How to Buff & Fix Car Paint

Minor scratches in your vehicle's paint cause major headaches when it comes to repair. Understanding that scratch before hitting the body shop may help you to determine if buffing it out is worth the time and effort by yielding a flawless result. A rule of thumb to go by is simply noting the color of the scratch. If primer or steel is visible, the panel will need to be repainted. If the scratch is monotone, it may be your lucky day.

Instructions

1

Wash the vehicle. It is important to begin with a thorough wash in order to remove any debris that could get in the way and cause further damage to the car's finish.

2

Wipe in a contrasting color such as black shoe polish on light-colored cars, or white shoe polish on dark cars. This gives you a gauge and keeps you from sanding down too deep and compounding the problem.

3

Sand the area over and around the scratch with a minimum of 2000-grit wet/dry sandpaper on a sanding block. Wet with water and a drop of dish soap to minimize friction and for cutting action. Use a light buffing motion at 60-degree angles, first up, then down, or left to right over a vertical scratch. Work until the shoe polish is no longer visible, using lighter pressure as the polish fades.

4

Buff in a good-quality coarse rubbing compound either by hand or with an electric orbital buffer or polisher. This removes any fine sanding marks that may only be visible in certain lighting. Use light, circular motions for buffing.

5

Continue buffing with a finer rubbing compound.

6

Hand-buff with a soft cloth to remove excess compound and to bring out the shine.

7

Apply a good quality wax to the area to protect it from future damage.