Ok, I am sort of stuck right now. I have some scratches all over my car that came from a dirty sponge. I can not fingernail them, not deep enough. I have access to a porter cable and the fixings. My question is, should I go ahead, remove the scratches? Being a 4th gen, the clear coat isn't that thick any more, but I can tell you the previous owner did no buffing. So, how much harm would be done in removing(or even diminishing) the scratches? Is it safe or will it take off too much clear coat?

Thanks!

 

If your thinking because of its age it is in question, I would say you are in no harm. If you find that your paint easily oxidizes then I would question the thickness, but outside of that, the PC removes such a small amount of paint, it almost can't be measured by most paint thickness gauges.

Always start in a test spot, and take it from there.

 

You have plenty of clear coat left. The age of the car has nothing to do with how much is left. Go ahead and polish with the PC.

 

Sweet! Time to spend some cash(cringe) and get those scratches out!