mewhee

Hi All -

Like many of you, I pride myself in keeping both our 02 and 06 LS's in primo shape, especially cosmetically which I can do myself, probably to the point of borderline ocd. This week one morning in leaving the gym we had our first So Cal rain of the season so when backing out of my parking space, due to limited visibility I backed into some landscape bushes leaving faint (but real, not superficial) scratches on my left rear bumper. Ahhh, crap - now what to do ?

O.K. this morning I got out a five year old squeeze bottle of a product called Novus #2 plastic cleaner and applied it according to directions after cleaning the scratched area. Not only did it make the scratches virtually disappear, but it's almost impossible to see the one scratch where the paint surface was broken. Yahoo !

Now, one of the few blemishes on the 02 purchased back in May was a slight haze/cloudiness on one or two areas of each of my headlight covers. Since this is the products main purpose - cleaning plastic scratchs, yellowing, and haze, I gave it a shot and it made both covers look brand new. A second 'Yahoo'!

Bottom line, no I don't work for or sell Novus products but wanted to give y'all a heads up as to a product that actually does what it claims.

Good driving -

mndaves

Great info - thanks!

Bocatrip

I wonder if Meguiars PlastX would have the same results as it too has an abrasive in it.

mewhee

Hi Boca -

From reading reviews, Meguiars PlastiX and Novus #2 plastic scratch removers are basically the same thing. I've only tried the Novus #2 which is the finest (in terms of abrasiveness) of Novus products w/ abrasive additives. The Novus #3 is harsher and the Novus #1 is basically a cleaner w/ no abrasives.

Guess I can speak authoritatively and like the Novus #2 because 1. I already had it among my polishes and cleaners and 2. I now know it works great on "Lexus Plastic". Frankly, was concerned about the cure coming out worse than the disease, but fortunately it worked beyond my expectations, especially on the headlight covers where it's so obvious if scratched, hazy, or even slightly yellowed. Since it's such a light abrasive (Novus #2), it may take several polishings to get the scratches or haziness out but it's the final results that count.

Again, the Maguiars PlastiX gets excellent reviews, too, so wouldn't hesitate to use it if I didn't already have the Novus #2 - just can't say whether it may be TOO abrasive - YMMV ;-)

Good driving -

fergo308

I've used a general cut & polish cream in the past for fixing small blemishes on the paintwork. If you want a very mild and cheap option for the headlight lenses,use toothpaste on a soft cotton rag.


Justin...

Bocatrip

I too have a very slight 4" scratch on my front bumper cover that just barely cut through the clear. I wasn't able to find compound at the parts store which I used years ago for minor scratches. It's always possible to try these abrasive products in an inconspicuous part of the car to see how it works.

tsslaporte

^ Meguiars SwirlX or Ultimate Compound will work just fine.

Jabberwock

Glad it worked out for you. Its fortunate that in recent years there have been a number of excellent compounds developed and marketed to consumers for diy paint correction work. When I first started messing with cars there was one type of white rubbing compound at the store avail and that was it. And it was easy to go too hard and screw up the paint with it. Now its possible to buy 2-3 different versions/levels of abrasive compounds, polishes, clay bars, and cleaners so you can dial in the right stuff and work thru with several products progressively for match level of scratch or scuff you are dealing with. The bad news is you end up with 17 different products in the garage but hey whose counting?

Of course its still possible to mess up if a person is impatient and does not take their time, or frequently stop clean and check progress, but overall its much easier to correct paint defects with the current products available to retail. I have also used 3000 or 4000 grit wetsand paper as the starting point and then moved to the compounds and scratch polishes. This works really well especially after applying touch up paint to level the new paint down to the clear coat surface but you have to be REALLY careful. Than going from slightly aggressive to very mild to final polish and wax works wonders.

The big thing on all this stuff is to actually start with the mildest polish first and see what that does - in other words test with mild stuff before you bring out the big guns only if you have too. You may get a second scratch in the same exact area next month so go easy on the clear coat in any specific area. There are only so many times you can work down the clear coat before it gets too thin. Rub your way thru the clear coat with any polish or compound and you are hosed - on your way to paint shop.