ok, the dude i bought my car from, he obviously didnt know how to take care of the car properly, and there are surface scratches upon surface scratches on my car. what do ya'll recomend i use to clean em up. i was thinking maybe claying the paint would help. but whatever i do is going to have to wait until it is at leas 60-70 degrees out, so i have some time. my friends just tell me to pay around the hundred bucks to have it detailed and have them get the scratches out, but i am doubtful as to whether or not they would be able to.
well thanks for any and all help.

 

How deep are they? you might want to try rubbing compound and then wax it.

 

I agree. Compound that bad booy

 

The Meguiars three step program works great.

 

Can you feel the scratches when you run a fingernail over them?

 

Clay bar is only going to pull any dirt out of the paint.
If the car does NOT have clear coat, you can try some polishing compound and a terry cloth applicator. This will help a lot with any surface scratches.
If it does have clear coat, you could wet-sand the spots, but be careful when doing this. Read up on it before you try wet-sanding.
Once it warms up though, then go for the clay bar treatment. After you are done, it will literally make the paint as smooth as silk, you won't believe it. Follow it up with a coat of good quality wax. I recommend Zaino brothers products http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
Spend $25 or so and it will last years. I only apply their wax twice a year. By far the best stuff I've ever used in the past 20 years or so. (yes... I'm old)
-Todd

 

This is the biggest part, if you can feel the scratches with your fingernail, the only way your going to fix it is to repaint, if not I recommend a mild rubbing compound on a wrap and elbow grease. Don't use a wheel and compound because thats a good way to get hella swirls. After you use the rubbing compound, go over the car with Meguiars Professional Polish, then finish with a Meguiars wax. If this doesn't bring them out try repeating again, but if that doesn't fix it, its time for a body shop.

 

I tried a clay bar on my car. It does make the paint feel smooth but I can still see all the scratches and imperfections

 

Wet sand that shit with 1200...then wet sand it again with 2000 or something of the liking. Get a good DA buffer...not the 20 dollar walmart shit and a good buffing compound...I think its called like black ebony. Wash all the left over stuff after, then apply a good wax...that shit will be show shine like you wont believe.....

 

The Zaino bar sucked ass for me. I have clayed before, but when I used the one that came with the Zaino kit, I could see "clay swirls" where it would take up more or less during the process...made it worse than when I began.

The meguiars took off the stuff the clay bar was supposed to, plus the damage done by the bar itself.