Can't remove mark from body work

[Jeron]

Hey guys,

So I have a black 197.. on the front drivers side wing there is a rather large mark. It looks like something has been poured over the wing, there are rub marks where someone has clearly tried to rub it away, just making vertical scratches.

I've tried t-cut but to no avail.. unless there's some sort of completely different way of using it that I'm not aware of.

Photo of the mark is attached.. I'm thinking bird crap left over time has bitten into the paint? Granted the photo makes it pop out more than it does in reality.

Help?

Cheers,

Jeron

 

[Paddy_R]

I'd put money on it that what your looking at there is the etching from bird crap that somebody has tried to remove with an old cloth or similar. People don't realise the damage that bird crap can do to paint if left for too long. It literally eats into the clear coat and your left with a lovely reminder of where out was.

T-Cut is pretty rubbish as a polish. Have a look on the car cleaning supplies websites (I tend to use clean your car) and look at the polishes they have most will work better than t-cut. By the sounds of it your working by hand so your need a hand polishing pad too. There are kits for it on clean your car for hand polishing. Word of warning it ain't going to be easy.

You don't say where you are but if your close (Co Down, N.Ireland) I have a DA and would give you a hand fixing that.

Something like this would be 100 times better than t-cut: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/car-polish-compounds/sonus-hand-polish-bundle/prod_29.html also I quite like Sonus polishes as there easy to work with. Also look at G/techniq P1 and their hand polishing pad as I've heard good things about it.

 

[ashtons99]

wet sanding is the best solution. get yourself some 3000 grade wet n dry on a sanding block. take it very lightly in one direction only. You then need to polish it out with some cutting polish,
Where are you in the uk? Id be happy to sort it for you if youre in Yorkshire, your wing is just yearning for some paint correction attention....and the bonnet from the marks on the small bit in the photo

 

[Paddy_R]

I'd say the whole car is swirled but I wouldn't be recommending wet sanding to somebody who reached for T-Cut as a first port of call. Especially on a hard body line like that is, you'd be through the paint (or at the very least the clear) in no time. Yes wet sanding is probably the best solution but its also the one most likely to cause damage that can only be fixed by a painter. Wet sanding isn't an easy technique to master.

 

[GrumpyTwig]

Has it gone through the clear coat?

 

[Jeron]

There's no harsh cut around it, it doesn't feel like theres a depression either. So I doubt it has gone through the clear coat.

I'm right on the south coast outside Brighton annoyingly guys! I'm new to all this really!

 

[Foxspeed]

use something like meguires ultimate compound - make take a few goes but it wont destroy the paintwork....also be prepared to do the rest of the car :w00t:

 

[E11VYD]

100% machine it out. If you dont have a polisher go to a local body shop and they will probs charge 10 pound or might do it for free. Just clean your car first so there is no crap for the pad to pick up and put worse swirls in the paint.

Steven

 

[Mentalpen]

I wouldn't be recommending wet sanding to somebody who reached for T-Cut as a first port of call.

^^^^^^^
This massively!

Without sounding harsh your paintwork looks shocking! It has bad swirling, holograming and the mark its self.

I would say someone hasn't given a toss before and left the car dirty for some time. at some point they have decided to wipe very dry bird lime off with something. That has scratched the surface and left the residual to eat at the clear coat.

You have 4 options imo.

1. sod it its just a car (cost £0)
2. ok but its just a car whats the minimum i need to do (cost £40)
3. right i want the car looking ace but can't be arsed, recommend me a detailer (cost £300)
4. Cars a keeper i want to learn and build a collection and learn techniques to do it my self. (cost £300+)

 

[Jeron]

100% machine it out. If you dont have a polisher go to a local body shop and they will probs charge 10 pound or might do it for free. Just clean your car first so there is no crap for the pad to pick up and put worse swirls in the paint.

Steven

We do have a machine polisher at home, I'll have a look into that.

Mentalpen - True, this is only my second car (coming from a 6n2 polo) so I'm new to the detailing aspect. I'm used to a two bucket wash and thats about as far as I've ventured.

I'd be going for option 2 there, I can't justify £300 on a small mark, though I guess that's the whole car. I live in the countryside so it gets dirty pretty fast, making a detailing not quite as good an idea as it may be in town.

So right now I'm looking at the kit that Paddy_R linked to, this http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/car-polish-compounds/sonus-hand-polish-bundle/prod_29.html I assume I can use this with a machine polisher too? Ordered that now

Cheers guys, appreciate the help!

Jeron

 

[Mentalpen]

We do have a machine polisher at home, I'll have a look into that.

Mentalpen - True, this is only my second car (coming from a 6n2 polo) so I'm new to the detailing aspect. I'm used to a two bucket wash and thats about as far as I've ventured.

I'd be going for option 2 there, I can't justify £300 on a small mark, though I guess that's the whole car. I live in the countryside so it gets dirty pretty fast, making a detailing not quite as good an idea as it may be in town.

So right now I'm looking at the kit that Paddy_R linked to, this http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/car-polish-compounds/sonus-hand-polish-bundle/prod_29.html I assume I can use this with a machine polisher too? Ordered that now

Cheers guys, appreciate the help!

Jeron

Yeah £300 would get you a correction detail.

You don't use that pad system with a machine polisher no, its a hand system.

I've not used it but rule of thumb would be to apply a drop or two onto the yellow pad and thinly spread the product over a small area in a circular motion. Then work it more so it starts to dry out and work which will remove the product at the same time and start to turn to dust so to speak. Repeat as necessary and then finish on the black side with the final finish.

It is not a quick job and will require wax after use.

What polisher do you have? a rotary buff polisher can often do far more damage than good. newer ones have backing plates that you place foam pads onto rather than older buff style ones.

 

[Mentalpen]

BTW detailing is a sticky slope and an expensive but rewarding one at the same time. Time is something you need to do it right though. I for instance will set 2-3 days to detail a car a couple of times a year. A basic wash will take 1.5-2.5 hours.

Getting the basics right and i makes it easier though and i too live in the country so feel your muddy road tractor pain.

 

[Paddy_R]

I assume I can use this with a machine polisher too?[/I] Ordered that now

Cheers guys, appreciate the help!

Jeron

You don't use that pad system with a machine polisher no, its a hand system.

The Sonus system actually uses the same polishes for their hand system and machine system, its the pads that vary. I really like the Sonus system, very simple and easy to use, not too expensive so IMO perfect for people new to detailing. The polishes work great with a machine you'll need appropriate pads though. Detailing is a slippery slope into a money pit, you have been warned.

I'm the same as you and mentalpen in that I live in the country. Recently after a 3 day detail I drove my car less than 5 miles and the dirt in the rear window was so bad I couldn't see out it. Made me wonder why I bother. But I enjoy it, I'm sad like that.

 

[luke3]

The Sonus system actually uses the same polishes for their hand system and machine system, its the pads that vary. I really like the Sonus system, very simple and easy to use, not too expensive so IMO perfect for people new to detailing. The polishes work great with a machine you'll need appropriate pads though. Detailing is a slippery slope into a money pit, you have been warned.

I'm the same as you and mentalpen in that I live in the country. Recently after a 3 day detail I drove my car less than 5 miles and the dirt in the rear window was so bad I couldn't see out it. Made me wonder why I bother. But I enjoy it, I'm sad like that.

It does give you a lot of satisfaction... And back ache and arm ache

 

[Paddy_R]

It does give you a lot of satisfaction... And back ache and arm ache

That it does. Esp if doing it by hand.

 

[Jeron]

A friend has offered to come and give me a hand one evening this week, so hopefully that will sort it! I'll post some pictures once its all done.

Thanks guys!

 

[Mentalpen]

The Sonus system actually uses the same polishes for their hand system and machine system, its the pads that vary. I really like the Sonus system, very simple and easy to use, not too expensive so IMO perfect for people new to detailing. The polishes work great with a machine you'll need appropriate pads though. Detailing is a slippery slope into a money pit, you have been warned.

I'm the same as you and mentalpen in that I live in the country. Recently after a 3 day detail I drove my car less than 5 miles and the dirt in the rear window was so bad I couldn't see out it. Made me wonder why I bother. But I enjoy it, I'm sad like that.

Sorry that is what i mean in that it can't be used with a buff polisher.

I hate tractors! harvesters and muck spreaders too.

 

[Jeron]

You guys are awesome!

The polishing compound that Paddy suggested worked perfectly, didn't even require that much effort! The scratches are still all there as I'm leaving that till I get a bit of help / know how, but the mark is gone.

Before & After..

 

[Giles]

good work!

 

[cooper666]

Looking good pal