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Tools & Equipment intermediate 4 min read

Taking the Fight to Scratches: What You Actually Need

Most car owners make this harder than it needs to be. Here's the straightforward approach that actually works—no fluff, no upselling.

Don't panic when you find a fresh scratch after a weekend in the bush. This checklist covers the gear and the 'check-twice-cut-once' steps to fix paint safely without making a dog's breakfast of it.

MT
Mick Thompson Senior Detailing Editor
| Updated: 6 March 2026
What You'll Learn
Taking the Fight to Scratches: What You Actually Need

Aussie Conditions

Australian conditions are tougher than most—intense UV, red dust, coastal salt, and 40°C summers. European car care advice often doesn't cut it here.
Quick Summary

Look, we've all been there, you come back from a trip or leave the car under a tree at the shops and find a nasty mark. Most of the time, you don't need a professional respray, just the right gear and a bit of patience. I've spent 15 years fixing everything from bush-bashed LandCruisers to show-room Ferraris, and the gear list below is what I actually keep in my mobile van. This guide is for anyone who wants to DIY it without burning through their clear coat.

01

The Essential Kit

What You'll Need

0/8
Dual Action (DA) Polisher — Don't use a rotary unless you want to cook your paint. A basic DA like a ShineMate or even a Ryobi will do the trick for most.
Microfibre Cutting Pads — Get a few. They're great for our hard Aussie clear coats (especially on Holdens and Fords).
Compound and Finishing Polish — I reckon Meguiar's M105/M205 combo is still the gold standard for most jobs. Reliable as a Hilux.
Clay Bar and Lube — Essential for getting that red dust and fallout out of the paint first. Bowden's Own 'Claying Rubber' is a ripper time-saver.
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Wipe — A 50/50 mix with water to strip the oils and see if the scratch is actually gone or just hidden. (I learned this the hard way on a black Commodore!)
High-Quality Microfibre Cloths — At least 5-6 fresh ones. If you drop one on the garage floor, chuck it in the wash, don't let it touch the car again.
LED Inspection Torch — The sun is too bright to see fine swirls. A decent torch shows the 'truth' of the finish.
Masking Tape — Blue painter's tape to cover your plastics and rubber trims. Compound stains them forever if you aren't careful.

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02

The 'Before You Touch It' Checklist

What You'll Need

0/4
The Fingernail Test — Run your nail across the scratch. If it catches, it's too deep to polish out. You'll need touch-up paint or a pro.
Surface Temperature — Is the metal hot? If it's been sitting in the 40-degree sun, forget it. Move to the shade and let it cool down completely.
Decontamination Check — Run your hand over the paint (use a plastic sandwich bag over your hand). If it feels like sandpaper, you need to clay it first.
Plastic Trim Masking — Have you taped off the unpainted plastics? Honestly, cleaning dried polish off a wheel arch is a nightmare you don't want.
03

Step-by-Step Scratch Removal

Tap each step to mark complete
01

Deep Clean

Wash the area twice. Use a clay bar to pull out embedded red dust or salt. Any grit left behind will act like sandpaper on your machine pad.

02

Tape it Up

Tape off nearby badges, rubber window seals, and plastic trim. It takes five minutes but saves an hour of cleaning later (trust me on this one).

03

Initial Compound Pass

Put 3-4 pea-sized drops of compound on your cutting pad. Work a 40x40cm area using slow, overlapping horizontal and vertical passes with moderate pressure.

04

Wipe and Inspect

Wipe the residue with a clean microfibre. Spray your IPA mix to strip the oils and check the scratch under your LED torch. Repeat if needed.

05

Finishing Polish

Switch to a softer foam pad and a finishing polish. This removes the 'haze' left by the heavy compound and brings back that deep Aussie shine.

06

Apply Protection

Paint is now naked. Apply a good wax or sealant. In our UV, I usually reckon a ceramic sealant like Gtechniq C2 is the best bet.

Watch Out

Never work in direct sunlight. If the polish dries instantly or 'flashes' on the panel, it'll bake on and you'll spend all day trying to buff it off. Also, keep the machine moving, if you stay in one spot too long, you'll burn through the clear coat and then it's a very expensive trip to the panel shop.
04

Final Inspection Checklist

What You'll Need

0/3
Hologram Check — Look at the panel from different angles. If you see 'shadows' or oily smears, you haven't buffed the polish off properly.
Dust in the Gaps — Check the panel gaps and door handles for white dust. Use a soft brush to flick it out before it sets.
Reflection Clarity — The reflection should be crisp, not blurry. If it's blurry, you might need another pass with the finishing polish.

A Quick Truth Bomb

I once had a customer try to fix a scratch on his brand-new Ranger using a kitchen scourer. Don't do that. If you don't have the right gear, wait until you do. It's better to have a scratch for a week than a ruined bonnet forever.

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