theguy1991

I've got this small faded paint spot to the left of the hood. How would you guys go about fixing this and what's a good product to use?

Mysterion

It's a bit hard to tell from the pictures as there is glare in both. In the first pic (left) is the metallic base showing through with little red top coat? If that is the case, it might have been over buffed attempting to remove imperfections like scratches. If that has happened, it is body shop time as they will be best able to match and respray the colored topcoat. However, if it is just lacking gloss, see if the finish is dusty-looking even when freshly washed. If that is the case, it may be just oxidized from the sunlight (common with reds). If that is the case, careful buffing will remove the dead paint from the surface allowing the paint to shine again. If buffing, use a lower-speed electric polisher with a foam pad (Meguire's makes a good one) and 2 stages of 3M compounds. Start with part # 05928 which is a medium-grit polish and is best used with plenty of water (spray bottle works well) then finish with Finesse-It 3000 to remove polishing marks and bring up the shine. The 3M products are not cheap, but are well worth the money spent and will keep a pretty long time if stored according to the labels. Just be sure to keep the revs slower and keep moving. Standing too long on one spot can burn through the clear coat and base pretty quick. Also, drape the power cord over your shoulder away from the paint as it will catch spatter from the polish and can act like sandpaper if dragged over the paint.