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NYC puts scratches on your car that no other city can. Parallel parking in tight spots. Mirrors clipping yours on narrow streets. Shopping carts in parking garages. Keys dragged along your quarter panel. Branches from double-parked trucks. Most of these scratches look terrible but are actually in the clear coat only — which means they can be machine-corrected without repainting.
Body shops charge $500-$1,500 per panel to fix scratches. If the scratch hasn't gone through the clear coat into the base color or primer, we can remove it for a fraction of that cost using professional machine polishing and compound. No paint, no filler, no bondo — just leveling the clear coat to remove the damage.
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Swirl Mark Damage The spiderweb of fine scratches you see in direct sunlight. Caused by automatic car washes, dirty towels, and improper washing. Machine polishing removes all of it. Switch to our hand wash to prevent recurrence →
Parking Scratches & Scuffs Door edge hits, mirror scrapes, bumper scuffs, cart damage. If there's no dent and the scratch hasn't gone through to primer, we can likely remove it completely.
Key Scratches If it hasn't gone through to metal, we can significantly reduce or fully remove key scratches depending on depth. We take paint depth readings to assess before any work begins.
Pre-Ceramic Coating Prep Every scratch sealed under a ceramic coating becomes permanent. Scratch correction before coating is critical. Learn about our ceramic coating →
80% of the scratches NYC puts on your car are clear coat only. That means they can be removed without repainting — saving you hundreds per panel.
Scratch-Free Cars
The key to scratch removal is understanding what kind of scratch you have. Clear coat scratches can be leveled with compound and polish. Base coat scratches (where you see a different color in the scratch) may be reducible but not fully removable without paint. Primer-depth or metal-depth scratches require body work. We assess every scratch honestly and tell you exactly what's possible before we start. No false promises. See our full paint correction service →
Light Scratch Polish
Machine polishing for light swirl marks, wash scratches, and surface marring. One-step process using a finishing polish and soft pad. Best for overall paint cleanup and pre-sale prep. Covers up to 2 panels or a full vehicle light pass.
Deep Scratch Correction
Compound and polish combination for moderate scratches — parking garage scuffs, door edge hits, shopping cart marks, and deeper swirl damage. Two-step process with cutting compound followed by finishing polish. Targeted correction on specific damaged areas or full-vehicle multi-stage correction. Multi-stage paint correction details →
Full Panel Restoration
Full panel restoration for heavily scratched or damaged clear coats. Wet sanding, compounding, and polishing to remove deep scratches, heavy key marks, and severe oxidation. Paint depth gauge readings at every stage to ensure safe correction. Finished with sealant or ceramic coating to protect the corrected surface long-term.
NOT EVERY SCRATCH NEEDS A BODY SHOP
Assessment We examine every scratch under proper lighting and take paint depth readings. You'll know exactly what can be removed, what can be improved, and what needs body work — before we start.
Compound Cutting compound on a firm pad levels the surrounding clear coat down to the bottom of the scratch. This is how scratches are actually removed — not filled, not hidden, but leveled.
Polish Finishing polish on a soft pad removes compound haze and restores full gloss. The scratch disappears and the surrounding paint looks better than before.
Protect Sealant, spray coating, or full ceramic coating locks in the correction. Without protection, the fresh clear coat is exposed to the same damage that caused the scratch in the first place.
Before you take your car to a body shop for a scratch, send us a photo. Most of the time, what looks like major damage is actually a clear coat scratch that we can remove in under an hour for a fraction of what a body shop would charge. No paint. No bondo. No color matching. Just machine polishing by a trained detailer with the right compounds and pads.
We're honest about what we can and can't fix. If a scratch has gone through to primer or metal, we'll tell you it needs body work. If paint transfer from another car is sitting on top of your clear coat, we can remove it easily. If a key scratch is deep but hasn't broken through, we can significantly reduce its visibility. You'll know exactly what to expect before we touch your car.
BOOK YOUR SCRATCH REMOVAL
Scratch removal pairs perfectly with ceramic coating — correct the damage, then protect the paint so it doesn't happen again. We offer package pricing when you combine scratch correction with coating. Also available as part of our lease return and exterior detailing packages.
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