Help with fixing this scratch?

[jinx8402]

My wife hit her car with her shovel while clearing out our driveway the other day and left this scratch. Fingernail catches, but does not appear to go down to primer as I can see the blue paint throughout the scratch. However, I did try the soap water technique, but the scratch did not "disappear" to test if it is only a clearcoat scratch. As you can see from the pictures, they are fairly wide scratches, so perhaps that is why it didn't disappear.

It is 2018 Mazda CX-5, only 5 months old, so overall paint condition is like new. I do have a clearcoat pen already. Should I clean it up, hit with rubbing compound first, then add some clearcoat then level? Should I use touchup paint (would go with Dr Colorchip). Just try to buff it out?

Any thoughts/tips would be much appreciated.

[Breese147]

Start with least aggressive and then go up.
1. Clean car and then rubbing compound by hand.
2. Machine compound
3. Fill in with touch up paint not clear coat. And then top off with clear coat.


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[irvsmith]

My wife hit her car with her shovel while clearing out our driveway the other day and left this scratch. Fingernail catches, but does not appear to go down to primer as I can see the blue paint throughout the scratch. However, I did try the soap water technique, but the scratch did not "disappear" to test if it is only a clearcoat scratch. As you can see from the pictures, they are fairly wide scratches, so perhaps that is why it didn't disappear.

It is 2018 Mazda CX-5, only 5 months old, so overall paint condition is like new. I do have a clearcoat pen already. Should I clean it up, hit with rubbing compound first, then add some clearcoat then level? Should I use touchup paint (would go with Dr Colorchip). Just try to buff it out?

Any thoughts/tips would be much appreciated.

I was under the impression that if the fingernail catches that it is all but impossible to 'buff out'. Maybe not impossible but the negative impact to the surrounding area is just too severe. I would think cleaning it thoroughly and then touchup paint would be the best course of action. I haven't used the clear coat pens so can't speak to those but I have used Dr. Colorchip with reasonable success.

The long and short of it is adjusting your expectation on what the end result will look like.

[Breese147]

This is true to the extent of de jure^ however de facto going on a short cycle or most of the time by hand will remove some of the scuff and leave only the scratch.
For example


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[Paul A.]

The first thing I always do with "scratches" like that is to clean it thoroughly with a dedicated paint cleaner or good cleaner/wax. My favorite for that is Duragloss 501. I take my rotary, a 1 or 2" cutting pad and work anything off that may be transfer. That gets me down to whatever damage has been done and i further evaluate my next approach.

[hmardown]

Jinx
This was thanks to a wheelbarrow. Used a green pad with rupee medium gel to get rid of this. So yours looks doable.



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also I did clay it first but it didn't do anything.

[rlmccarty2000]

Be careful polishing by hand. Do not just use a microfiber and a finger to try to remove the scratch. Use an applicator or a block and microfiber to spread the pressure evenly or you will get a dull spot and it will look worse. This is experience speaking!

[jinx8402]

Thanks for the tips so far everyone. There's no transfer, as the shovel was bare metal. I was thinking of going over it with Meguiars Ultimate Compound by hand, using a foam applicator. I have some white ccs foam pads. I know those are more for polishing than cutting, should that be ok? Or should I get a orange pad?

[irvsmith]

Thanks for the tips so far everyone. There's no transfer, as the shovel was bare metal. I was thinking of going over it with Meguiars Ultimate Compound by hand, using a foam applicator. I have some white ccs foam pads. I know those are more for polishing than cutting, should that be ok? Or should I get a orange pad?

At least in my experience, I haven't had much success with hand polishing in getting scratches out that can be caught by a fingernail. I think this will definitely need a machine DA polisher and a compound but the recommendation is always start with the least aggressive so try the hand polishing first.

Good luck and be sure and report back!