New to 4-wheeling... learned something new about clearcoat, help!

[interputed]

So I live in Missouri and one of the local areas to go off-road here, potawatomi offroad park, is pretty overgrown on the parts that weave through the forest. I was there last night and pretty much said F it, and plowed my way through several areas with branches overgrown into the trail, with the assumption that in no way is wood harder than my clearcoat, so it won't scratch. WRONG!

I scratched the hell out of my clearcoat down both sides, and the top. What is the best way to go about getting rid of these scratches without damaging the paint? Also, how the hell are wooden twigs harder than automotive paint?

 

[Range]

wax the shit out of it.

 

[LTDSC]

the fact that you think an earth created product cannot be harder than a very thin paint layer covered in thin clear. I got nothing for you.

 

[RunninInGA]

Post a couple photos so we can see and can give some thoughts. You might try a detailer to see what they can do.

 

[interputed]

Post a couple photos so we can see and can give some thoughts. You might try a detailer to see what they can do.

I will as soon as I wash it, so it stands out more.

 

[guitarsail]

I will as soon as I wash it, so it stands out more.

Here in Florida, those are called....Florida Pin Stripes! Freakin palmetto tree/bushes will absolutely scratch the living bejeebus out of paint, clear coat, human skin, etc. Why do you think Armadillos who live in that crap have armo?

Anyways, yeah that sucks...did they squeal, squeak, and make generally horrible noises as they did their work? That noise is the worse part.

 

[BrianSD_42]

Nice avatar

 

[Jeremy556]

lol, learn to love the redneck pinstripes. You're going to have them if you off road regularly.

 

[SilverRiver]

They don't call it redneck pin striping for nothing.

 

[CXS]

No 4Runner should not have the pinstripes, embrace them. They show you drive the truck as it was supposed to be driven.

 

[tysauce]

I don't have much to contribute as far as your clear coat, but I am very close to that off-road park. So there's that.

 

[Burnzy]

Getting those scratches out is just a matter of finding the right compound/wax and spending an afternoon rubbing until your arms hurt. Preventing them... or at least minimizing them is easy. Put a couple coats of wax on before you hit the trails. Real wax, not the spray detailing crap. That will decrease the amount of scratches considerably as well as lessen the severity of any scratches you may get. When I say decrease the amount of scratches I mean like 50%-75%. However, know this. NOTHING will prevent your clear coat from trail damage 100%.

 

[cbielat]

Deal with it. It's wheeling.

 

[ebg18t]

Lol.

How would someone not expect scratches when running thru brush & branches.

 

[scw1991]

Recommend a professional detailer attempt to buff those out.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I love how people ask me, "do you off-road that?" I just look at them flatly and say, "what you think people just keyed my 4Runner head to toe?"

 

[interputed]

Getting those scratches out is just a matter of finding the right compound/wax and spending an afternoon rubbing until your arms hurt. Preventing them... or at least minimizing them is easy. Put a couple coats of wax on before you hit the trails. Real wax, not the spray detailing crap. That will decrease the amount of scratches considerably as well as lessen the severity of any scratches you may get. When I say decrease the amount of scratches I mean like 50%-75%. However, know this. NOTHING will prevent your clear coat from trail damage 100%.

Hit them hard with Meguilar's Scratch X 2.0, and... miraculously they rubbed away! Was a hell of a lot of effort though. Next time I will polish, hardshell, then wax it first.