While cleaning ice off of the car, I scuffed the paint with the plastic ice scraper (I know I shouldn’t have been using it; now I know why). The mark is about 2.5" x 1/8" and seems to just be on the surface of the paint; running my fingernail across it doesn’t feel an indentation.
Anyone have some good ideas for removing the mark? I know there’s various products but I know very little on the topic as a whole. An attempt to search for information on the web ranged from in-depth instructions involving a lot of body-work equipment I don’t own to “miracle products” that claimed to fix anything from minor scratches to missing bumpers.
Your best bet is to take it to a local, reliable place that does auto detailing and see if they can fix it for you. You are SO in luck because I happen to know someone awesome in the chicago area. go to www.perfectautofinish.com, the owner is Gary, and he’s great.
If it’s not detectable by the ‘drag your thumbnail across it’ test, it’s probably just a minor scuff to the clearcoat, and a good waxing and buffing should make it disappear. You might not even need the buffing, really.
As it’s just the beginning of snow season in Chicago, tuck this away in your mind until April or so when you can wash the car without it freezing solid.