I test drove a Galaxy Grey Mk3 yesterday - 56 plate very few miles.
What infuriated me were the amount of hairline (looks like surface only) scratches especially on the drivers door. These looked like a careless handbag or manbag (dont want to offend anyone [;)] ) or someone has been searching for the door lock with the key in the pitch black.
I just cant comprehend the carelessness of some owners for a 2 yr old car and a car that a lot of people would perhaps consciously take good care of.
Anyway I loved the car apart from this and I was wondering if any of you have any advice. Would a good detail take away the worst of the scratching?
I know its hard without pictures so apologies and just thought - maybe this should be in the tech or the detailing section? [^o)]:
Depends.
I’m of the opinion that surface damage has no mechanical disadvantage, so shrug it wouldn’t bother me. This is why I think I shouldn’t own a ‘new’ car. Too much effort in pointless areas. Mechanical maintenance, thats different.
Maybe this Mk3 owner was like me, but bought a new car by mistake? Maybe they just didn’t care about surface issues? If the service history is intact, and it’s been mechanically looked after, then so what.
I see this a lot in my day to day work and have a Help Section - http://www.morethanjustchips.com/?cat=14 - which will cover this in more detail in the future. There is a simple test you can carry out, if the light scratches only show when the panel is dry they may polish out with care. When looking at a car you are interested in put a little saliva on the end of a finger (one of your own is usually best [:$]) and wet the scratch. If it still shows the repair will be costly,if it goes then very careful use of an abrasive polish will get rid of most.
At first I did not expect to see this sort of damage on a car with remote locking as there is no need to put the key to the door (and sometimes miss), but most people seem to press the remote, then go for the door with the keys/remote still in the same hand and it is then that the damage is done.
You can reduce the thickness of the lacquer by careful use of wet wet and dry on a rubber backing, this prevents “rounding” of the shoulder of the scratches which would have the effect of “openning up” the scratch. You can then polish up with a mildly abbrasive polish.
Please take care the first few times you try this,modern paints are very good, but the thickness is getting on for half that of a decade ago. I get called out about once a week to panels that have been attacked (really) with T-Cut. I recently went to a dark green Volvo that the owner admitted, on the phone, that he had tried T-Cut on. He had ‘polished’ through the lacquer, through the paint, through the primer and was amazed that the steel panel still had a scratch in it. If only he had spat on his finger!
I think this kind of thing really depends on what opinion you hold of your car, i.e. are you an enthusiast or a tubthumper?
I was in Manchester the other day and i saw a red Mark 1 parked outside a smart office and it made me cry as the poor car looked like it had just returned from Afghanistan! i mean i’m talking three inches of dirt on the paint, a huge dent in the nearside door and it’s a wonder the roof had any material left on it! and being a Mark 1 owner myself i just cried inside. I mean how could someone mistreat such a beautiful car but then there lies the paradox i feel.
Some owners like those here on the forum care for their cars and really get in to the 5 ownership/love of driving thing, whereas others treat their cars purely for the daily commute, wash it once a year and then trade it in a year later after 20,000 miles of use. Everyone’s different and it all depends on how ‘nerdy’ you get about your cars:)
Personally; and this goes double for a car as modern as a Mark 3, if i was buying a car made in the last three years it would have to be pretty much perfect for me to buy it, FSH, careful owners, low mileage, no noises all that stuff. Heck my Mark 1 is 15 years old and i lose sleep if there’s a scratch anywhere on it but then i’m a careful owner i like to think and my car is my world anyway:)
Good luck with your hunt for a decent Mark 3 and keep us in the loop so to speak!
On first getting it home, my 55 plate Galaxy Grey Mk3 had light surface scratches on the passenger door as though it had been grazed by a bush or something - I was annoyed when I first noticed it because I hadn’t spotted it at dealer and thought I had done a good inspection, but I got out my Quixx scratch remover, had a good buff, washed and waxed the car and ‘hey presto!’ - scratch free. I would recommend the stuff - it’s on Ebay and performed near miracles on some quite deep scratches on my Mk1s too