Big mistake

[B1gfun]

So this summer I was at a bike night and they had the bikini girls washing bikes. I opted for it and now regret it. Not sure what happened, but i think they had dirty/sandy water, as I now have a million scratches that look like the washed it using sand paper. Any suggestions to rectify the situation besides a whole new paint job?

[RANGER73]

Buffing Compound and new clearcoat Brother, That's all you can do, if not then re-paint.

[Rollmeaway]

Well we all make mistakes but its not the end all. Alot will depend on how deep the scratches are. Anytime I need assistance on the paint & caviar end of things I look towards the resident body & paint guys here at the forum.

You should get ahold of Pat aka Kustomflames or Tim aka 1bdbagr, both are at the top of their game. They are always willing to help out.

[bigwobbely]

KIT scratch out

[McGinnes_john]

I've seen Mcguire's Scratch Remover do an okay job, but the best way is probably a full kit or repaint. I believe 3M used to have a pretty good kit that you could use with a drill. I'm still of the opinion that some scratches add character (or you could interpret that as me making the same mistake several times)

[B1gfun]

Thanks for all the responses. I am still palm to forehead on this one! Anyone with experience with the KIT? If not I will probably contact the pros suggested. Thanks again!

[DueceDog]

If it's 'just' scratches in the paint that don't go to the base coat then I would try Maguires Scratch Remover for clear coat. I used it on the trunk of my car when some dufus woman put her shopping bag on MY car because she didn't want to scratch hers. Luckily, mine came out perfect and you can't tell there were ever any scratches.

Go light and easy, and repeat several times rather than one heavy handed operation.

[1bdBagr]

Depending on the paint job, factory? Aftermarket or Custom paint? Check with a local detail guy who could possibly colorsand then polish the paint. Also depends on how deep scratches are.
Tim

[YankeeBob]

That has always been a huge fear for me. I won't go to one of those bike washes or a high school fundraiser car wash. You KNOW they dropped the sponge on the ground.

[myglide]

That is why I never let anyone wash my bike. They wipe wheels and everything that could have grit on it and then right to the paint.

[B1gfun]

Lesson learned! Thanks again for the help guys!

[kp161]

Ever tried Zaino? It's been a while but i use to use it on my show cars a lot. I think it's the Z5 you'd be after....but it's a whole process, not a slap on a layer type of product.

http://www.zainostore.com/

[88XLH_DLX]

I spent a couple years as a detailer at a local body shop during college...basically I never used orbital, just a standard buffer. We used 3M products excusively. They were very effective, but it does take some practice to get the procedure down pat.

To get the best result, TAKE YOUR TIME!!!

You can start by wet sanding the surface with 1500-2000 wet sandpaper. That gives you a consistant starting point and can remove any scratches. If you're just trying to get rid of swirl marks, you don't have to sand it first.

(the 3M products that I used, use a combination of heat and chemical to work...NEVER NEVER NEVER stop moving the buffer or apply pressure)

Step 1: Using a wool pad, apply Super Duty Rubbing Compound 05954 liberaly and buff at medium speed until compound is worked in completely ... wipe off any remaining residue with a clean cloth
Step 2: Using a wool pad, apply Finness-It -05928 liberaly and buff at a medium-high speed until worked in completely ... wipe off any remaining residue with a clean cloth
Step 3: Using a foam pad, apply Perfect-It -05996 liberaly and buff at a high speed...be sure to keep the pad wet (this is the one that will burn thru quickly if you eff-up) wipe off any residue with a clean cloth
Step 4: Using a microfiber cloth, apply Imperial Hand Glaze -05990 rub by hand until all the chemical disappears. then wipe over with a clean dry microfiber cloth.

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that is the full process...once i had that perfected, i learned how to manipulate it to fit the condition at hand. starting with step 2 or 3 would be fine for swirl marks...the thing is, these chemicals are not cheap, probably around $100 for the 4 chemicals if you buy small bottles, but they will last a long time. It will give you the best possible result. I know from experience...i took the time to do all this to my car when i worked at the shop. The paint was over 10 years old and sat outside all the time...it looked as good as a new paint job.