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Show me your trail damage

PyrPatriot

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Every single outing more marks. All looks to be pinstripes of clearcoat damage. Cant be helped, trails in KY are mostly overgrown and disrepaired county roads, branches stick out.
How are your rigs holding up?

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage C432AC9C-6791-4BE0-BBD0-625E90500426

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage 028BDAC9-B4F9-4113-A33A-D8872BAAB42B
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wannajeep

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Mine has a few pin stripes too. Some day I'll get out the touch up paint.

Funny how we used to have to pay extra for pin stripes option.
 
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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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Mine has a few pin stripes too. Some day I'll get out the touch up paint.

Funny how we used to have to pay extra for pin stripes option.
If a stripe is deep enough I'll take the touch up paint and follow the line to make it look like my JT has a scar
 

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hjdca

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Every single outing more marks. All looks to be pinstripes of clearcoat damage. Cant be helped, trails in KY are mostly overgrown and disrepaired county roads, branches stick out.
How are your rigs holding up?

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage C12B9AC3-7FBF-4DFC-8278-041045C3C685

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage C12B9AC3-7FBF-4DFC-8278-041045C3C685
Those scratches look like they will come out with a buffer and some very fine, or fine polish.
 
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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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Those scratches look like they will come out with a buffer and some very fine, or fine polish.
They will. I just need to get the materials/tools and learn how to do it. Concern is I'll mess up the clear coat worse than the pinstripe. If that is a real risk, I'll just take it to get detailed
 

hjdca

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They will. I just need to get the materials/tools and learn how to do it. Concern is I'll mess up the clear coat worse than the pinstripe. If that is a real risk, I'll just take it to get detailed
I use Rupes gear for all my cars from autogeek. You must work in the shade. If you use the ultra fine (white cap) or the fine (yellow cap), you will not go through your clear coat unless you really, really get super careless. You do not seem like that kind of guy. Start with the ultra fine and the buffer and go over it - back and forth for a few seconds and see the result... If you are worried, you can stay with the ultra fine until it looks better. The fine (yellow cap) is also not dangerous and will not go through your clear coat. Personally, I use fine (yellow cap) to get out scratches in the clear coat.

Just take your time, buff it for a few seconds, wipe it down, look at it, buff it again if it needs more, wipe it, look at it.... etc... If you do it step by step like this, you will not screw up. Then, when done, put some nice wax on it. If I tell you the wax I use, you will think I am crazy, but, I love it and use it on all my cars. It is by far the best wax I have ever used, and the shine is out of this world, nothing like it -- Wolfgang Fuzion Carnauba Polymer Estate Wax.

Note: If I remember right, I think autogeek has a ton of videos on their site to show you proper procedures and technique.
 
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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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I use Rupes gear for all my cars from autogeek. You must work in the shade. If you use the ultra fine (white cap) or the fine (yellow cap), you will not go through your clear coat unless you really, really get super careless. You do not seem like that kind of guy. Start with the ultra fine and the buffer and go over it - back and forth for a few seconds and see the result... If you are worried, you can stay with the ultra fine until it looks better. The fine (yellow cap) is also not dangerous and will not go through your clear coat. Personally, I use fine (yellow cap) to get out scratches in the clear coat.

Just take your time, buff it for a few seconds, wipe it down, look at it, buff it again if it needs more, wipe it, look at it.... etc... If you do it step by step like this, you will not screw up. Then, when done, put some nice wax on it. If I tell you the wax I use, you will think I am crazy, but, I love it and use it on all my cars. It is by far the best wax I have ever used, and the shine is out of this world, nothing like it -- Wolfgang Fuzion Carnauba Polymer Estate Wax.

Note: If I remember right, I think autogeek has a ton of videos on their site to show you proper procedures and technique.
Thank you for the instructiosn. Now, what do I buy?!

https://www.autogeek.net/rupes-polishers.html
 

hjdca

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Thank you for the instructiosn. Now, what do I buy?!

https://www.autogeek.net/rupes-polishers.html
Hard to say, you can go into a black hole on this... Here is a pic of kit with some of my equipment. I have 2 other boxes of pads and polishers. I use a Rupes big foot 21, and I do recommend it. My brother has the Rupes pneumatic version, which is much lighter and works off an air compressor, but, obviously it is not portable. This one is also great. You also can buy cheaper units, I used a cheap one for years -- they vibrate more in your hand and are more fatiguing than the more expensive Rupes, but, they get the job done.

If you want the basics -- get a polisher, Rupes yellow fine polish, yellow pads, white pads, and wax or paint sealant. I like Rupes brand for polisher and polish, and Wolfgang brand for Paint sealant and wax. The other heavier pads and heavier polishes are too coarse for your new paint job.

Note: the white spot on the "after market" smaller pad on my Rupes 21 is a visual so I can see that the pad is still turning and I do not have too much pressure on the buffer. A little trick. Never push hard, just use the weight of the buffer.

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage 3MozhG
 

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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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Hard to say, you can go into a black hole on this... Here is a pic of kit with some of my equipment. I have 2 other boxes of pads and polishers. I use a Rupes big foot 21, and I do recommend it. My brother has the Rupes pneumatic version, which is much lighter and works off an air compressor, but, obviously it is not portable. This one is also great. You also can buy cheaper units, I used a cheap one for years -- they vibrate more in your hand and are more fatiguing than the more expensive Rupes, but, they get the job done.

If you want the basics -- get a polisher, Rupes yellow fine polish, yellow pads, white pads, and wax or paint sealant. I like Rupes brand for polisher and polish, and Wolfgang brand for Paint sealant and wax. The other heavier pads and heavier polishes are too coarse for your new paint job.

Note: the white spot on the "after market" smaller pad on my Rupes 21 is a visual so I can see that the pad is still turning and I do not have too much pressure on the buffer. A little trick. Never push hard, just use the weight of the buffer.

Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage IMG_0586
Looks like it will have to wait for now, being on sale for $350!
 

khockey02

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Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage 144FC4D3-8F2E-419F-BD85-C94BE001A6C3
Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage FC0FF025-FBD5-4C95-94F3-CE655EFF833A
Jeep Gladiator Show me your trail damage C782B86B-F94E-4011-9E84-0FC8455482BD

Before and after biting off more than she could crawl over. May just hit it with some rust prevention and cover with armor. Any thoughts?

ps. The first pic is just for fun. Damage happened a couple trails later.
 

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Those pin stripes from branches would drive me nuts. I keep a pole chainsaw in my bed to cut away the branches that would do damage.
 
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PyrPatriot

PyrPatriot

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Those pin stripes from branches would drive me nuts. I keep a pole chainsaw in my bed to cut away the branches that would do damage.
County roads, questionable whether I could legally do anything to maintain the trails beyond picking up trash. Groups go out and cleanup the trails/roads, and the county goes out and re-grades the trails/roads, but technically speaking I don't know if me trying to maintain by cutting would be considered problematic. Groups have gone out after a storm with chainsaws and done great work removing fallen trees/limbs, but those are locals and I think have the countys' blessing for the trail/road system (Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway) as promoted/managed by a small off-road group but officially still county property.

Your post did prompt me to reach out to the group and see what their thoughts were on such maintenance. I could drive down the trails while folks with pole chainsaws, clippers, and long-reach grabbers just removed hazzards like branches and put trash in the bed of the truck
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