How well does detailing remove scratches?

[MEVILAZY]

Picking up a 2003 Boxster S this weekend that has quite a few scratches/scrapes on it. Nothing too deep in terms of you cannot see white paint underneath and there are no dents on the car. How well will detailing eliminate scratches/scrapes? Ideally I would like the car looking like new. Thanks in advance.

[belleair302]

It depends upon the depth of the clearcoat and the length of the scratch. Any decent detailer with a rotary polisherand some good chemicals will remove 75-80% of marks, but if the clearcoat is beyond repair it is a bodyshop visit.

Detailing will NOT remove deep scratches and will only mask deep clearoat damage. I would spend the money on a detail down at the bodyshop and get the car 'touched up' professionally myself.

[MEVILAZY]

All the scratches are short in length (less than 2 inches) and are pretty much all over the car (from memory maybe 10 areas that will need looking at). Sorry to seem retarded but what is clearcoat? If detailing will not get rid of the scratches does anyone know roughly how much a bodyshop would charge (plus any recommendations in London/Essex)? Or any detailers in Essex/London who would check the car out to see whether or not the scratches would be removed with a view to having the car detailed at some stage anyway?

[Mike996]

go to www.detailingworld.co.uk - have all the answers and more - you can also find the answers here, but they have handy guides!

[Tim Bomford]

As a poster on ^ the above forum, the general concensus (sp) is that if you can catch your fingernail in the scratch then its not possible to totally eradicate the scratch. Yes it may be possible to reduce the effect of it, but not get rid. Length of the scratch is neither here nor there detailing, depth is though!
You may well need a visit to a bodyshop or a decent smart repair specialist.
Tim

[Tim Bomford]

Detailing in Essex look up Rob Leys at Gleammachine.

[Anatol]

Tim Bomford said:

...if you can catch your fingernail in the scratch then its not possible to totally eradicate the scratch.

That's probably true on a factory clearcoat. However when a panel has been sprayed by hand, the clearcoat build can be very considerable.

Several times a year we have repairs where the scratching is quite obviously way too deep to polish out - until you actually flat the damage back, and then, whaddayaknow, it all flats out before breaking through the clearcoat layer.

Tol

[Tim Bomford]

A good point well made Tol

[Anatol]

Hey Mevilazy,

Just looked at your location - Nathan at Cambridge Autogleam is a well thought of detailer, and very local.

Or I have a Porter Cable (and a rotary) and an appropriate selection of compounds you can borrow if your visits to the detailingworld forums make you want to have a crack at the fine scratches on the car yourself...

Tol

[MEVILAZY]

I am not a very hands on person so there is no way I would have a go myself! Think I will wait unti tomorrow so I can have a proper look at the car before deciding whether I need to go to a bodyshop to get the scratches removed before getting the car detailed.