Car Talk!

[The Real Bingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobRich

Possibly. A quick note from personal experience using ScratchX: apply it liberally. Don't spare the stuff.

Thank you...I'll heed your advice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoloCamo

Meguiars is good stuff...all of there products have seemed to work well for me and I've got to say the tire cleaner has held up a fair bit better than the armor all I was using previously which worked well also

[Bizkitkid2001]

I've read that Quixx scratch remover is the best out there and it can even remove scratches that go down to the primer. I'm hoping that it will be able to remove a couple deep scratches that I have.

[RobRich]

Most scratch removal products work by filling clear coat skins and imperfections. If there is not paint to reflect or refract by having a spot down to the primer, then forget it IMO. In such a case, you will likely need touchup paint, not a polymer filler.

[RobRich]

Thinking of Meguiars, one of its best productions IMO is PlastX. It is great for headlights. I have even used it to clean plastic interior parts in older cars, though be careful by testing an unseen area of plastic before using it to make sure it does not damage the surface.

[SoloCamo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobRich

Thinking of Meguiars, one of its best productions IMO is PlastX. It is great for headlights. I have even used it to clean plastic interior parts in older cars, though be careful by testing an unseen area of plastic before using it to make sure it does not damage the surface.

Headlights? As in it clears up that yellowish fog on older ones? The Jeep's taillights are in desperate need of a new look. The reverse light section on it looks like I tinted it yellow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobRich

Most scratch removal products work by filling clear coat skins and imperfections. If there is not paint to reflect or refract by having a spot down to the primer, then forget it IMO. In such a case, you will likely need touchup paint, not a polymer filler.

[RobRich]

Yeap. I have found PlastX to be great for polishing out exterior haze on car lights.

If the exterior weathering on the lens assembly is so extreme that PlastX fails to help, there is also a wet sanding technique, but I have yet to attempt it. YMMV.

On a related note, some people simply use common toothpaste since it is a mild abrasive. Apply a thin layer to the light, let it set for about a minute, then polish with a clean rag.

Hazed headlights are oftentimes from weathering, but waxes and other paint finishers can also contribute to the problem. Some people even attempt to wax headlights, which is not a good idea due to plastic light lenses. Just occasionally clean them with PlastX or toothpaste instead.

[Bizkitkid2001]

What would I use to remove paint on top of my car's paint? I finally figured out what the scratch marks are on my back bumper. They aren't from someone who backed into my bumper, but from the subwoofer from my surround sound that I was lugging around for a bit. I looked at the scratch more closely and noticed that it was raised, not lower, and that I could pick part of it off with my finger nail. It looked like something was dragged a cross my rear bumper, and the color of it was a metalic gray.


When I started thinking about it more, I remember that I had moved my Logitech Z680s speakers to my aun'ts house for a couple of weeks and that the sub was a tight fit to get into the trunk and that I had to set it down on my rear bumper a couple times to try and line it up with the opening. The color match was perfect and I even found a side of the subwoofer box where some paint had been scraped off showing the wood.


Now, I need to find a way to remove the paint that has been on there for 4 weeks now baking in 100F Texas sun without damaging the paint below.


Does anyone have any recommendations that know works before I start experimenting? Any special type of cloth or toweal that would be able to "scrub" the paint off without ruining the car's paint?



Also, about how much would a small can of touch up paint cost from the dealership? I don't have a few hundred to spare for a professional to do it as I just spent a fortune on renewing a year's worth of car insurance.

[RobRich]

Possibly rubbing compound, assuming you go slow and be careful since it can "eat" into a clear coat finish with enough polishing and effort. Followup with a good wax application to the affected area to restore waxes and polishes the rubbing compound removed.

If you are not comfortable using rubbing compound, check with a local detailing shop, which can probably get the paint off with minimal effort at a reasonable price.

Expect to spend around $10 to $25 for a bottle of good touchup paint. Naturally, expect to pay more if going to the dealer versus aftermarket touchup paint at a parts store.

[RobRich]

Finally got around to obtaining a rebuilt ECU for the Talon. The previous ECU apparently suffered more damage than just the leaking capacitors.

Anyway, I installed the rebuilt ECU this afternoon. The Talon is once again running.

[SoloCamo]

So this is what it looks like to be inside a 10 second comanche...