How To Remove Paint Scratches from Your Car
I am sure there are some scratches on your car's paint that you REALLY want to get rid of. problem is, maybe these are too deep for removal making you think "new paint job". Before you rush and spend over $2000 for a new paint job, consider removing the offending scratches.
To determine how severe the scratch is, conduct the fingernail test. Run your finger nail along the scratch in a vertical direction. If the nail does not get caught or stuck and you hardly feel the scratch, it is a light surface scratch. If this is not the case, it is much deeper into the paint surfaces. In the latter worse case, the scratch has damaged the clear coat and paint layer. if the nail did not get stuck etc., only the very top layer is damaged or perhaps only paint traces on the surface from a car that came into contact with yours.
The clear coat usually is .045mm thick, the base color under it is .015mm, the filler under the paint color is .035mm. If you can see metal, the scratch has gone through all the layers and reached the car body.
Conduct a water test which allows you to determine which layers of paint have been damaged. Scratches usually look white or gray. Apply some water to the scratch and look to see if the scratch almost vanishes or whether the scratch looks white, gray or other instead.
If the scratch has damaged the clear coat or base color (this under the clear coat) by remaining white, gray after water is applied, you must use a matching paint color pen to the car before you apply a new clear coat. In other cases, where the scratch is not deep, using a clear coat may be fine.
If your car has a Nano or ceramic paint job (the color code for the car will have a C after the number) do not use sandpaper on it. Many Mercedes from 2005+ have this "scratch resistant" nano paint job. These paint types are more sensitive to rubbing and leave unwanted marks or fine scratches.
By far the BEST product for this is QUIXX paint scratch remover from Germany. Even deep scratches do disappear. The simple process is for deep scratches remains apply the new paint color to the scratch with a paint pen, wait a week for the paint to harden, wet sand with 3000 grit. Then apply Quixx polish filler, then, Quixx Finish. The scratch will be gone!
For light scratches, simply use sandpaper lightly, apply the polish then the finish. The light scratch will be gone.