Coloured polishes

[cjb44]

Need to purchase red and dark blue polish for our cars, there are several scratches on both cars (swirls and careless shoppers) which are not serious enough to warrant paint. Could you good people advise the best polishes that you have experienced to hide these various marks, and are the chip sticks any good or just a waste? Price is not really an issue just something that will do a good job at a reasonable cost, my local indi did a great job on my Merc. some years ago but I am guessing this was a trade only product.

[Panamax]

Tip: You don't need the colour to be "right" when using colour polishes. I find that black polish will suppress scratches on almost anything.

Colour polishes will only hide the most superficial surface scratches. I've never had any worthwhile joy with chip sticks. If you've got deep scratches then the finest modellers paint brush you can find is the best way to apply touch-up paint. Then polish when fully dried.

[fourstardan]

Autoglym Super Resin Polish might be suitable as it has fillers.

[cjb44]

Thanks for the replies. Have some spare black polish and yes on the dark metallic blue car it did seem to work OK, not so good on the non metallic red car. I may have to go in the Autoglym direction or possibly the small paintbrush.

[PHZero]

cjb44 said:

Thanks for the replies. Have some spare black polish and yes on the dark metallic blue car it did seem to work OK, not so good on the non metallic red car. I may have to go in the Autoglym direction or possibly the small paintbrush.

Chip sticks have never worked for me. Pretty pointless I've found. In my experience minor blemishes (swirl marks and fine scratches) should polish out with a coloured polish. It's just a mild cutting agent like super resin polish is. Deeper scratches might benefit from some T-cut (which is more abrasive than polish) and then a polish. Very deep scratches and chips are usually best getting touched in with paint, then flattened down with T-cut, and then polished. This technique works pretty well for me. Your mileage may vary.

[Belle427]

Autoglym will mask but it won’t last long, it is a very good polish though.
Adding paint yourself never quite looks right, if the scratches are not deep have you considered using a detailer to advise/correct and then look after it from there?
Depends how fussy you are, keeping an immaculate car can be quite soul destroying if you are fussy!

[fourstardan]

Had this guy pop up on my youtube recommended for a paint repair on the DIY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_QgnzT-mQg

Wet Sanding is quite scary but not as scary as I probably think it is in regards to how much CC im taking off.

[Heaveho]

I had a midnight blue Boxster with stone chipping across the front. More in hope than expectation I used a chipstick wetted in warm water and scribbled across the chips, then polished the entire area. Witchcraft occurred and the chips disappeared. Worth a try.

[fourstardan]

Heaveho said:

I had a midnight blue Boxster with stone chipping across the front. More in hope than expectation I used a chipstick wetted in warm water and scribbled across the chips, then polished the entire area. Witchcraft occurred and the chips disappeared. Worth a try.

Good if you are trying to flog it...expect them to turn up in future if not protected.

The art bodge we all love it with car care.