Pretty dog gone well on the acid rain etch. I only did maybe a 8"x8" square area (by hand) as the curiosity on how well Scratch-X performs was killing me. Well, I can honestly say it does what it says and more. I didn't think it would touch acid rain etching on black paint, but it really did diminish the etch to almost invisible. Now I re-applied, estimating, 6 or 7 times, and rubbed the heck out of it, but the end result is quite remarkable. Needless to say I'm am very, very, extremely, pleased with Scratch-X.

Question begs..... Should I move on to the next aggressive polish using the PC. Or just keep on with multiple applications of the Scratch-X by hand? It is the whole hood and top of the fenders that have the acid rain etching--large area to cover.

And what would be the next aggressive "Megs" product to consider using?

I also have the Adams/Edge 2000, white/black and orange/green pads to choose from.

And a big thanks to all that have helped me out on this.

 

Where can I buy this?

 

I purchased the Scratch-X at my local Meijer store. I presume you could also purchase at any of your local Mart's or auto parts store. I've also found some, not all, Megs products at Dollar General. Today, Dollar General had Quick Detailer buy one, get one free. Gotta love that.

 

I bought the stuff and it works real good, but I don't know if it's any better than any of the other fine polishes I've used. Although it does cost more by volume.

 

Great to hear about the good results you got with ScratchX. It's definitely good stuff if worked in properly. If you are happy with the results you are getting with the ScratchX and don't mind the work of hand applying it, I would say keep going the way you have been. If you would like to speed the process up and possibly get even better results I would use the PC with Meguiars M80 Speed Glaze. Not sure about the Adams/Edge pads since I have never used them, but looking at the descriptions on their site I might use either the black or orange pad to apply the M80. Also, if you have the new ScratchX, you can use that with the PC also. Good luck.

 

Well Mister B., you're right about working the product. If I wouldn't have read up on this, I would have written off Scratch-X as being any help at all with just one or two applications. However, I didn't give up and kept on rubbing like a mad man. Being it was only 50* I think it may have performed better if it would had been a little warmer outside. That I can't say for sure though.

I must admit, I didn't use a paint cleaner nor clay this little spot before I used the Scratch-X. I just put it on and started rubbing. By the fourth application of fresh, I started to notice the etch was dissipating. 3 or 4 more applications later it was almost completely gone. Now I have no idea how much clear coat I took off, and that's the B.S. part I don't like one bit. Which is the lesser of the two evils?

Obviously, yes, I would like to speed up the process being I do have a PC and a short supply of Ibuprofen. Actually, this acid rain etch problem is the reason I purchased the PC.

Here's what I was thinking of doing. Going over the etch by hand with three or four applications of Scratch-X. Then machine polish using #83 dual action cleaner polish, then #80 speed glaze, sealant, wax. How's that sound?

 

Ehh... with the PC, you may not need to go the S-X route... maybe just the #83 forward.

My suggstion is to experiment with it over a small area. Don't freak out when you see with the #83 does to dark paint -- the #80 will work that out later in your process.

-RP-

 

Yea, I don't think I would waste my time with the ScratchX if you are going to use 83 and 80. Like RP said work in a small test area to dial in the process that works best for your paint and then repeat it over for the rest of the hood and any other affected areas.

 

Thanks Mister B., RockPick. I'll give the #83 - #80 a shot. As luck would have it there is a body shop supply store just down the street that carries some of the Megs pro products. However, I believe the majority of their inventory is 3M products. Just in case, would you happen to know the equivalent of Megs 83-80 in the 3M brand? I don't trust those guys much behind the counter. They like to sell anything to get you out the door. I need to go in armed with knowing. If they don't have it, I'm not buying anything. Otherwise, I'll be walking out of there with a bushel basket full of crap and me believing every word they sold.

 

I have never used the 3M products before, so I could not say. If they don't have what you are looking for I'm sure they could order it for you.

 

I'd have to be honest here and say that I don't know the equivalent. There really aren't that many 'die hard' 3M fans out there that I know of and, further, I've read good and bad about just about every product that they make (I do like the Perfect-It paste though!).

Sorry... I just don't know much about their polishes.

 

Well, I do appreciate you guys honesty in reference to the 3M polishes. I went to the body shop/paint store anyway--at their mercy.

All they had in stock was the gallon size #83 and no #80. So I let them talk me into the #2 fine cut cleaner coupled with some show car glaze. Ad in the Scratch-X and I hope I'm good to go. I noticed the #2 is only a step down in abrasion compared to #83. We tried it on a spot and it worked very well by hand, so I figure it should do a great job using the PC.

What would be the correct pad choice? I have these Edge/Adams pads to choose from. I notice the orange and green combo are relatively hard in comparison to the black and white.

Item description:

Most people only need this combination to achieve outstanding results. Our 2-Sided Black & White pad is perfect for polishing out minor swirl marks and waxing. Most customers won't require the Green & Orange Pad, unless using the D/A on their RV, Boat, or extremely damaged paint finish.

The Green side is to be used with Swirl & Haze Remover, and is for serious swirl marks and oxidation. Flip the pad, and use the softer Orange pad to eliminate moderate swirls and oxidation. Always start with the Orange before switching to the more aggressive Green. You can now achieve ZERO SWIRLS





Thanks everybody for your patience with me. I know it wouldn't be fair if I didn't post some pictures, which I'll do. Before, during, and after.

 

I'm guessing the white pad will be the softest and will have the highest ppi. If that's the case, then I would Not start with that pad. I'd start with the black (if that's the 2nd least agressive) and make a few passes on a test spot. If that's not doing the trick, then switch to the Orange and see how that works. You want the pad to be applying about 15 to 20 pounds of pressure to the surface and work from there to find the sweet spot. Run the PC at speed 5 and make overlapping passes at a speed of about 1/2 to no more than 1 inch per second. After you're generally satisfied with the surface, switch to the black or white pad and make another slow pass or two with less pressure and that should bring out the shine.

All this is predicated on the basis that you're polishing a clean freshly prepped surface

Oh, and make sure you're doing this in the shade or out of direct sunlight if at all possible.

 

Thanks qadsan, you're a saint my friend. I know with all you guys help this will turn out just fine.

I'm going to pull the truck into the garage under some halogen lighting for this one. I've been busy in preparation. I have a nice tall cabinet organized with all my detail products at the ready and easily accessible. Although I do need some clay. I've been using Clay Magic--good stuff. The Clay Magic QD is much better product than the Megs QD IMO.

Anyway, I'm going to give it a shot today and see how things go. I'll just be doing the hood as the rest of the truck is in fine shape. I'm anxious to use the PC on the whole truck however. I'll get some pics up here as I go along.

Thanks again.

 

Sounds like you've got a great P/B&E shop there... most will tell you... "Give it a try - if it doesn't work, Meguiar's will buy it back -- just call the 800 number...".

Similar to you, I've got a STELLAR shop here in Louisville. They're priced a little high (they justify it by the amount of stock that they keep) and they're a pretty good trip out of the way for me but, it's handy when you're in a pinch.