paint help

[who got my keys]

i just acquired a 94 325i that has a lot of scratches and swirl marks, with a chip of paint missing right above the passenger side head light, and it got keyed along the trunk, im just lookin for info as im planning on trying to buff as much of the small scratches out as possible but does anyone know where i should go to get a touch up paint job (i know not smart) or a full paint job in the socal area? preferrably San Diego... if not what could i do to get some of the scratches that wont come out with buffing and about the Key line on the trunk and the chip of paint missing?

[MP525i]

if you're looking to repaint the whole car, then i would ask in the regional boards where to go. they could probably point you in a better direction.

if you're looking to get the scratches out yourself then i would read up on the tutorial above. go to autogeek.net and load up on supplies. a porter cable is going to be needed along with a heavy compound, swirl remover, polish, sealannt and wax.

depending on how bad the car is and how vast your experience is, it's a toss up. you can do it yourself or send it to a professional detailer. if you'd like to do it yourself, post pics of the paint under direct sunlight and we all could probably tell you what route to take in terms of what products would work best.

-mike

[who got my keys]

thanks man atm im gonna go take some pictures when it gets sunny, here in San Diego its actually pretty bad/cloudy so as soon as i get those i'll put em up so you guys can help me. Why pay a detailer when i can DIM? any true bimmer owner loves their car enough to do it themselves

[JaguarXJ6]

thanks man atm im gonna go take some pictures when it gets sunny, here in San Diego its actually pretty bad/cloudy so as soon as i get those i'll put em up so you guys can help me. Why pay a detailer when i can DIM? any true bimmer owner loves their car enough to do it themselves

You'll appreciate the car and what it takes to keep the shine looking fine by doing it yourself.

Using a Porter Cable 7424 to remove swirls depending on how heavy they are takes time. If you were only closer to Los Angeles I'd give you a hand.

Scratches can be taken out with the 7424 (its a dual action/random orbit polisher) and a foam pad or a wool pad but care must be taken especially if the clear is worn thin.

Looking forward to the pics!

Sunny