I got some trail rash yesterday on my black LR3. Scuffs and minor scratches. Can one of you detailing gurus please recommend a good rubbing compound I can buy at my local auto parts store? Thanks!

 

Most larger stores carry some of this

http://www.meguiars.com/en/professional/products/

Use sparingly in a place you don't care about, like inside a door, etc. As a test spot.

 

That link had like 20 products....have you used one of them in particular?

 

About 5 of them, in varying degrees of how much they will remove. Like sandpaper grades. There is no "right" or "best" one when you start using a liquified mush grit to wipe around by hand or machine to clean up the finish. You can start small and work toward sterner stuff, then work back out and polish. There are things that claim not to impact the clear coat too much. How hard you rub and how long you rub has a lot to do with how much material is removed also. Some guys buy an old door from boneyard to play on.

Now if all that sounds like a hassle, or something that might go badly and screw up your ride, perhaps an indy body shop can give you an eyeball and and an estimate.

 

If you use a rubbing compound, you will end up with alot of scratches in the clear that will have to be polished out. As buzz said, start with a fine polish then coarser if needed. Then you will have to go finer to polish out the scratches you made.

Here is some additional info and how to's: Auto Detailing Facts, auto detailing Tips, How to detailing Guides, how to polish, how to wax, DIY detailing, do it yourself guides

 

And being a member of the Beluga Black tribe, there is a black detail kit available with pigmented wax and such.

 

3M has by far the best products. The Perfect It series specifically. You can also vary the cutting ability of the compound by using different wool or foam pads.

I highly recommend getting a variable speed polisher. Harbor freight has them for cheap, and for the occasional user, it will last years.

The wool pads come in white or yellow, and the foam pads in yellow, white and black.

After buffing, finish with 3M swirl mark remover. Your paint will never look better.