new 4R new scratch

jharpphoto

New member
Just picked up my magnetic gray 4R a week ago. I took it camping a few days later and picked up a scratch all the way down the drivers side. The scratch came from a tree limb. There isn't any dent or anything but my pristine baby is "marked". Is there any over the counter scratch remover that would help diminish a small scratch in the paint/clear coat?
 
Register to hide this ad
Just picked up my magnetic gray 4R a week ago. I took it camping a few days later and picked up a scratch all the way down the drivers side. The scratch came from a tree limb. There isn't any dent or anything but my pristine baby is "marked". Is there any over the counter scratch remover that would help diminish a small scratch in the paint/clear coat?

Pinstriping.... it happens.
 

Attachments

  • dirty girl.jpg
    dirty girl.jpg
    146.6 KB · Views: 1,172
Yeah, did that to mine a week in. Depending on whether or not you can catch your fingernail on it, you should be able to buff it out.

Here'e what I did (pick your brand): Wash, Rubbing Compound (don't go crazy), Polish, Paste Wax (twice for me). That got most of mine out.

But now you won't be sad the next time it happens.
 
sounds like good advice. I'll try that.

Yeah, did that to mine a week in. Depending on whether or not you can catch your fingernail on it, you should be able to buff it out.

Here'e what I did (pick your brand): Wash, Rubbing Compound (don't go crazy), Polish, Paste Wax (twice for me). That got most of mine out.

But now you won't be sad the next time it happens.
 
I pinstriped mine real good on the passenger side when it had ~300mi on it - down to the white under paint for a few of the stripes. I expected to, so it partly doesn't bother me, but...

The reason it happened is carelessness on my part. Prior to new 4R I drove a 14yr old beat up truck before and never cared about scratches or ripping off decorative bits and I drove it that way.

But that developed bad habits. I was in my new 4R and there was a steep short rough section - a technical left line or on the right just a large boulder that if I drove drivers side wheels on might contact left under body when it went down and I don't have sliders. Oh and a juniper tree on the right.

So what did I do? I barreled up the easy fast line between the boulder and the tree, or rather partly into the tree. Doh.

So I regret being careless, but I don't regret having pinstripes... if that makes sense.
 
Meguiar's Scratch-X works very well for minor scratches, and if the scratch is into the clear but not into the paint, you can sometimes wet sand it down using 2000 (yes, two THOUSAND) grit or finer, then buffing it out using 3M or Meguiar's cutting compounds, then finer buffing compounds to bring it back to brand new.

If its past the clear, you won't be able to wet saned it out all the way, but you can use a color pen to fill it in, then wait a day to fully cure and do the same sanding process above.

Of course, if you're not comfortable wet-sanding your brand new vehicle, just hit a reputable detailing company where you're at and have them do this very same work. Be prepared to pay for it though, this service is not cheap to do!

I did a lot of graphics work with a detail shop a while back and got to see the process of doing all these types of repairs (including fixing leather tears and carpet repairs in vehicles, as well as paintless dent repair!), and its an awesome skill to have! I've done the above process on my 4Runner already, and am comfortable in wetsanding vehicle paint and buffing it back to better-than-new condition, but I've had lots of practice doing it on other vehicles that I didn't care much about!

Still, try using Scratch-X to at least get rid of some of the scratch, you may be able to live with it once you do so. I will actually use my 3" foam buffing pad with Scratch-X nowadays to quickly cut a minor scratch out of the paint without even thinking about it, but wouldn't suggest you try this on a new paint job!!!
 
Scratch x seems to get good reviews, think I'll give that a shot.

Meguiar's Scratch-X works very well for minor scratches, and if the scratch is into the clear but not into the paint, you can sometimes wet sand it down using 2000 (yes, two THOUSAND) grit or finer, then buffing it out using 3M or Meguiar's cutting compounds, then finer buffing compounds to bring it back to brand new.

If its past the clear, you won't be able to wet saned it out all the way, but you can use a color pen to fill it in, then wait a day to fully cure and do the same sanding process above.

Of course, if you're not comfortable wet-sanding your brand new vehicle, just hit a reputable detailing company where you're at and have them do this very same work. Be prepared to pay for it though, this service is not cheap to do!

I did a lot of graphics work with a detail shop a while back and got to see the process of doing all these types of repairs (including fixing leather tears and carpet repairs in vehicles, as well as paintless dent repair!), and its an awesome skill to have! I've done the above process on my 4Runner already, and am comfortable in wetsanding vehicle paint and buffing it back to better-than-new condition, but I've had lots of practice doing it on other vehicles that I didn't care much about!

Still, try using Scratch-X to at least get rid of some of the scratch, you may be able to live with it once you do so. I will actually use my 3" foam buffing pad with Scratch-X nowadays to quickly cut a minor scratch out of the paint without even thinking about it, but wouldn't suggest you try this on a new paint job!!!
 
See if it rubs out with a bit of wax/scratch remover and a micro-fiber cloth.

I understand the desire to keep your new vehicle shiny and scratch free, I did the same thing with my new to me black 4th gen (the paint was for the most part pristine.) But after getting more and more into off-roading I just wear the pin-striping and scratches as badges of honor. Most people look at my 4Runner and go, "you off-road in that?" and I'm like, "What you think some crazy shopping cart just scratched the sides of my 4Runner for fun?"
 
[MENTION=131286]jharpphoto[/MENTION]

The first thing you should do when you buy a new truck is take it out and drive it through some brush—then you don't have to worry about scratching the paint.
 
Doh! My first desert trip with the Warthog, I left the lantern (real gas lantern with propane bottle attached) hooked to the stand. In the middle of the night it got real windy and blew it over and it SMASHED into the door gouging two 8 inch gashes of paint out of the pass side door.

Heard it happen, was sick to think what it looked like the next day but just went back to sleep, nothing to do about it now!

Painted it, not too bad and on Pass side I NEVER see it so meh :D

Now two years in I have 50 pin stripes of varying depth. You can buff them out temporarily but in reality if you take it offroading, you have to learn to live with them. :)
 
If its past the clear, you won't be able to wet saned it out all the way, but you can use a color pen to fill it in, then wait a day to fully cure and do the same sanding process above.

Totally... Done this before in other projects, working up from bare metal, paint, 800 to 2000, and comes out like a mirror finish. Just would like to wait at least 20k miles in before doing it to the car. :)
 
Meguiar's Scratch-X works very well for minor scratches, and if the scratch is into the clear but not into the paint, you can sometimes wet sand it down using 2000 (yes, two THOUSAND) grit or finer, then buffing it out using 3M or Meguiar's cutting compounds, then finer buffing compounds to bring it back to brand new.

If its past the clear, you won't be able to wet saned it out all the way, but you can use a color pen to fill it in, then wait a day to fully cure and do the same sanding process above.

Of course, if you're not comfortable wet-sanding your brand new vehicle, just hit a reputable detailing company where you're at and have them do this very same work. Be prepared to pay for it though, this service is not cheap to do!

I did a lot of graphics work with a detail shop a while back and got to see the process of doing all these types of repairs (including fixing leather tears and carpet repairs in vehicles, as well as paintless dent repair!), and its an awesome skill to have! I've done the above process on my 4Runner already, and am comfortable in wetsanding vehicle paint and buffing it back to better-than-new condition, but I've had lots of practice doing it on other vehicles that I didn't care much about!

Still, try using Scratch-X to at least get rid of some of the scratch, you may be able to live with it once you do so. I will actually use my 3" foam buffing pad with Scratch-X nowadays to quickly cut a minor scratch out of the paint without even thinking about it, but wouldn't suggest you try this on a new paint job!!!

Resurrecting this thread since I can't post new yet.

*1.5 Week old SR5 Premium in Mag Gray
* 700 miles
* Careful where I park

Today while sitting in a SB watching over my 4R parked on street (legally) a drunk fool on a bike comes riding down the sidewalk and decides to fall over right where my New Flame was parked. There was no one parked in front or behind.....this is just my luck. I attempted to stop him and beat his drunk @ss, but I was not fast enough to confirm that damage before yelling at the old fool to stop.

I can feel the ridge with my nail.....so I am guessing that it is through the CC?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20160523_185140478.jpg
    IMG_20160523_185140478.jpg
    136.6 KB · Views: 140

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,075
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Trending content

Back
Top