Kit Scratch Out

[thereason21]

I am by no means a car care expert but today i decided to wash my truck by hand. Normally i take it to a pay and spray monthly at the least. Some of us on here like to clean it more than that but hey im lazy. In any case i was rinsing my truck off before washing and looking at the paint and i was like damn there are a lot of little scratches on my ride. So i decided to get some more car wash stuff and maybe a scratch helping wax or some shit at walmart. I found this Kit Scratch out crap for like 5 bucks. I had tried others in the past to no avail but i figured hey its five bucks lets try it. Well ... I was amazed! I wasnt smart enough to take before and after pics like most people but, lets just say i had like 50-75 small scratches from various crap on my ride. But now, you can only see the 5 or so big scratches. It doesnt appear to take the scratches all the way off but they sure do look a lot better than before. In one case where my stupid dog jumped on my car and left oh say 12 claw marks near the gas cap, those are GONE.

Hey give the stuff a shot.

 

[ELVATO]

Cool

I wonder if it took the scratches out, or it just hid them. From what I understand, Meg's ScratchX is the latter, a product with fillers that fills in scratches.

I wonder if this product is the same. If it's the case, after sometime, the scratches will "come back." Just a word of advice.

 

[NemesisNJ]

Scratches

I've used the Scratch X and I'm not a fan at all. After sadly to say watching a DIY video on Advance Auto Parts website for body repair. They recommended Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound. So I tried it, holy crap what a difference. It's alot of arm work and will take you the better part of a day to do the whole truck properly. After that I used the Turtle Wax Color Shine, I thin it is. It's a black dye polish to fill in left over smaller scrathes with Black Dye. I have to say, I've never go back to just wash and wax. But the Color Shine, with Dye only comes in 3 colors I think. Check the Turtle Wax website, it'll ask for what shape the body is in, i.e. lite scratches, oxidation, etc. and direct you to exactly what you need. I did it step by step and it's a huge improvement.

You may want to use a small 6" orbital with the rubbing compound and go over it quickly but not firmly you can burn the clear coat and the paint. Use a low speed and fly over it in a circular fassion. And depending if the Color Shine, is avail in your color, you'll need 2 do it twice, it will take you a day 2 do it, but it will be a night and day difference. Do all of this in the shade or a garage. Get about 6 microfiber, pads, from Lowes, for about $7 and use the rubbing compound if you don't have an orbital. Don't use it on Chrome or plastic. I was a die hard Meguiars fan till I used this.

My Best Practice:

Drive Thru Car wash, no wax
Take it home or wherever, in the shade, garage
Use Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound everything 3-6 months, depending on scratches or oxidation, which I really suffer from.
Then Color Shine Dye in Black 4 my truck, 2 coats
Then hit it with either a Polishing Compound from Turtle Wax or skip that, and use either Meguiars Gold Class Wax or the NXT Tech 2.0 Paste, also 2 coats
Wait at least an hour between the Color Shine and the Wax, or Color Shine and Polishing Compound

The Rubbing Compound will look like sand paper if you don't remove it well enough. It takes alot of elbow grease 2 do it.

If it's pretty far and in between washes and waxes, the Scatch X won't do it. But once you get the initial application of rubbing compound done, you can use the Scratch X after washes. It's not nearly as thick or abrasive as the Rubbing Compound.

You can get all of this at Autozone, I think I spent $30 on everything, and it was well worth it. If you can't find the Turtle Wax, compound, then use the 3M Rubbing Compound, just as good.

 

[thereason21]

I wanted to try the srcratch X but my internal money saver wouldnt let me ... lol ... I looked last night with a flashlight pretty close and it looked good, i could still see some of the bigger scratches .... maybe it will wear off but hey for five bucks ... cant hate it.

 

[smo0othride]

Be especially careful if you have a black expedition... I have found some of those scratch removers actually put more scratches on my expedition. Clay bar kits (I use the one by Mothers) do wonders, but you have to be extremely careful to keep changing to a clean part of your wipe up rag or else you end up scratching the truck with dirt the rag picked up. If you end up doing everything right, your ride will feel like a piece of clean glass after you clay bar it.

 

[scans]

I have always been happy with the kit products. been using them for YEARS !

 

[Eric]

Funny thing I have used the Kit Scratch Out for years with great success, especially on dark colors. A great deal at $5 to say the least.

 

[MMasz]

I'd be reluctant to use a "compound" on anything other than heavily oxidized or marred paint. A good polish (I really like Optimum Polish II) with a random orbital buffer (Porter-Cable 7424) and medium-cut pad will remove light/medium oxidation and light scratches. To really get out all remaining fine scratches (i.e., swirl marks) it really takes a finishing glaze with a fine cut pad then finish with a sealant or wax.

Of course, this would follow a wash and clay bar job.

 

[Boomer]

To all here, I read an article years back the car washes recycle the water maybe filter it some etc. The water bills would be sky high. I never use them, 33 degrees and the hose is out. Also, yes Mothers clay bar is great I have a black 07 EL.