“What sandpaper grit should I use?” is one of the most popular questions on every auto forum. It is important to choosing the right sandpaper grit for each task to avoid paint damage. There are a lot of different contradictory information online that can be very confusing and overwhelming especially for beginners who have never done any repair projects before.

After reading some of the posts, I found out that a lot of car enthusiasts are using the wrong grit. I saw some people were saying that they’ve used 600 grit or even 400 grit sandpaper to repair clear coat scratches. Big mistake! Sandpaper lower than 1,500 grit is too rough for the clear coat and will leave small scratches.

Sandpaper “grit” refers to the number of abrasive particles per square inch of sandpaper. The lower the grit number, the rougher the paper. The grit use depends on your repair project. For tough jobs, like stripping the paint, you would need lower grit sandpaper and conversely, for clear coat repairs you would use higher grit sandpaper.

40 – 80 Grit

I use 40 grit for very rough sanding/grinding before doing the bodywork. This is very course sandpaper that will leave rough sanding marks. So, use it only when you really need it like for removing rust or on very deep scratches before applying body filler/bondo.

80 grit works great for shaping body filler. Of course a lot depends on the quality of the body filler. The better the quality the easier it will be to sand. If you are using a cheap filler, it will take you a while to sand it. So, start with a 40 grit, then 80 grit and to even it out 120 grit.

120 – 180 Grit

120 grit is not as rough and is great for flattening out scratches from heavier grit. 180 grit is great for feathering edges of the body filler and sanding the spot putty. 180 grit can also be used to remove light rust with minimal scratching

320 – 400 Grit

Both grits are usually used for sanding before primer. 320 grit is great for final sanding of body filler or spot putty. 400 grit will work for fine sanding spot putty and for rough sanding a primer although, I prefer 600 grit for that. In this step, the goal is to make the surface as flat and as smooth as possible before primer application. Every little imperfection will get magnified once the paint is applied. With this in mind, you want to spend most of your time preparing the surface.

To avoid waves and finger prints, use a sanding block. Block sanding is when you wrap the paper around a backing pad or a block. It will help you evenly distribute hand pressure across the sandpaper making it easier to sand curved surfaces. Always sand using “X” pattern. Also, avoid spending too much time on one spot.

600 – 800 Grit

600 grit and 800 grit are used for sanding imperfections in the primer before applying the base coat/paint. Start with 600 grit and work your way up to 800 grit.

1000 – 1,200 Grit

You can use 1,000 grit or 1,200 grit over the base coat to remove imperfections. It is important to use “wet sanding” technique. Wet sanding is when you soak the sandpaper and spray the surface with a lot of water. I usually add few drops of dish soap to make it more slippery. I find that “wet sanding” cuts faster and doesn’t clog the sandpaper. Wrapping the sandpaper around the block will help to make sanding more even.

Even though the 1,200 grit is a fine sandpaper, it will still leave scratches that should be removed with 1,500 or 2000 grit before applying clear coat.

1,500 – 2,000 Grit

1,500 grit and 2,000 grit are used to sand the clear coat. Both grits are great for removing light clear coat scratches that can’t be removed by rubbing compound and buffing. Use 2,000 grit for final sanding to achieve smooth surface.

When working with these grits, don’t forget to use wet sanding method for better result. Soak the sandpaper in cold water for about 10-15 min. Wrap it around a block or backing pad. Spray the repair area with water to keep it slippery. Also adding few drops of dish soap to the water will help. Wash off sandpaper after 3-4 sweeps to avoid dust getting in the way. Keep checking the surface with your fingers.

Note: For small projects you can get an assorted pack of 5 sheets of sandpaper while for bigger projects you will need to buy each grit separately.

Rubbing compound

Rubbing compound is not a sandpaper and doesn’t have a grit number, but it also removes imperfections in the clear coat and smooths the surface after 2,000 grit. Since paint might be a little dull after sanding, rubbing compound is also used to bring back the shine. My favorite is Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. You can do buffing by hand or use an electric polisher. I personally like to use Meguair’s Dual Action Polisher because it does an amazing job and is very easy to use even for beginners.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

~Mike Davis

The cost of the car paint repair mainly depends on the severity of the damage. For each type of damage there is a different repair method and as a result the price can differ.  Although it is pretty difficult to give an estimate without seeing the damage, in this post I want to give you a rough idea of how much you can be in for.

Car finish has  4 layers: clear coat, paint, primer, and metal. Metal is covered with 2-3 coats of primer that protects it from rusting. Then you have 3-4 layers of paint and on top of the paint you have 2-3 layers of clear coat that protects paint from environmental contaminants and scratches.  Typically, the cost will be determine by size, severity and the location of the scratch. If there is a deep scratch that goes across the door, the body shop might have to repaint the whole panel.

Of course you have the option of  taking your car to the body shop or you fixing it yourself. Therefore, I am including body shop price and DIY price. You will also find a list of products needed and a short summary of the repair process.

1. Scuff Marks and Residue

Scuff marks might look like scratches, but in reality are just sitting on top of the  clear coat. Very easy to remove. All you need to do is wash your car, spray it with adhesive remover  and rub the spot with clean microfiber cloth. After you are done, re-apply wax. Here is a step-by-step tutorial.

Auto Body Shop Cost: If you go to the auto shop they might charge you anywhere from $50-$70 for removing it.

DIY Cost: $10. This project should take you only a few minutes. The only product you will need to buy is a 3M Adhesive Tar & Wax Remover ($10).

2. Clear Coat Scratches

Clear coat scratches are very easy to fix. No painting is needed. Light clear coat scratches can be easily fixed with some good quality rubbing compound. You will need to wash your car first. Next, apply some clear coat safe rubbing compound on the microfiber cloth and rub the scratch until it is gone. I do recommend following it some polish to restore the shine, but this step is optional. Then apply a polisher the same way.

Deep clear coat scratches can be removed by sanding the area with wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper ($10). Wet sanding works the best. Soak sandpaper in cold water for 10 min. Spray the area with water. Gently sand the scratch washing off sandpaper after 3-4 sweeps. Follow it with rubbing compound ($10) to get rid of sand scratches and a polisher ($10) to restore the shine. As a final step, re-apply the wax. Here is a detailed tutorial on how to fix clear coat scratches.

Note: If you can’t tell how deep the clear coat scratch is, start by using rubbing compound and if that doesn’t work, try sanding.

Auto Body Shop Cost: $150 – $300. Body shop doesn’t care how deep that clear coat scratch is. They will charge you the full price. Keep in mind, this repair doesn’t even include any paint touch up.

DIY Cost: $20 – $30. The whole project will take you about 10-20 min. Products you will need to buy are: 3M 2,000 grit sandpaper ($10), Meguiar’s Rubbing Compound ($10), and Meguiar’s Polish ($10).

3. Paint Scratches

If paint layers were damaged, you will need to do some paint touch up. For small scratches or chips a touch up pen ($15) is all you need. For a damage larger than a pencil eraser, use touch up bottle with a brush ($15). If the area is bigger than a dime, use spray paint ($20).

A typical repair process to fix a deep scratch would involve sanding, priming, touch up paint application, clear coat application, surface compounding, and surface polishing. Here is a video tutorial.

Auto Body Shop Cost: $400 – $1,000. Once there is painting needed, body shop will make sure to charge you hundreds of dollars even for a small repair.

DIY Cost: $50 – $65. This project can take anywhere from 10 min to touch up a small chip to a few hours for larger repair. Products you will need are:  pack of sandpaper ($5), primer ($5-$8),  touch up paint ($15-$20),  clear coat ($5-$8), Meguiar’s Rubbing Compound ($10), and Meguiar’s Polish ($10).

4. Very Deep Scratches and Dents

To repair dents or deep scratches that have damaged the metal, you will need to use body filler ($20) and spot putty ($4). The repair will involved sanding the damage, body filler application, sanding body filler, spot putty application, sanding spot putty, primer application, sanding primer, paint application, clear coat application, surface compounding, and surface polishing.

This is just a quick summary of steps you’ll need to complete the project. Here is a detailed step-by-step VIDEO tutotial.

Auto Body Shop Cost: $800 – $1,500. Every time there is a metal damage, the price will go up.

DIY Cost: $75 – $90. This is a weekend type of project. You will probably need a few days for all the layers to dry. Products you will need are:  body filler ($20), spot putty ($4), pack of sandpaper ($5), primer ($5-$8),  touch up paint ($15-$20),  clear coat ($5-$8), Meguiar’s Rubbing Compound ($10), and Meguiar’s Polish ($10).

5. Bird Droppings and Tree Sap Damage

Keep in mind the severity of the damage will depend on how long the sap or poop was sitting there. The longer it stays on the surface, the more it eats through the paint. In addition, if there are many spots on the panel, touching them up might make your car look like leopard. In this case it could be better to repaint the whole panel. Check out my article on how to remove tree sap and bird droppings.

Auto Body Shop Cost: $800 – $1,500.

DIY Cost: $50 – $65. Products you will need are:  pack of sandpaper ($5), primer ($5-$8),  touch up paint ($15-$20),  clear coat ($5-$8), Meguiar’s Rubbing Compound ($10), and Meguiar’s Polish ($10).

6. Sun Damage

If you never wax your car, after a while the clear coat will wear off and the paint will be exposed to damaging UV rays resulting in fading paint and oxidation. There might be a chance to restore the paint if it is in a decent condition. If there is not enough good paint left, the car will probably need to be completely re-painted.

Auto Body Shop Cost: $3,000 – $9,000. The price here really depends on what kind of car you have and the body shop you go to. Body shops are very competitive, but don’t forget you get what you’ve paid for. $3K is the lowest price you can find at a decent body shop. I’ve seen some body shops like MAACO offering to repaint the car for $500 but you can’t expect quality for that kind of money.

DIY Cost: It is possible to do it yourself, but I think it is better to find a professional for this one.

Let me know if you have any questions.

~Mike Davis

I’ve seen a lot of discussions about car wax vs paint sealant. Everybody wants to know what’s the difference between the two? Which product offers better protection? What should you use?

In this article, I want to answer all of the questions above and tell you how to apply wax and sealant the correct way. Let’s start by talking about how each of them works and what the pros and cons are.

Natural Car Wax (Carnauba Wax)

Natural car wax is made from substance called “Carnauba”, that is why it is often referred to as Carnauba Wax. It comes from leaves of a tropical plant called Tree of Life, scientific name Copernicia cerifera, that is native to Brazil. The carnauba wax protects fronds of the palm from intense heat, humidity and repels the rain water directing it to the root of the plant. After harvesting the leaves and drying them off, special equipment is used to collect the wax.

Naturally wax is rock hard and needs to be mixed in with other elements like oils, naphtha and petroleum distillates before it can be used on the car. Without those additional elements the wax is really unusable. Since only ⅓ of the pure wax is used in the car waxes, when you see bold advertisement saying “100% Carnauba Wax” on the package, it is referring to the quality of the wax used and not the product as a whole.

Wax is also graded based on its color, purity and origin. Plants from northern Brazil are considered to be the highest quality and produce most pure yellow wax that is used by many different industries. Carnauba wax comes in either paste or liquid form.

Pros: Carnauba wax is preferred by a lot of car enthusiasts because it gives paint deep, warm, rich shine and hides minor swirls. It brings out the color of the car giving it almost “three-dimensional” glow. It also capitalizes on its natural ability protecting car from heat, humidity, oxidation and UV rays. Natural wax will slow down the negative effect of environmental contaminants like bird droppings, toxic bugs, sap and etc. Because it sits on top of the paint instead of bonding with it like sealant, it doesn’t require any curing time.

Cons: Wax is not as durable as synthetic waxes. Since natural wax sits on top of the paint, it will last only 4-6 weeks under ideal conditions. If you live in a hot humid climate, the Carnauba wax will last only a few weeks. It is also takes more time to apply.

Synthetic Car Wax (Paint Sealant)

Synthetic car wax, also known as paint sealant or paint protectant, is man-made product created in a laboratory out of thousands of synthetic particles. It does NOT contain any natural wax in it. That is where a lot of confusion arises. Why would something that doesn’t have any wax in it have word “wax” on the label? The reason is – pure marketing. When a regular car owner walks into the store to buy products for washing and waxing his car, he is looking for a product called “car wash” and “car wax”. Very simple. Most customers don’t know the difference between natural wax and synthetic sealant. They just know they want to protect their car. Therefore, to avoid scaring and confusing customers, marketers use word “wax” as a part of the label.

The main difference between sealant and natural wax is the durability. Paint sealant last from 4-6 months protecting your paint from UV rays and contamination. For people who doesn’t have time for detailing every month but still want to have paint protection, paint sealant is the way to go. It comes in a liquid form and is very easy to apply. This time-saving product is hard to beat when it comes to choosing paint protection for your vehicle.

Pros: Paint sealant forms a rigid shell around your paint giving it glossy, slick, showroom shine. It last much longer than natural wax,up to 4-6 months, and is much easier to apply. It is resistant to UV rays, salt, moister and contamination. I think this is a great choice for busy owners who don’t have time for the upkeep each month.

Cons: Because sealant creates a bond with the car paint, it requires some curing time after application. Some car owners don’t like the plastic, glass look and prefer rich deep shine of the carnauba wax.

Which Car Wax Is The Best?

When choosing between natural wax and synthetic paint sealant think what is more important for you, the deep shine but monthly upkeep or long durability but glassy finish. Both of the products provide great paint protection if applied on the regular basis.

Some car enthusiasts refuse to choose between the two applying paint sealant first and topping it with a thin layer of natural wax. This way you get maximum protection and beautiful warm glow of the paint. And even if you don’t re-apply Carnauba wax after 4 weeks, your car paint will be still be protected by the paint sealant.

Carnauba Wax

If you decided to go with a natural wax, one of the premium natural waxes that I absolutely love is Gold Class Carnauba Wax by Meguiar’s. It is inexpensive, made out of high quality wax and is very easy to apply.

This wax will give your paint mirror like shine and make your car look like brand new again while providing all-important protection. This product got great consumer reviews and 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Paint Sealant

Going with a paint sealant will provide you with more durability than a natural wax. My all favorite is NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 made also by Meguiar’s. This is a synthetic sealant that takes waxing to a completely a new level.

This product is extremely easy to apply and provides superior protection against corrosion, oxidation, UV rays and surface degradation. You can expect unbelievably deep, vibrant color and wet-look shine found in car showrooms.

Another thing that I like is that it will eliminate fine scratches and swirls from the surface. This product also got great reviews on Amazon.com Over 70 consumers gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Some consumers said it left the same warmth and silky smooth finish as Carnauba wax. The true secret is in added polish that makes this beautiful finish possible.

How To Apply Wax and Sealant

To get the best result, you should do some prep work before applying wax.

Step 1: Wash your vehicle with car soap. You can use any product. I usually use NXT Generation Car Wash by Meguiar’s. It is very gentle on the finish, doesn’t strip off wax while washing off toughest dirt and road grime. I would not recommend using Dawn dish soap, because it will remove all the wax.

Step 2: Remove remaining contamination by using clay bar.

Step 3: Polishing your car before applying wax to remove fine scratches and swirls. It will even out the surface and give your car a nice shine.

Step 4: Apply wax. Apply a thin coat of wax or sealant using soft microfiber towel. Some car owners prefer to apply a sealant and top it with wax for maximum protection.

Step 5: You can use quick detailer to maintain the high gloss.

Meguiar’s put a great 5-Step Paint Care Cycle Video

Throughout my tutorials, you’ve probably noticed that I use a lot of Meguiar’s products. I don’t intentionally try to use only their products. I just pick products that do an excellent job in my opinion and also are highly rated by other consumers. Please fill free to use any products you like. I am sure there are a lot of good products on the market that can do great job.

Let me know if you have any questions.

~Mike Davis

Parking under the trees might result in drops of sap all over your car. Tree sap, just like toxic bird poop, will eat through the layers of paint if left on the vehicle. The sun can make things even worse. It warms up the surface and expends paint allowing for the sap to get in. After the area around sap cools down, it is very hard to remove. The longer it sits, the more it hardens and adheres to the surface. Try to remove sap as soon as possible.

Since not every tree sap is the same, it might require a different method to remove. Pine tree sap is one of the hardest to get rid of. When using one of the methods below, make sure not to damage the paint.

1. Mineral Spirits. It is used for cleaning and degreasing machine tools and for thinning oil based paints, stains and varnishes. It is less flammable and less toxic than turpentine. Soak soft microfiber towel with some mineral spirits liquid and hold it for 30 sec over the sap. You want to avoid rubbing the paint around it. Mineral spirits will break up and dissolve the sap. After sap is removed wash the spot and re-apply wax/sealant.

2. Rubbing Alcohol. Like mineral spirits alcohol is also used to dissolve sap. This method is much safer for the car’s paint. Keep in mind that alcohol will also remove the wax, so you will need to re-apply it after sap is gone. Damp soft microfiber towel with alcohol and rub the spot. I would use smaller and less expensive microfiber towels for this project since there is a good chance you might not be able to get rid of the sap stains on your towel.

3. Nail Polish Remover. Hardened sap can be very difficult to remove. If alcohol didn’t work, try nail polish remover. Soak cotton ball with some nail polish remover and carefully rub the sap trying not to damage the paint around it. Nail polish remover can help soften hardened part of the sap. Use alcohol to remove the rest. Next, rinse off the area with a mix of 1 cup of baking soda to 3 cups of warm water. Dry it with microfiber towel and reapply wax.

4. Tarminator Grease and Sap Remover. Tarminator is a product that removes tar, wax, grease, bugs, and tree sap by breaking down the complex molecules and dissolving sticky materials. It is easy to use and works very fast without harming the paint. This product got 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Spray Tarminator into a soft microfiber towel and place it on top of the sap for 30 sec. Then easily wipe off the sap from the surface. For difficult sap, spray it directly onto surface and let Tarminator penetrate for a few minutes before wiping. After sap is gone, wash the surface and re-apply wax.

5. Automotive Clay Bar. Clay bar is used for removing grains of metal, tree sap, bird droppings, airborne environmental deposits and paint overspray. It instantly sticks-to and pulls-off contaminants stuck to the surface. I like this great Mothers California Gold Clay Bar Kit that comes with 2 clay bars, quick detailer, and microfiber towel. It is very inexpensive and paint safe. Over 100 consumers gave this product 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

After removing clay bar from its wrapper, knead and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Spray sap area with quick detailer. Glide clay over the lubricated area using light even pressure. It might take few rounds before sap is completely removed. Knead and fold the clay bar back onto itself after each round. Make sure to provide plenty of lubrication. Use soft microfiber towel to wipe off clay residue. Re-apply wax or sealant. Here is a demo video on how to use it.

6. Goo Gone. This is a liquid adhesive that removes grease, gum, sap, stickers, crayon and tape. It is great for removing fresh sap. Apply some of the Goo Gone to the microfiber towel and hold it over the sap for 20-30 sec. Gently wipe of the sap. If it is hard to remove, apply small amount of Goo Gone directly to the sap and let it sit for a few minutes. Then remove it with microfiber cloth. Wash the area and re-apply wax.

7. WD-40. This is all purpose lubricant that is used for protecting metal from rust and corrosion. It is also used to remove grease, grime, water deposits, adhesives, bugs, tar, sap and much more. WD-40 product is really amazing in and I think is a must have for each household. Spray a soft terry cloth with WD-40 and rub the sap area. It might take you few rounds. When all sap is gone, reapply wax.

Repairing The Damage

Like with the bird droppings, if the sap sits on the surface for too long, it will eat through the clear coat layers and then through the paint. If clear coat was damaged, you can just buff it with some rubbing compound. I like to use Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. You can use any rubbing compound you want, just make sure it is clear coat safe. Place few drops of rubbing compound on the application pad and rub the area using circular motion. After the damage is not visible anymore the area might be a little dull. To restore the shine use a clear coat safe polisher.

If the paint layers have been damaged, you will need to use a touch up paint. You can easily touch up a small spot but if a panel of the car is covered with a lot of small spots you might have to re-paint the whole section. At his point you probably need to think if this is something you want to do yourself or leave it to a professional that will charge you hundreds of dollars.

Protecting Your Car From Sap

• Don’t leave your car under trees. I know that it is easier said than done. But if there is a sunny spot with no trees around available, park there.
• Every few month wax your car. I know that wax will not completely protect your car, but it will slow down the etching process.
• Get a car cover. This is the easiest way to protect your car from sap, bird poop, snow and sun. Get a good quality one that is easy to use.

Let me know if you have any questions by using a comment box below.

~Mike Davis

Although bird droppings and smashed highway bugs might not seam like a big deal, it can do a serious damage to the paint of the car costing hundreds of dollars in repairs. Because bugs and bird poop has a lot of acid in it, the longer it sits on the surface of the vehicle the deeper it eats through the finish.

Some birds and bugs (like gypsy moth, june bug, bees, aphids and etc.) are more damaging than others. Bird named “ka ka” is not only highly acidic, but also uses gravel to digest its food. As a result, there are tons of grit in its excrement that can easily scratch the paint when you try to wipe it off.

It turns out that bird poop is only a part of the problem. On the sunny day, the sun  accelerates the etching and warms up the surface of the car expending the paint and allowing for the bird poop to get in.

At the same time, the warmth of the sun dries out the bird poop making it hard. When the paint cools down, it contracts around the harden poop making it difficult to remove. So, it is not surprising to see etching after only a few hours.

To avoid serious damage you should remove bird droppings and smashed bugs as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the car to cool down like some car owners do. They think it is better to give it some time to air out. Big mistake! Car consists of 4 layers, metal, primer, paint and clear coat. When poop drops on the surface it slowly starts eating through them.

Removing Bird Droppings and Bugs

Place a microfiber cloth soaked with alcohol on top and let it pre-soak contamination. Avoid scratching the surface by rubbing the spot. Alcohol will neutralize the acid and soften the poop. If poop is too hard, try to soften it with microfiber towel and warm soapy water and then treat the spot with alcohol.

To remove the rest of the contamination, spray it with water. That is one of the reasons I always have a bottle of no salt seltzer water in my car. After taking the lid off plug the opening of the bottle with your thumb and shake it up well. Hard blast of water will wash off the droppings but will not harm your paint. If there are still some of the poop left, just repeat the steps.

Another thing you can do is fill a spray bottle with hot water and some dish soap and mist the spot for one minute and let it sit for about 5 minutes. At this point it should be easy to wipe off. Check the surface to see if there is any damage to the surface. If there is no damage, dry the area with clean microfiber towel and re-apply wax or sealant. If the paint was damaged, follow the steps below:

Repairing The Paint Damage

1. Light Clear Coat Damage. Even if you can’t fill anything with your fingers, a small cloudy spot might be still visible from certain angles. Light clear coat etching can be easily removed with some buffing. You will need a bottle of clear coat safe rubbing compound and a polisher.

• For rubbing compound I like to use Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound. It is inexpensive, easy to use and doesn’t leave swirl marks. Place a small amount or rubbing compound on the application pad and rub the area using circular motion. You can also use a buffing machine. Remove residue with a clean microfiber towel. If the etching is still showing, you might need to repeat the process a few times.
• To restore the shine, use polishing compound. I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish because it creates a showroom shine. Apply some of the polish to the surface and buff if with clean microfiber cloth by hand or use a buffing machine. Wipe off the residue and re-apply wax or sealant.

2. Medium Clear Coat Damage. If buffing was not enough, you’ll need to do some sanding.

• Use automotive wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper. You can do wet or dry sanding. I like wet sanding much better because it doesn’t clog the sandpaper and cuts faster. Soak sandpaper in cold water for 10 min. Spray the area with water and lightly sand using back and forth motion. Wash off sandpaper after 3-4 sweeps.
• After you are done, the area might be a little dull. You can easily restore the shine with some rubbing compound and a polisher.
• As a final step re-apply wax or sealant.

3. Deep Paint Damage. Bird poop can eat through the clear coat layer and paint layer if left for too long. In this instance, you might need to use touch up paint. No need to panic. Treat this as a deep paint scratch. In order to repair it, you will need to sand the area, apply touch up paint, apply clear coat for paint protection, buff it with rubbing compound and a polisher.

• Wet sand the area with wet/dry automotive 2,000 grit sandpaper using plenty of water. You should sand 1-2 inches around the damage for better blending.
• Pick touch up paint depending on the size of the damage area. Touch up paint can come in a spray can, small bottle with a brush, or as a touch up pen. Small areas can be touched up with a pen. If the area is bigger than a pencil eraser, you need to use a bottled paint, and if it is larger than a dime it should be sprayed painted.
• Apply thin coat of touch up paint to the surface. 2-3 coats should be enough. Wait for each layer to dry before applying the next one.
• When all the paint layers are dry, apply 2-3 coats of clear coat.
• Use clear coat safe rubbing compound to blend in the repair and follow it with a polish to restore the shine. Wait for 30 days to re -applying wax/sealant.

This is just a quick summery of things you need to do. But here you can find more details for each step.

Protect Your Car From Bird Droppings and Bugs

There isn’t much you can do about bugs, but there are few things you can do to protect your vehicle from birds.

• Don’t park under trees. Many of you look for a shade on the sunny day to avoid getting into a 500 degree oven. But trees might not be the best idea since that is where all the birds like to hang out.
• Apply wax every few months. Of course there is no wax in the world that can fully protect your auto from acidic bird excrement ,but it will create a barrier that will decrease amount of damage done to the paint.
• Get a car cover. If you have to park your car outside every day, buy an easy to use cover. This car cover that I use will not only protect your car from bird droppings, but also from rain, snow, UV rays of the sun and tree sap.

Let me know if you have any questions. I am always happy to help.

~Mike Davis

Lately, there have been a lot of conversations about microfiber and you are probably wondering what the buzz is all about. When detailing a car, many materials leave lint and swirl marks that is hard to remove without scratching the surface. Microfiber material can help you get the shine you want without damaging the clear coat of your car.

In my scratch repair tutorials, I always use microfiber towels for all of the detailing steps. A lot of people will probably think that buying a microfiber towel is a waste of money since the same job can be easily done with old t-shirts or washclothes. What they don’t realize is that cotton fibers of these materials are too rough and will leave small scratches on the surface of the car. Microfiber material is specially designed to remove dust, dirt and wax residues without damaging the clear coat.

How Does It Work

When it comes to creating a showroom shine, bodyshop professionals all over the world choose microfiber material. The secret is in the unique combination of synthetic fibers that create an ultra-fine fabric. It is exceptionally soft and super durable. Microscopic loops can reach into the smallest nooks and crannies removing all the dust and dirt.

If you look at the denier, a unit for measuring density of fibers, microfiber is only 0.02, which is extremely fine comparing to the silk that is 8. The microfiber fibers are only 1/16th size of a human hair.

What Brand Is The Best

Of course not all products are the same quality. For the material to be effective, it needs to go through the “splitting” procedure which splits polyester and polyamide. This method is very expensive, but necessary to create a high quality product. Cheap materials produced in Korea and China often bypass this process resulting in less density. Those products are not as durable and as absorbent. They also can leave swirl marks and lint.

After trying different brands, I like Meguiar’s Microfiber Towels the best. This next generation microfiber comes in a 3-pack. The material is very thick and soft. It even has silky smooth edges, so you don’t mistakenly scratch your paint. I use it for applying scratch remover, polisher and wax. The result is always great. Showroom shine surface with no residue and no swirls. It has a dual-sided pile that is 3 times more absorbent than a terry cloth making it great for drying a car and eliminating water spots. Also, it works very well for applying quick detailer since you can apply it with one side and buff it with the other.

Great For Cleaning

Because microfiber is positively charged material, it attracts and traps negatively charged matters like dust and dirt. That is why it is not only great for car detailing but also for other things like cleaning door jambs, windows, leather, plastic, stainless steel, glass and more. When using microfiber, you don’t need to worry about scratching the surface.

Microfiber Towel Care

Before using it for the first time I recommend prewashing it in warm water. That will increase the absorbency of the material. Also, to avoid scratching the surface, remove off the tags.

Since this product attracts and traps dirt, it might get clogged and loose its magnetic abilities after a few uses.  Wash it in warm water with some detergent on delicate setting,  don’t use fabric softener or bleach. Fabric softener can weaken the positive charge of the material reducing its effectiveness.

While being ultra-plush, it is very strong and durable material that can go through over 500 washings. It takes only ⅓ of the time for microfiber to dry comparing to the regular cloths. You can dry it in an electrical dryer on low setting or just let it air dry.

Consumer Reviews

Before recommending any of the products to you, I always test them myself and also make sure they get the best reviews online from the consumers. Over 70 people posted their reviews on Amazon.com giving Meguiar’s Microfiber Towels 4.5 out of 5 stars. Most of the consumers were very impressed with the quality and performance. When using this product for car detailing, they got a quality shine, streak free and debris free finish with very little effort.

Consumers found this product to be also great for cleaning household items and felt that the quality was much better than microfiber sold at big stores like Costco, Walmart, or Target. Another thing that everybody seemed to like is the size of the towels which is 16×24 inches, not too small and not too big. Some even said that it works as well, if not better than, a real chamois. I absolutely agree with the consumer reviews, the Meguar’s microfiber towels is a great investment that will last me for a long time.

These days cars are made with thinner materials than in the past and as result, even a slight impact can cause a damage to the body. Auto body filler is used to fill holes, dents and deep scratches in the body of the vehicle. Very often body filler is referred to as Bondo, which is really a product brand name manufactured by 3M. But since 3M was one of the first companies to produce body filler, it became known as Bondo.

Quality of the product varies depending on the brand. Some are easier to sand, have better adhesion and last longer but might cost a little more. Other cheaper products are harder to apply and can take hours of sanding. But no matter how much we dislike dealing with body fillers, there is no way around them if you are trying to fix auto body.

When buying a filler, make sure it has great adhesion, easy to sand and spreads without a lot of pinholes. I used to buy Evercoat products, but recently switched to Bondo Ultimate Body Filler by 3M. This is a professional quality product that is very easy to apply and will last for a long time. It also doesn’t clog the sandpaper.

After coming out, it got a lot of positive reviews from auto enthusiasts and body shop experts. It costs around $20 for a quart and comes with a cream hardener. This new product really works great on different type of surfaces. You can apply it to the bare metal, wood, aluminum, epoxy, sanded paint and primer. Although I always recommend sanding to the bare metal, with this product you really don’t have to.

Preparing the Surface

Before applying Bondo, you need to prepare the surface. Wash the car with warm water and auto soap. Follow it with pre solvent to remove all dirt and wax. Since fillers stick better to the bare metal, you need to remove all the paint by sanding down the damaged area with 180 grit sandpaper. Don’t forget to sand about 3 inches around the damage for better blending. The more scratched up the metal is, the better Bondo will stick to it and the longer it will last. If you apply body filler directly to the paint, it will crack after a while.

Note: I’ve been getting a lot of emails from people asking if they need to spray the metal with primer before applying filler to prevent rust. You do not need to apply primer. Bondo is specially designed for bear metal and should prevent it from rusting. If you found rust, that means it was there before Bondo was applied.

Mixing Body Filler and Hardener

Bondo consists of different materials including resin and talc. It usually comes in a can with a cream hardener that needs to be mixed in to start the curing process. If there is no hardener in the package, you’ll need to buy it separately.

One of the biggest challenges when dealing with Bondo is to know how much hardener to mix in. That is where all beginners make mistakes. If you put too much, it will dry too fast and might create a lot of small pinholes. If you don’t put enough, it will take forever to dry.

Instructions in the back of the can should give you a good idea how much hardener to use. But as a rule, you should add about 1 inch strip of hardener to a golf ball size amount of filler.

After opening a can with a filler, check to see if it has separated. Give it a good stir to create a uniform color. With a putty knife (or you can use a regular knife) place some filler on the plastic mixing board. Although you can use any clean surface for mixing, plastic mixing board works the best. Piece of cardboard will also work just fine. I’ve seen some discussions about using cardboard for mixing and some people were saying that cardboard will absorb chemicals from the filler reducing its effectiveness. It might be an issue if you are doing a whole car, but if you are doing a small area, I think there is just not enough time for it to absorb that much.

While Bondo usually comes in a cream or light gray color, hardener is deep red or blue. The color of the hardener will not affect the curing process. To prevent filler from drying out, close the lid of the can after using it.

For mixing you can use a steal or plastic spreader. I like plastic spreader more, because it makes application a little easier. When pressing against the surface, plastic spreader can be bend to the shape of the repaired area, something that you can’t do with steal.

Mix the products together by spreading and folding the mixture using back and forth motion and by pushing it down on the board to release the air. If you stir it, the air will get in creating a lot of small pin holes. In the end, you should have light pink or light blue consistent color with no streaks in it.

Note: You might also get pinholes from applying too much hardener.

Applying Body Filler

Once you’ve done mixing, you have only about 5 min before it hardens. So, work quickly! When applying the mixture, don’t put too much, otherwise you’ll be sanding for hours. However, you also don’t want to put too little and have to go back to mix another batch. Apply the mixture with a plastic spreader spreading a thin layer 3 inches beyond the damaged area. You need extra space for better edge blending when you sand.

Note: Avoid putting more than ¼ inch of filler. 1/8th inch is a good thickness. If you put too much, it might crack later. If you have a dent that is deeper than ¼ inch, try pulling it first to eliminate the amount of the Bondo that is needed.

If you have some mixture left that you are not going to use, don’t even think about putting it back into the can. Mixing old Bondo with the fresh one will ruin the whole can. Just throw it away.

Curing time depends on a few things like the temperature in the room, humidity levels and amount of hardener that was applied. On average it takes around 20 min. Ideal temperature for mixing Bondo is 70-80 degrees F.

Sanding Body Filler

After it is dry, you can start sanding with 40 grit, following with 80 grit and 180 grit. Most of the filler around the damaged area should be sanded away leaving the dent filled. Make sure the transition is smooth. It is better to do all the sanding by hand. You will have less control with an electrical sander.

Note: If you realize that you need to apply more layers of the mix, just sand the area and apply the next coat. In case you need to remove a cured filler, use an automotive paint stripper or just sand it down.

Applying Spot Putty

Spot putty is another type of filler that is used to fill tiny pinholes in the body filler. If you don’t fill those pinholes, the filler might crack when there is any movement of the underlying metal. It is very easy to sand, dries fast and doesn’t need a hardener to cure. You can just apply it from the tube. I usually use Glazing & Spot Putty by 3M.

Use a plastic spreader to put a thin coat of spot putty on the sanded area. Avoid putting too much.

Wait for 15 min for it to dry and sand it with 180 grit then follow it with 320 grit. The surface should be smooth and ready for primer. This is how it should look after the spot putty was sanded.

I know that applying Bondo is not the easiest thing in the world, so don’t hesitate ask questions. I am always happy to hear from you.

~Mike Davis

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It is not surprising that license plates can cut into the clear coat and leave nasty deep scratches. That is what happened to this white Mercedes Benz. After the owner have removed the license plate, he saw deep clear coat  scratches. In today’s post, I wanted to show you how you can repair it yourself.

The removal process involves some sanding, compounding, and polishing. No painting required. It should take you under an hour to fix. Start by getting all the materials first.

Items You Will Need:

• Wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper
• Prep solvent – It removes oils, road grease, dirt, car wax, and other surface contaminates and also improves adhesion to the surface.
• Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound – You can use any rubbing compound you like, just make sure it is clear coat safe. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is the best car scratch remover I’ve ever tried. It removes light-to-deep clear coat scratches, swirl marks, stains, and heavy oxidation in just a few minutes. It’s clear coat safe and inexpensive.

Optional Items:

• Microfiber Towel – Avoid using other material such as bath towel, paper towel or wash cloth, as they might leave scratches on the clear coat.
• Applicator Pads – These pads are used to apply rubbing compound, polish and wax.
• Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish – Use your favorite polishing compound. I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish because it uses diminishing abrasive technology, meaning the tiny abrasives break down gradually as you rub. The paint color will look bolder and brighter with a smooth, sleek shine. It is high quality, inexpensive, long lasting, and clear coat safe.
• Meguiar’s Tech Wax – Use your favorite wax. I like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax. This product is amazing because not only it gives the deepest and clearest shine you’ve ever seen, but is also acts as a paint sealer giving your car long lasting protection.
• Dual Action Sander/Polisher – I found a nice beginner polisher on Amazon for a reasonable price that will give you amazing results. There are a lot of professional polishers, but they cost over $150. This Black & Decker polisher got great customer reivews.

Step 1: Wash the Area

Clean the area to be repaired with warm water and few drops of dish soap. Dry the area with microfiber towel.

Step 2: Sanding

In this step, you need to even out the surface by sanding down the scratches with wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper. Wet sanding works the best. Soak sandpaper in cold water for 10 min. You can add few drops of dish soap to the water to make it more slippery. Sand the scratches applying some pressure. Wash off the sandpaper after 3-4 sweeps.

While your goal is to sand down the scratch so the surface is smooth to the touch, you don’t want to sand too much. Keep checking the scratch with your fingers. After sanding, clean and dry the area.

Step 3: Applying Rubbing Compound

It is a little hard to see from this picture, but after sanding the paint looks dull. To restore the finish, we use rubbing compound. Rubbing compound, sometimes called scratch remover, is used to remove scratches and swirl marks in the clear coat. You can rub it by hand or use a buffing machine.

Pick a shady spot. Full sun will make the surface hot and the compound will dry too fast. Apply few drops of rubbing compound into the application pad. Rub using circular motion until the paint is shiny again.

I you are using a machine, set it at 1,800 rpm. Keep moving the buffer to avoid paint burns. Wipe residue with microfiber cloth and check to see if sand scratches are still there. If they are, re-apply rubbing compound. I might take your a few rounds to restore the shine.

Step: Applying Polishing Compound

Polishing compound will give your car a showroom shine. Apply few drops to the applicator pad. Rub the surface until it is shiny. It can be done by hand or by polisher. If you are using a machine, set it for 1,000 rpm.

Remove the residue with microfiber towel.

Step: Apply Wax

This is a last step. Apply your favorite wax to seal the repair.

Final Result:

At the end, you should a shiny smooth surface with no scratches.

~Mike Davis

This Hyundai had deep clear coat  scratches. The owner of the car was very upset when he saw it after coming back from the mall. I looked like someone scratched the car with a key. Bodyshops told the owner it would cost anywhere from $250 to $450 to remove and they would keep the car for one day. Most people don’t realize that these kind of scratches can be easily removed in just 15 min without any touch up paint. You can save a lot of money and time by doing the repair yourself. Just follow my easy step-by-step instructions below.

Items You Will Need:

• Wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper – Specially designed auto sandpaper. Wood sandpaper is too rough.
• Prep solvent – It removes oils, road grease, dirt, car wax, and other surface contaminates and also improves adhesion to the surface.
• Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound – It removes light-to-deep clear coat scratches, swirl marks, stains, and heavy oxidation in just a few minutes. You can use any rubbing compound you like, just make sure it is clear coat safe. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is the best car scratch remover I’ve ever tried.

Optional Items:

• Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish – Use your favorite polishing compound. I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish because it uses diminishing abrasive technology, meaning the tiny abrasives break down gradually as you rub. The paint color will look bolder and brighter with a smooth, sleek shine. It is high quality, inexpensive, long lasting, and clear coat safe.
• Microfiber Towel – Avoid using other material such as bath towel, paper towel or wash cloth, as they might leave scratches on the clear coat.
• Applicator Pads – This pad is used to apply rubbing compound, polish and wax.
• Meguiar’s Tech Wax – Use your favorite wax. I like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax. This product is amazing because not only it gives the deepest and clearest shine you’ve ever seen, but is also acts as a paint sealer giving your car long lasting protection.
• Dual Action Sander/Polisher – I found a nice beginner polisher on Amazon for a reasonable price that will give you amazing results. There are a lot of professional polishers, but they cost over $150. This Black & Decker polisher got great customer reivews.

Step 1: Wash the car

The area being repaired should be washed with water and auto soap. Follow it with prep solvent.

Step 2: Sanding

Sand scratches with wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper till the area is smooth. Wet sanding works the best. Soak sandpaper in cold water for 10-15 min. Spray the area with water. Gently sand the scratches using a lot of water. Keep checking for smoothness with your fingers. The goal is to even out the surface by sanding down the clear coat. It might take you few round of sanding for the scratches to disappear.

Step 3: Clean the Area

After you are done with sanding, clean the area with microfiber towel. The surface will look dull. Don’t worry. You will restore the shine in the next step with some rubbing compound.

Step 4: Applying Rubbing Compound

In this step, you will remove all sand scratches by buffing it with rubbing compound. Avoid doing this in full sun. The surface will get too hot and the compound will dry too fast. For video demonstration, they had to do it in full sun otherwise you would not see that scratches. But when you are doing it at home, find some shade.

You can do it by hand or by using a buffing machine. Place few drops on the application pad and rub it on the surface until scratches are gone and surface is shiny. If you are using a buffer set it at 1,800 rpm. Use foam buffing pad to apply the compound. It might take you few rounds of rubbing compound application to get rid of the scratches. Wipe off the residue with microfiber towel.

Step 5: Applying Polishing Compound

After applying rubbing compound the scratches should be gone and the paint should be shiny. To get a showroom shine use polishing compound. Apply few drops of polishing compound to the application pad and rub the surface. If you are using a polishing machine, set it at 1,000 rpm. For better result, use polishing pad. You can also do it by hand. Wipe off the residue with microfiber towel.

Step 6: Wax

Apply wax to seal your repair. Again, you can do it by hand or with polishing machine. If you are using a machine, set it at 1,000 rpm.

Final Result:

As a result, you should have smooth shiny surface without any scratches.

~Mike Davis

As you can see from the picture above, the scratch on this blue Volkswagen Passat was long and deep. Bodyshop wanted to charge the owner $450 for removing it. That is a lot of money for removing a clear coat scratch. In this post, I will show you how you can remove this scratch for only $20.

This repair is extremely easy to do. It includes sanding, rubbing compound, and polishing compound. I recommend applying wax at the end to seal the repair. It will take you no more than an hour to complete it.

Items You Will Need:

• Wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper – $8
• Prep solvent – $3- It removes oils, road grease, dirt, car wax, and other surface contaminates and also improves adhesion to the surface.
• Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound – $9 – You can use any rubbing compound you like, just make sure it is clear coat safe. Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound is the best car scratch remover I’ve ever tried. It removes light-to-deep clear coat scratches, swirl marks, stains, and heavy oxidation in just a few minutes.

YOUR TOTAL: $20

Optional Items:

• Microfiber Towel – Avoid using other material such as bath towel, paper towel or wash cloth, as they might leave scratches on the clear coat.
• Applicator Pads – This pad is used to apply rubbing compound, polish and wax.
• Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish – Use your favorite polishing compound. I like Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish because it uses diminishing abrasive technology, meaning the tiny abrasives break down gradually as you rub. The paint color will look bolder and brighter with a smooth, sleek shine. It is high quality, inexpensive, long lasting, and clear coat safe.
• Meguiar’s Tech Wax – Use your favorite wax. I like Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax. This product is amazing because not only it gives the deepest and clearest shine you’ve ever seen, but is also acts as a paint sealer giving your car long lasting protection.
• Dual Action Sander/Polisher – I found a nice beginner polisher on Amazon for a reasonable price that will give you amazing results. There are a lot of professional polishers, but they cost over $150. This Black & Decker polisher got great customer reivews.

Step 1: Wash the Area

Wash the area being repaired with warm water. Follow it with pre solvent.

Step 2: Sanding

Some people are worried about sanding the clear coat because they think they’ll make it worse. There is nothing to worry about. That is what professionals at the bodyshop do. They start by sanding the scratch with wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper. This sandpaper is very fine and is specially made for sanding clear coat. I recommend wet sanding vs dry sanding.

Soak wet/dry 2,000 grit sandpaper in cold water for 10 min. Then spray the scratch with water and start carefully sanding the clear coat. Make sure to use a lot of water. It might take few rounds of sanding for the scratch to go away.

Keep checking the surface for smoothness. Avoid sanding too much clear coat. If you see paint on the sandpaper, you’ve sanded too much.

On the picture below, you can see that scratch is gone and the surface looks dull. Because of the light, it looks like the paint is gone and the area is gray now. In reality, paint layer was intact.

Step 3: Rubbing Compound

The surface will get it’s shine back after we use a rubbing compound. Rubbing compound will remove small sand scratches from the clear coat. You can do it by hand or with buffing machine.  Place a small amount of the compound into the soft applicator pad. Rub over the dull area. If you are doing it by hand, keep rubbing it until the paint looks shiny.  Wipe off residue with microfiber cloth.

If you are using a machine set it at 1,800 rpm.  It might take you a few rounds. Keep moving the buffing machine to avoid paint burn. It is very easy to get paint burn if you keep polishing in one place.

Step 4: Polishing Compound

Apply small amount of polishing compound with applicator pad. Keep rubbing it until the clear coat gets shiny again.

If you are using a machine, set it at 1,000 rpm.

Step 5: Wax

Re-apply wax to seal the repair. Wipe of residue with microfiber cloth.

Final Result:

As you can see the scratch is gone and the surface is shiny again.

~Mike Davis