Super-easy Cybertruck refinishing: How to Fix Scratches on a Tesla Cybertruck

[HaulingAss]

Will this method work on my front passenger door?

I don't really understand the look you are trying to achieve, but yes, whether you are doing re-finishing or trying to polish to a mirror-look, the basic technique is the same, just different abrasives. The finish on a Cybertruck is all about controlling how the light reflects off it by using different scratch patterns (or polishing all the scratches out).

Sponsored

 

[GregJKy]

Excellent video! I'm anxious to try it to repair a few crates on my hood. Has anyone found the pads Tesla recommends or something equivalent at a local hardware store or a site online? I've looked and not found anything. The Grainger site has a minimum purchase of 20 for each disk... I don't want to buy that many just for a small hood scratch repair. I have a 5" sander.

 

[HaulingAss]

Excellent video! I'm anxious to try it to repair a few crates on my hood. Has anyone found the pads Tesla recommends or something equivalent at a local hardware store or a site online? I've looked and not found anything. The Grainger site has a minimum purchase of 20 for each disk... I don't want to buy that many just for a small hood scratch repair. I have a 5" sander.

I bought my Festool pads online, shipped to my door. They come in boxes of 10 pads. 3M also makes suitable pads but I haven't tried them.

 

[CyberGus]

I use a light touch with the machine on full speed. Others might like a slower speed with medium pressure.

I started with the slowest speed (2200RPM) and worked up to about 3000. I was timid about going full speed (5500 RPM) but I'll give it shot on my next try.

No need to fear the process though, HFS is incredibly resilient. Even my half-ass job doesn't look so bad lol. Worst case, a complete disaster can be readily corrected by a pro.

I really want to address the horizontal surfaces on the doors, since they are highly visible, but yeah I'd need to remove the trim and/or use a smaller polisher.. Maybe I can try an electric toothbrush hahaha.

The darkened area is still slightly visible, not sure what I'm going to do about that. Maybe the full 5k RPMs will take care of it

 

[CyberGus]

The Grainger site has a minimum purchase of 20 for each disk... I don't want to buy that many just for a small hood scratch repair. I have a 5" sander.

Buy the full set, take the excess and part them out on eBay as a "Cybertruck Stainless Detail Kit"

 

[Gundo]

Agreed. Great video. Love the level of detail. But, does anyone know the part numbers of the discs? 3m or otherwise?

 

[GregJKy]

I bought my Festool pads online, shipped to my door. They come in boxes of 10 pads. 3M also makes suitable pads but I haven't tried them.

Any chance you could share a link to what you purchased?

 

[HaulingAss]

Any chance you could share a link to what you purchased?

If I recall, I bought mine from a woodworker's supply house but here is an Amazon link for the hook/loop pads. I'm not sure if they attach firmly with other brands of hook/loop disc pads or not:

Festool 201128 6-Inch (150mm) Vlies 800 Fine Abrasive Sanding Discs, 10-Pack - Amazon.com

(the link says "800 Fine" but you can select from 100, 320 or 800)

 

[CyberGus]

I bought the cheaper discs, ~$30 for each 8-pack (about half the price of Festool):

red (600 grit): https://a.co/d/0dHgZfp
grey (800 grit): https://a.co/d/dFksS7e

but I'm still evaluating their effectiveness. I'm a novice at this!

 

[HaulingAss]

I bought the cheaper discs, ~$30 for each 8-pack (about half the price of Festool):

red (600 grit): https://a.co/d/0dHgZfp
grey (800 grit): https://a.co/d/dFksS7e

but I'm still evaluating their effectiveness. I'm a novice at this!

Those are pretty fine for anything but final finishing. In general I would think you would want to start around 320 up to maybe 400 grit, if you want to expose a consistent new surface. 600 grit would eventually work, but it will likely take a long time. That metal is really hard.

Also, the softness of the backing pad will impact how it works. I've found a medium softness to work well, not a hard pad like you might use for flat boards, and not a soft pad like you might want for contoured body panels, but something in-between.

 

[SlegMD]

Thanks for the post, I evidently have a chip in my SS on the front panel, makes me sad. This seems like a simple and effective fix.

 

[Tallgeese179]

Agreed. Great video. Love the level of detail. But, does anyone know the part numbers of the discs? 3m or otherwise?

This is a snapshot of my Grainger order (part numbers taken directly from Tesla's refinishing guide). The 20 pad minimum order quantity makes it pricey, but then again it's an 80K+ truck that you can refinish in your driveway (I sure did). For the <$1K in pads and tools you likely couldn't even get a good spray gun and dryer system. Not to mention the neurotoxin 2K paint, compressor, and paint booth required for a good paint job that has to be followed up wiht sanding, compounding, and polishing.

Link to my post below with a link to another post within. Linkception

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/caught-my-ct-in-the-sun-and.49056/post-30679977

 

[tskyline]

How does that happen when taking off the PPF. Also, PPF is supposed to last for a few years, why did you decide to take it off?

Very curious here.

In case you wanna see how I achieved that

 

[CyberGus]

So I got a set of the Festool maroon (~320 grit?) pads, which cleaned up the scratches well and provided a nice finish, but the result has definite "lawnmower stripes" at critical lighting angles. I'm thinking it's due to the DA orbital polisher, as opposed to a true random-orbit. (It's difficult to photograph, or I'd include evidence.)

The finer pads smoothed out the finish but did little to disperse the stripe pattern.

Any tips? Cheap random-orbit polishers appear crappy, and quality ones are pricey ($300+). But I feel like the DA is never going to be random enough.

Sponsored