A surface scratch in the paint of your automobile is a lot easier to remove than you might imagine. In many cases all it takes is a little car polish and a little elbow grease. We feel especially qualified on this subject because as kids we worked as "detailers" at our father's car lot. Our job was to make the cars shine inside and out. We cleaned, scrubbed and polished those old clunkers until they looked brand new. And, we learned a number of ways to make scratches vanish.

First, study the scratch closely to determine its condition. If paint still is in the scratch area, the repair can be made with just a little rubbing. If not, a paint repair will be necessary. Both repair methods are fairly simple. Of the two, (polishing and touch-up painting) the former is the easier. So, always try polishing first polishing, not waxing. There is a difference. Polish is a liquid that contains a mild abrasive. A polish-wax is wax that contains a mild abrasive. Polishing should be done in the shade, under a carport cover or in the garage. The hot sun will evaporate the liquid that suspends the polishing compound. This holds true for waxes and rubbing compounds as well. We have found that most waxes and polishing compounds work better when applied with a damp rag.

Use a soft cloth to rub the scratched area with your favorite polish. If the polish doesn't work, make it more abrasive by adding pumice or rotten stone. Dip the rag in the polish and then into one of the two abrasives. If the process seems to be working somewhat, but not quite enough to do the job completely, move up to rubbing compound. Rubbing compound is a polish that contains a very coarse abrasive. Bottom line: polish is for minor scratches, rubbing compound for tougher ones. The results from use of polish or rubbing compound can be enhanced by using an electric polishing wheel.

Don't be fooled by a scratch that is not the same color as your car. Although it might be the primer below your paint, there is a good chance that the unmatching hue might have been deposited from the surface of whatever caused the scratch in the first place. In general, it doesn't hurt to use the polish or rubbing compound first. The worst that can happen is that you will discover that a paint repair will have to be made. If this turns out to be the case, the process is slightly more complicated, but still a relatively easy project.

If the paint in the scratch area has been removed down to the primer, or worse, to bare metal, touch-up painting will be required. For this process you will need 600-grit wet-dry sandpaper, masking tape, masking paper, metal primer in a spray can and a can of spray paint that matches your car. Most colors are available through your local car dealer or a local auto parts store.

First, sand the scratched area "feathering" the painted section to it. This will blend the two surfaces to a uniform plane. It is important to keep the area wet when sanding. This will ensure a smooth, well-blended finish. If bare metal is exposed before or during the sanding process, primer will have to be used. Do not paint the finish coat directly onto bare metal. Use masking tape and masking paper to prevent overspray from sticking to other areas. Also, be careful not to mask the area too close to where the repair is being made. A thick line of paint will build up at the very edge of the masking as the paint is applied. This can be very difficult to remove later.

When the primer is completely dry (follow the instructions on the can), sand it lightly with the 600-grit sandpaper and wash it clean by flooding the area with fresh water. After the area dries, wipe with a tack cloth and apply the finish coat of paint.

As with polishing, painting should be done when the temperature is moderate and in the shade.