Cat Scratch Fever...!

OpenRoad

OpenRoad

New member
While visiting a friend this weekend, a neighborhood kitty leapt up on the hood of my car. When Cat landed on the angled front portion of the hood, it obviously scrambled like mad, and slip, slided, and clawed away....leaving several scuff marks on the hood. Sigh. Unfortunately, I missed seeing the actual spring, as this would have made for some good video?

I recently applied BF gloss enhancing polish (after stripping car with Dawn & Distilled water). After curing, I applied two coats of BF Wet Diamond, allowing 48 hours, or more, between coats. The final coat was 9 days ago.

Now, my super-slick finish is marred by one panicked kitty. Yesterday, I tried applying one coat of BF Midnight Sun Carnuba Paste W, following a wash,...hoping to hide the scuffed areas (no deep scratches, thankfully). No such luck. Rest of the car looks amazing,...but hood still shows "skid streaks".

How can I repair the damage? Strip the one section of the hood? Or, re-apply polish, then more BF WD? Hoping to not re-do the entire hood. Is there another product that would be better, for hiding the "skid marks"?

Ideas?
 
are you applying it by hand or machine?

im new to this but....
check to see if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail. if you cant feel much try a rubbing compound with a wool pad. if that doesnt work then.

add some clear on just the scratch... wet sand it and buff it out to be even with the rest of the surface.
 
SUPR3M3 said:
are you applying it by hand or machine?

im new to this but....
check to see if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail. if you cant feel much try a rubbing compound with a wool pad. if that doesnt work then.

add some clear on just the scratch... wet sand it and buff it out to be even with the rest of the surface.
Click to expand...

I think wetsanding is a bit aggresive as the OP said no deep scratches. I would wetsand only if nothing else worked.

I would try a compound and polish on DA first, if that doesn't work then go to a compound on a wool pad rotary.

If the scratches aren't deep, the rotary will be the most aggressive method you have to do.
 
Thanks, SUPR3M3,..for your input. I have always been a total coward when it comes to using any power tools on my cars. Past and present. In the right hands, power tools are great. In my hands, I might end up with Cat-Scratch Epidemic,...instead of just "Fever"? I have always coveted great microfiber products, and "go lightly" across any modern finish. O.K....I KNOW I'm a wuss.

I can't feel any scratches with my fingernail. The damage looks like "surface skids", but it certainly "hazed", damaging the super-slick finish. Think... rubbing with the WRONG kind of power buffer.

Were my previous "applied coatings" done correctly? We live in a super-dry clime, with warm temps this time of year.
 
Thanks... ihaveacamaro. Your post came in, as I was typing back to SUPR3M3.

Still maintaining my cowardice here. Can you recommend a compound and polish, if it can be applied manually? Would this work, with a high grade, "high loft" ultra-fluffy microfiber cloth? I don't want to end up with more problems than I started out with. Still spooky.

I try to have beautiful cars (finish), but I am NO pro detailer. Gotta keep up my "rep" in the neighborhood, and among car-fiend friends. If you own a nice car, it might deserve upkeep?
 
OpenRoad said:
Thanks... ihaveacamaro. Your post came in, as I was typing back to SUPR3M3.

Still maintaining my cowardice here. Can you recommend a compound and polish, if it can be applied manually? Would this work, with a high grade, "high loft" ultra-fluffy microfiber cloth? I don't want to end up with more problems than I started out with. Still spooky.

I try to have beautiful cars (finish), but I am NO pro detailer. Gotta keep up my "rep" in the neighborhood, and among car-fiend friends. If you own a nice car, it might deserve upkeep?
Click to expand...

I say make the jump to your first DA (dual action orbital buffer)! You just missed some of the best deals year round this past Black Friday, but the 12 Days of Christmas are coming up and you will certainly find great deals there as well.

I understand your concern, but the technology has vastly improved! You can take a Porter Cable 7424 XP, put it on its highest speed, and then put it on your paint as hard as you can push down and it still won't burn through the paint.

Don't believe me? Watch this starting at 4:35:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XAqpOe9Zt4#t=4m35s



Hopefully, I have now convinced you to get a DA. Until you get one, slap some glaze on there to fill in the scratches, and when Christmas comes around get yourself a deeply discounted PC 7424XP Kit and take those scratches out! If you can't feel it with your nails, then it will definitely come out pretty easily!


and no imo, with modern clear coats, hand polishing is a thing of the past. It simply won't work anymore unless you devote significantly longer to a panel than you would using a machine.
 
How deep are the scratches? You would be amazed at what a simple polishing compound can remove. I use Meguairs polishing compound which can be found almost at every local pepboys or walmart and get great results even by hand.
 
OpenRoad the BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish is a pre-wax cleanser, non-abrasive polish, and glaze combination. It will not remove any scratches but may be enough to remove/hide the scuff marks your seeing. If it doesn't then your going to need to step up to at least an actual polish, which isn't bad to have on the shelf anyway for times just like this. If you want to stay with the BF line use the SRC polish. If your not brand loyal then you could always use an over the counter product like Meguiars Ultimate Polish either one will work and can be done by hand. Doing a spot repair is no issue either just go through the same steps as the rest of the car once the damaged area is corrected.
 
Great link, ihavacamero. Entertaining Dude demonstrating the PC too. You are definitely building my confidence a bit. I agree, that betwixt here and Christmas, there may be some good deals on PC's. Still cowardly here though. Old habits are hard to change?

TacoHerder...despite all of the feline squirming, there are no deep scratches. No "skipping" by my fingernail (more marks to come?). But the finish is definitely compromised. Thanks, for offering a specific product. No swirl marks, from these "hand-driven" polishing compounds?

Can I ...at least...kill the cat?
 
Thanks, rzatch. I had a few minor scratches on the car that came with the purchase from the dealership. Dealership did manage to satisfactorily "cover" the scratches, which tended to surface again later. The BF Gloss Enhancing Polish did cover these flaws though.

I have to admit that I am/was(?) very brand loyal, after using BF products for the past 8 years. That said, I am somewhat disappointed, that a "projectile kitty" could mar the finish that noticeably.

A "spot repair" sounds good to me. Thanks, for a good explanation.
 
OMG. I is gonna get those dammm little birdies TOOO? YUCCK.

'Come t-think of it,...maybe....hmmm...me should just leave me car parked in de garage totally covered?

NO fun, though. (Although I have one friend that pretty much follows this "prescription" for his Beamer).

Gone...for now.......
 
I think the BF did do it's job. I would imagine the damage would have been more severe if the cat could have gotten a grip and clawed its way back onto the car instead of sliding off.
 
Now I got Ted Nugent stuck in my head!

My advice, get a little M105, a nice soft MF towel, and see if the scratches will polish out, of course if like the others mentioned - you had a PC....
But, I've had very good luck doing the M105/towel method on isolated scratches. Afterwards, just apply a little BFWD and you're good.
 
A couple of minor scratch removers that can be applied by hand come to mind are Meguiars Scratch-X and Ultimate Compound. A lot of bikers that I introduced to Scratch-X carry a tube with them on the road for minor scuffs and scratches . Use with a little passion and by hand they work quite well.
 
Scratch-X saves the day!

I had a six year old tube of Scratch-X stored away. Pays, to be a hoarder? I had only used the product once many moons ago, trying unsuccessfully to remove a bad abrasion on my Jag's nose, after meeting head on with a Horse Lubber (GIANT "grasshopper") near Canyon de Chelly, AZ. The Jag dealership ended up repairing that "incident". I just shelved my Scratch-X inside our home, and largely forgot about it.

The old product had separated some, despite vigorous shakes of the tube. Took about three applications of Scratch-X, and re-buffing with a super-soft microfiber towel. Alas...only one barely visible "short streak" remains. Hoping that the Black Diamond will hide the miniscule remaining damage.

How long should I let the area "cure" before re-applying BF Wet Diamond? No BF polish, first? Go buy a new tube of Scratch-X first? Or try, the M105, Ultimate Compound?

Thanks....thanks. Many thanks,...to everyone. This is truly a helpful forum! Reams of great advice here.
 
Since you have Scratch-X try hitting that little area again. Not sure what you are asking about letting cure. If you meant the Scratch-X there is no curing of that just make sure you clean the residue off. Even though you wiped it with a towel use something to clean it before applying your coat of BFWD.

I am an amateur myself I have used a rotary buffer a couple times and yes they are to be weary of. But I myself bought a Griot's Garage 6" random Orbital and I love it. It is not just used for polishing, I use mine for waxing also and it saves a lot of elbow grease. It also is supposed to help wax bond better to the paint or clear coat. In my book if you can afford it, it should be on your detailing shelf. JMO though.

Dean. :drive:
 
Once you have got the scratch removed to you satisfaction with the scratch-X then re-apply what ever products you had previously used on the rest of the car. Glad to see the Scratch-X did the job. A lot of people give up on it after their first try and it gets a bad rap.
 
Thanks, skibik & Paul S, for further comments. Maybe... Santa could bring me an orbital buffer for Christmas? Doubtful, though. Sigh. I am almost ready to make the "next step". Call me Cheap-Chicken.

Paul S: Yup. The scratch-x took definitely remedied the situation down to the last teeny bit. As my tube was so old,...me bought a new one tonight, and will try once more on the last tiny stubborn "scuff". Clearly (is this a pun?)...Scratch-X performed very well.

I wanted to get the car "re-sealed" prior to taking off on a 150 mile day trip in the next two days. I hope I don't acquire many bugs on the road foray.

How long should a final polish sit/cure? ...Before ...blasting off over a couple of loooong/boooring desert expanses? Here, temps are in the mid-70's, with low humidity. Suspended dust seems to always "be there", because of the dryness.

Appreciated, your further advice.
 
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