My wifey is due back tomorrow night and I posted the wheeling trip my 6yo son and I took her 80 on last week. The pinstripes from pushing through brush were the worst I've ever done to any vehicle. So, I talked to a couple detailers and was kinda put off by the $200 price to buff out the scratches. I'm a loser at waxing and such and really have zero talent at it. But I went to the local auto detailing and paint supply shop and got some advice. They sold me 3M 05973 Rubbing Compound and suggested one of their $90 polishers. I decided to just get the compound and a terry cover for the cheapo orbital polisher I borrowed. Once I did this, he suggested I use the wooly cover it came with to get rid of the scratches, then wax with the terry cover.
So, i got home with misgivings. I was worried the compound would literally make the paint look 'sanded' and dull but he assured me 3M had the right combination that could take off clear coat to remove scratches but that would not happen. I timidly went after the worst panel, the front fender and used about 5 inches of the product squirted in a line. Went over the panel with only a few pounds of pressure, and hit the scratched area twice. Wiped it off and the scratches are GONE and the clearcoat is still glossy! How they do that I have no idea.
So, I did all the other side panels in a total time of about 15 minutes. Wiped the entire side of the truck off at once, then went back with a fresh towel for any residue. Wiping it off is unlike getting a wax off - you just rub it dry and it turns into a powder with no elbow grease whatsoever. No scratches from the buffer, either. I did it in the driveway on a calm day.
If I were more uptight, I'd put on the wax, but incredibly the truck's clearcoat was glossier than when I started and I just chose to go play with my son on our last day as batchelors and will wax it later.
So, for those of you like me unfamiliar with getting pinstriping off, it's a piece of cake. I spent about $40 on product and a cheap buffer like the orbital I borrowed is about $40 if you bought one. I have enough product to easily do this 15 more times. Cleanup of the pads was amazing - it's water soluble not like getting wax out of a pad. Took about one minute. So total of less than 1 hour to do including washing the car to get ready. Even an idiot can do this.
DougM
So, i got home with misgivings. I was worried the compound would literally make the paint look 'sanded' and dull but he assured me 3M had the right combination that could take off clear coat to remove scratches but that would not happen. I timidly went after the worst panel, the front fender and used about 5 inches of the product squirted in a line. Went over the panel with only a few pounds of pressure, and hit the scratched area twice. Wiped it off and the scratches are GONE and the clearcoat is still glossy! How they do that I have no idea.
So, I did all the other side panels in a total time of about 15 minutes. Wiped the entire side of the truck off at once, then went back with a fresh towel for any residue. Wiping it off is unlike getting a wax off - you just rub it dry and it turns into a powder with no elbow grease whatsoever. No scratches from the buffer, either. I did it in the driveway on a calm day.
If I were more uptight, I'd put on the wax, but incredibly the truck's clearcoat was glossier than when I started and I just chose to go play with my son on our last day as batchelors and will wax it later.
So, for those of you like me unfamiliar with getting pinstriping off, it's a piece of cake. I spent about $40 on product and a cheap buffer like the orbital I borrowed is about $40 if you bought one. I have enough product to easily do this 15 more times. Cleanup of the pads was amazing - it's water soluble not like getting wax out of a pad. Took about one minute. So total of less than 1 hour to do including washing the car to get ready. Even an idiot can do this.
DougM