Ford Fiesta Light Metallic Blue Scratch Repair

Question

I stupidly scratched my first car using something too abrasive on the bonnet to wash it.

The car is light blue/grey and I would say a metallic colour.

I have been advised turtle wax.

Is waxing alone likely to improve the appearance of scratches? When wet the scratches completely disappear.They appear as patches, you can not feel the individual scratches, and have to look very closely to see them.

The scratches do not appear deep, but are over the entire bonnet, making it look discoloured.

If you look at it from the side they look like lighter patches, if you look head on, they appear black/ darker.

Can anyone give me any advice, or name specific products I can purchase? I know absolutely nothing about this type of stuff, so any recommendations would be fantastic!

Thanks!

Answer 1

Wax works, but it's a temporary fix

Wax will "fill" in the imperfections in the paint work.

However, as the layer of wax wears away (rain, washing) the scratches/dullness/discoloration will return.

It's hard to tell if your paint has clearcoat, but assuming it does, if the scratches are not too deep, a more permanent solution would be to use the microscopic abrasive action of a polishing compound and a dual-action polisher (or rotary buffer) to take out most, if not all of the imperfections in the paint.

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Here are some simplified illustrations that show how compounding works (taken from this Drive Clean video):

Before

After compounding

Following up with less abrasive polishes

Polishing

Finishing