Hi

Any recommendations for a product to remove light scratches by hand on a car?

I’m no expert but how about a colour matched T cut polish?

First port of call is the nail test! This involves using your finger nail and pulling your nail down over the scratch, if your nail digs in at the scratch and stops, this is telling you a good layer of lacquer has been removed, if your nail skips over the scratches, the scratches aren't too deep, if your nail doesn't have any resistance, then it's very light costmetic.

You need to do the fingernail test first before you go mad.

I've tried various products over the years, and most do a decent job on those that fully pass Ian's "fingernail test". Last one I've used is Meguiars Scratch X.

If the lacquer has been removed, I've had some success in less obvious areas by building up layers inside the scratch with thinned clear lacquer, applied with a very fine brush, then finish off with T-cut or similar and polish.

A lot depends on the age/value and colour of the car, and where the scratches are - dark colours seem worst.

Caution is the watchword and if in doubt consult a professional. Whatever - don't do what a friend of mine once did and use a pan scrub!

There's quite a lot of info on products on this old thread:

https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/97154-what-do-you-clean-your-car-with/

15 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

If the lacquer has been removed, I've had some success in less obvious areas by building up layers inside the scratch with thinned clear lacquer, applied with a very fine brush, then finish off with T-cut or similar and polish.

A lot make a mess in filling in scratched lacquer, bodgers seem to forget it's only the scratch that needs filling and not 10mm eitherside of the scratch, making the repaired area looking worse than the scratch, got a litre of unthinned clear lacquer in the shed, doing a thinly brushed on coat, allowing it to dry or hair dryer to speed up the drying time, then further clear coats until it's slightly proud of the top coat, leave for a week, then have a small rubbing block and start rubbing the raised lacquer down, but staying away from the good paintwork, looking carefully as you rub, always using warm water & washing up liquid so the paper never gets clogged.

Remember the area has to be fully degreased and any polishes removed before the repair is started, but it could be a world of hurt if the car has been treated with one of these modern paint protection methods, like a Ceramic coating or Supagard or even Demon Shine.

I've successfully repaired many a scratch on cars and it always involves.....'used' 1200/2000/2500/3000 wet & dry paper, this way scares most off but usually it's the only way to rid scratches but remember using the paper it's removing the top lacquer so never be heavy handed with the rubbing down.

Most will go mad at this but I've used T-Cut to flatten the surface, used on solid & lacquered paint surfaces, followed a good polishing up by a good wax, it's all about watching with your eyes and feeling with your fingers for the repair to be successful.