If you are a nut about scratches and spidering in your car's black paint, then be prepared to put in some work to make that paint job look like new again. The good news is, it can be done. But in many cases it can take an entire day's hard work on your part, plus the right tools. If you're serious about the looks of your black vehicle, then don't scrimp when it comes to buying a good-quality buffer and the products you need to remove those scratches and (hopefully) keep them from reappearing.
Wash your car thoroughly using mild dish soap in a bucket of warm water. Use a sponge to do the washing, rinse with a hose, and dry with a chamois.
Thoroughly spray the area of the scratches with plain water from a spray bottle; spray the sandpaper as well. Gently sand the scratched area with 2,000-grit sandpaper wrapped around a sponge-rubber sanding block. Sand in straight lines. Rinse the paper and car body frequently to keep dirt and foreign objects from getting under the sandpaper. Sand until the scratches are almost gone completely.
Place dabs of rubbing compound (such as 3M's Extra Cut Rubbing Compound, available at local auto stores) on and around the sanded area. Use pad on buffer (not running) to gently spread the rubbing compound around. Begin running the buffer very slowly to spread an even film of rubbing compound.
Increase buffer speed to 2,000 RPMs and buff with moderate pressure, moving the buffer from side to side and dropping down to overlap the buffed area by about 50%. Continue buffing until the haze disappears and the black paint appears shiny. This can take quite some time (hours, in fact), depending on the size of the area you are buffing. It is a good idea to buff an area 2 feet by 2 feet and then move to the next area.
Wash the buffed area with plenty of water and a mild detergent. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a chamois. Use a soft-bristle toothbrush to remove rubbing compound around door handles, rubber or any other trim.
Put a new foam polishing pad on your buffer. Apply a few dabs of polishing compound to the area. 3M Ultrafina SE Polishing Compound, available at local car parts stores, is excellent. Spread polishing compound with the buffer pad not running, then turn the buffer on to no more than 900 to 1000 RMPs and polish as before, back and forth over a 2-foot area, dropping down to overlap polished areas by 50%. Keep the polisher moving at all times.
Buff until your black paint shines like new. Depending on how large of an area you are buffing, this could take several hours and is hard work. Wash, rinse and dry with a chamois. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any compound that has gotten onto door handles or around rubber or other trim.
