Piano black window trim and glass

[d3nns4un]

Hi,

I recently took ownership of a new Alltrack and love the car so far. One thing I love a little less is the perfectness of it as delivered. First time buying a new car - and while I usually “fine tooth comb” my used car purchases, I realize I wasn’t nearly careful enough when picking this one up. Not thinking I’d have to be was one of the reasons for going new - lesson learned.

Have about 1600km(1000mi) on it now. The main annoyance I missed and want to fix is some pretty good scratches on the piano black b-pillar black trim on one side of the car which looks like either it went throw a garbage car wash, or someone dragged something up it. There is also a small scratch on the rear passenger window behind it (can feel with fingernail, and then what looks like other fine swirl marks in the glass in that vicinity - looks like maybe they tried to buff it?

Would love some tips for products, processes on minimizing these. I’m handy with clay, wax, etc. But don’t own a DA, or have much cut/polish experience. Hopefully there are some product recommendations that work decently well by hand?

Thanks in advance,
Signed an OCD Alltrack Owner

 

[staying_tuned]

Mine were pretty scratched up as well. 2016 with 40k miles. It’s very easy with a DA, black finish or yellow medium cut pad and some 2500 or greater polish. I have a tiny bottle of menzerna super finish 3500 specifically for plastics.

I wouldn’t attempt it by hand because while you probably could get the scratches out, the overall surface would not be uniform.

If you’re not going to be doing a lot of correction across multiple vehicles, grab a $50 no-name DA and a few pads and polish. Probably get everything for under $85 and basically be a spider web and scratch correcting machine. Never a better time to allow your OCD to fully manifest than a pandemic!

Then simply tape off the area with blue painters or green frog tape so your rubber doesn’t pick up polish/dust and go for it.

It’s no exaggeration to say that with the above you can make every plastic piece on the exterior look literally brand new.

 

[d3nns4un]

Thanks for the detailed response!

Couple follow instructions if you don’t mind

1. Did/do you do anything after to “seal” these, or do you just polish them with 3500 and then buff away with microfiber? Also, what speed and pressure worked best for you?

2. Any suggestions for glass, the dealer definitely left some spider webbing in there for me. Is there a good cerium oxide product and pad combo appropriate along with a DA?

3./ By now you’ve figured out that you’ve likely got me hooked to buy a DA. Thanks a lot! Looking at two kits from chemical guys both around the same price. BUF501 has the Torq 10fx with 2 backing plates, 3 pads and 4 sample compounds. BUF209 has the p&c 7424xp with, 2 backing plates, 5 pads, pad cleaner and conditioner and some towels. What in this is useful vs dust collectors, and what else do I need. Thanks for helping me spend.

 

[staying_tuned]

I’ll hit you back on all the above this evening, glad you’re going to jump in. I was so paranoid that I’d screw things up but it’s a lot easier than I made it out in my mind to be.

 

[staying_tuned]

1. Did/do you do anything after to “seal” these, or do you just polish them with 3500 and then buff away with microfiber? Also, what speed and pressure worked best for you?

2. Any suggestions for glass, the dealer definitely left some spider webbing in there for me. Is there a good cerium oxide product and pad combo appropriate along with a DA?

3./ By now you’ve figured out that you’ve likely got me hooked to buy a DA. Thanks a lot! Looking at two kits from chemical guys both around the same price. BUF501 has the Torq 10fx with 2 backing plates, 3 pads and 4 sample compounds. BUF209 has the p&c 7424xp with, 2 backing plates, 5 pads, pad cleaner and conditioner and some towels. What in this is useful vs dust collectors, and what else do I need. Thanks for helping me spend.

1. I have been using CQuartz UK 3.0 on all of our vehicles for the past 2 years and love it but yeah, basically anything above 2500 will give you a mirror like finish. From there you wash it again to break down any oil and dust the polish may have left and hit it with a traditional wax, sealant or ceramic. I usually clay before polish though if it's a recently acquired car. Just tried de-ironing earlier this year and was pretty happy with adding that pre polish but post clay.

As for speed, on my Griot's DA RO I don't exceed 5. The scale will be different but on this, 5 is medium speed. Start at 1 to dab and spread the polish then bring it up to your desired speed, then back down to 1 before taking the pad off the surface of the paint. The only exception being for soft plastics (not headlights, more like our gloss black finishes). For those I'll stay at 2 or 3 heat doesn't build up. From a pressure standpoint, sometimes I lean on it if I'm using polish on something that should be hit with a medium cut. Other than that, just very mild. If its a flat surface, I mostly let the weight of the DA handle it.

2. I treat glass like plastic, 2500 or higher. Since I've only done it for a few years I probably waste a TON of polish. Folks with lots of experience will hit some of the stuff I've done with like 1k or 1,500 but I'd rather do more work than cut too much with no return. From there, I ceramic the glass too. I ceramic literally everything but rubber. On textured black plastics ceramic lasts longer than back-to-black, anything from chemical guys, yada yada.

3. I would avoid a kit. Get a good DA and 4 or 5 medium cut pads. They are usually orange. I've used lake county, chemical guys hex and griots. Griots seems to be the best for me primarily because they are cheap and I never feel bad tossing them if they get chewed up. For polish, I stick with menzerna for everything. They are expensive but I've heard great things about mother's line-up as well.

My go to for about everything these days is:

Griot's Garage 6" DA RO. Its 10813STDCRD and about $120. Amazing. Thing is build like a tank.
Menzerna 2500 (general purpose medium cut)
Menzerna 3500 (anything soft or as a final OCD polish after above)
Griot's 5.5" orange pads
CarPro reset for washing
Chemical Guys medium clay bar
Chemical Guys lubeer for claying (although when I run out I'll probably go with soapy water in a spray bottle)
CQuartz UK 3.0 for ceramic. So far I've never had to repeat a coat but I don't keep my cars longer than 2 years usually. On plastics it lasts about 4 to 6 months.

For every single thing I list above, I've got a few other variations collecting dust : o )

Good luck man and have fun!

 

[d3nns4un]

1. I have been using CQuartz UK 3.0 on all of our vehicles for the past 2 years and love it but yeah, basically anything above 2500 will give you a mirror like finish. From there you wash it again to break down any oil and dust the polish may have left and hit it with a traditional wax, sealant or ceramic. I usually clay before polish though if it's a recently acquired car. Just tried de-ironing earlier this year and was pretty happy with adding that pre polish but post clay.

As for speed, on my Griot's DA RO I don't exceed 5. The scale will be different but on this, 5 is medium speed. Start at 1 to dab and spread the polish then bring it up to your desired speed, then back down to 1 before taking the pad off the surface of the paint. The only exception being for soft plastics (not headlights, more like our gloss black finishes). For those I'll stay at 2 or 3 heat doesn't build up. From a pressure standpoint, sometimes I lean on it if I'm using polish on something that should be hit with a medium cut. Other than that, just very mild. If its a flat surface, I mostly let the weight of the DA handle it.

2. I treat glass like plastic, 2500 or higher. Since I've only done it for a few years I probably waste a TON of polish. Folks with lots of experience will hit some of the stuff I've done with like 1k or 1,500 but I'd rather do more work than cut too much with no return. From there, I ceramic the glass too. I ceramic literally everything but rubber. On textured black plastics ceramic lasts longer than back-to-black, anything from chemical guys, yada yada.

3. I would avoid a kit. Get a good DA and 4 or 5 medium cut pads. They are usually orange. I've used lake county, chemical guys hex and griots. Griots seems to be the best for me primarily because they are cheap and I never feel bad tossing them if they get chewed up. For polish, I stick with menzerna for everything. They are expensive but I've heard great things about mother's line-up as well.

My go to for about everything these days is:

Griot's Garage 6" DA RO. Its 10813STDCRD and about $120. Amazing. Thing is build like a tank.
Menzerna 2500 (general purpose medium cut)
Menzerna 3500 (anything soft or as a final OCD polish after above)
Griot's 5.5" orange pads
CarPro reset for washing
Chemical Guys medium clay bar
Chemical Guys lubeer for claying (although when I run out I'll probably go with soapy water in a spray bottle)
CQuartz UK 3.0 for ceramic. So far I've never had to repeat a coat but I don't keep my cars longer than 2 years usually. On plastics it lasts about 4 to 6 months.

For every single thing I list above, I've got a few other variations collecting dust : o )

Good luck man and have fun!

Awesome - really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, fave products and techniques. Now, time to go shopping! On a side note, really enjoying this community of passionate owners!

 

[chillax]

Menzerna 2500 (general purpose medium cut)
Menzerna 3500 (anything soft or as a final OCD polish after above)
Griot's 5.5" orange pads

I have a bottle of M205 I've been planning on trying along with yellow, orange, white, and black hex-logic pads. I also have a bottle of M105 which I understand is much more aggressive. Is it possible to do what you described with M205? I am also trying to remove some very fine scratches and micro marring from my paint. I am most worried about using the wrong pad and making things worse. What would you suggest trying first? Thank you.

 

[staying_tuned]

I have a bottle of M205 I've been planning on trying along with yellow, orange, white, and black hex-logic pads. I also have a bottle of M105 which I understand is much more aggressive. Is it possible to do what you described with M205? I am also trying to remove some very fine scratches and micro marring from my paint. I am most worried about using the wrong pad and making things worse. What would you suggest trying first? Thank you.

Yeah, M205 would be great for the plastics and as a final polish on paint. M105 being better suited for much deeper scratches or scenarios where you want to mitigate the visual appearance of malicious stuff like a keying.

Think 205 for swirls and anything that you need a good angle and lighting to see, M105 more for like WTF happened there from 10’ away regardless of light.

There are tons of folks who use only M105/205 with results better than I’ll ever achieve in my lifetime hah. It’s good stuff.

 

[chillax]

Yeah, M205 would be great for the plastics and as a final polish on paint. M105 being better suited for much deeper scratches or scenarios where you want to mitigate the visual appearance of malicious stuff like a keying.

Okay any idea what pad I should try first? I was thinking white.

 

[staying_tuned]

Okay any idea what pad I should try first? I was thinking white.

Yeah the white pad would probably be ideal. I have black and orange. Black is so squishy and soft that I feel it’s more of an applicator only, I couldn’t imagine a black pad ever correcting even the slightest of swirls unless you full body pressed the DA. Orange might be a tad stiff for plastics but not so stiff that it prompted me to buy white pads. I just use little to no pressure on plastic with my orange pads. White, being between orange and black in firmness is probably the perfect one to try.

 

[chillax]

Yeah the white pad would probably be ideal. I have black and orange. Black is so squishy and soft that I feel it’s more of an applicator only, I couldn’t imagine a black pad ever correcting even the slightest of swirls unless you full body pressed the DA. Orange might be a tad stiff for plastics but not so stiff that it prompted me to buy white pads. I just use little to no pressure on plastic with my orange pads. White, being between orange and black in firmness is probably the perfect one to try.

Sorry I forgot to ask, is it really safe to polish window scratches like this especially ones deep enough to feel? I am picturing a nightmare scenario where I make the window hazy and end up having to replace it.

 

[staying_tuned]

Sorry I forgot to ask, is it really safe to polish window scratches like this especially ones deep enough to feel? I am picturing a nightmare scenario where I make the window hazy and end up having to replace it.

Oh, I thought you meant some minor swirl, yeah man I’ve never messed with an actual scratch or deep scuff in glass. More like minor marring from years of dry wiper blade use. Glass repair is so cheap now, I’d knock out the rest of the car yourself and then call a specialist for the glass. They have special chemicals that will bond and fill deep stuff, making it look new.

 

[chillax]

Oh, I thought you meant some minor swirl, yeah man I’ve never messed with an actual scratch or deep scuff in glass. More like minor marring from years of dry wiper blade use. Glass repair is so cheap now, I’d knock out the rest of the car yourself and then call a specialist for the glass. They have special chemicals that will bond and fill deep stuff, making it look new.

My main question was about paint correction but the original poster was asking about scratched glass so was following up on that. Anyway, thanks I will try to find someone to look at the glass.