratches and heavier swirls.
Hyper Compound for neglected, heavy swirled and scratched paint.

thelinux

Thanks. I did not see "Optimum Polish" thinking optimum compound is the one you were talking about to apply to the whole car.

Now I have optimum compound 3oz and optimum polish 32 oz in the cart.
I also want to get sealent. Which one would you recommend?
Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection w/PC Booster, 2 Microfibers (1-2-09) or Danase Acrylic Paint Sealant 16oz ?

I also want to get some descent wax. I felt somewhat embarrassed for telling you guys that I have turtle wax. Which wax would you recommend?

Denzil

iTrader: (1)

Some great sealants are Duragloss #105 (DG 105), Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection (UPP) and Optimum Opti-Seal (OOS).

As far as decent waxes go, you can grab some Collinite 845 Insulator Wax or 476s Super Doublecoat Wax from your local Harbor Freight for cheap. They're one of the most durable for their price.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

throw that waxmaster thing you bought at sears in the trash....its not worth using it on your car....the udm suggested here if you are serious about taking care of your new baby...otherwise use products designed for hand use....that waxmaster thing does not have the speed or power you will need to do anything with....

exceldetail

Agreed, but I if I had to pick one, it would be the UPP. Also, although the Collinites are good and cheap, theyre no where near as easy to use/apply/remove as either of the three Denzil mentioned.

hehehe, also agree with.....give it to a neighbor or something.....

SupaRookie

i wouldn't necessary throw it away. donate it

thelinux

Ok. ordered some wax, compound and polish along with hand polisher.

Is my waxmaster even not worth for quick waxing???? I thought it would make waxing a lot more easier. I did not buy it for polishing.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

what is a hand polisher....i wouldnt use that waxmaster thing on my car, but you can use it on yours if you want....its your car.....

thelinux

This one.
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...6116&pd=301286
Will waxmaster do bad thing on my car? Why not?

Denzil

iTrader: (1)

That yellow foam pad your ordered should work well with your compound and polish but it's going to take A LOT of elbow grease and time to break down the oils in the Optimum products.

As for applying your LSP, you'll need another application media such as a foam applicator, etc.

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

its just a waist of your time....you can do a better job laying down wax or sealant by hand then you can with that thing....now if you get a udm or pc i would use that to lay down wax or sealant....since with laying down wax or sealants your not working anything in your just going for coverage....if you use that big ole waxmaster thing your going to miss alot of areas and its too big to use around door handles, emblems, sunroofs and other tigher areas...

thelinux

I will not polish the entire car until I get a UDM in the future. I just want to polish that scratched area. Shouldn't be too difficult right?

thelinux

Wait, I am not sure if we are talking about the correct stuff.
This is what I have.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...+%26+Polishers

Is this the 'waxmaster' you are talking about?

vinnier6

iTrader: (1)

yea, thats the machine i was talking about....

you will have no problem trying to polish out that spot by hand....

i used to have one of thoes machines a few years back, i just thought i waisted my money and i was better at waxing my car then it was....