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Help! How to repair a paint scratch

3396 Views 16 Replies 15 Participants Last post by XSELER8, Aug 25, 2006

REDIdrill

Discussion Starter · Apr 25, 2005

Do any of you know the best way to repair a paint scratch? I tried a search on paint scratch repair on this site, but nothing came up. Being a rather new member, maybe I didn't do it right; still learning the site.
Anyway, over the weekend, I was loading something in my new '04' yellow SSR & put a small scratch in the paint. It isn't deep, but I can see white primer below the paint. Does that mean that the clearcoat isn't very thick? I assume there is a clearcoat over the yellow? How have you all handled this in the past? Is there a touch-up kit that I can buy? Thanks for the help. Needles to say that I am bummed about the scratch!! This is a great site with a lot of helpful members!! Is there something in an old thread that I missed? The search came up empty.

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

comley

· #2 · Apr 25, 2005 (Edited)

paint scratch

REDIdrill said:
Do any of you know the best way to repair a paint scratch? I tried a search on paint scratch repair on this site, but nothing came up. Being a rather new member, maybe I didn't do it right; still learning the site.
Anyway, over the weekend, I was loading something in my new '04' yellow SSR & put a small scratch in the paint. It isn't deep, but I can see white primer below the paint. Does that mean that the clearcoat isn't very thick? I assume there is a clearcoat over the yellow? How have you all handled this in the past? Is there a touch-up kit that I can buy? Thanks for the help. Needles to say that I am bummed about the scratch!! This is a great site with a lot of helpful members!! Is there something in an old thread that I missed? The search came up empty.

i took my ssr to the dealer here where i live and they did touch up paint for me at no charge. they did a very good job on it too. there are products you can buy for minor surface scratches but once the primer is showing through it probably is going to need paint. i have tried touch up paint on previous vehicles that i applied myself, but i must admit that i did not do a very good job and it looked better before i started messing with it. a good auto body painter is worth his weight in gold in my opinion. :thumbs

beer100

· #3 · Apr 26, 2005

An hour or less of body shop time should see it fixed.

REDIdrill

Discussion Starter · #4 · Apr 27, 2005

Thanks

Thanks; I'll have to have it checked out.

JimGnitecki

· #5 · Apr 27, 2005

There are guys who specialize in going from car dealer to car dealer and doing exactly this kind of repair on cars on the lot. Talk to someone at your local dealer, and find out who does their work. Better yet, talk to several dealers, and go to the guy who gets work from MANY of them, and especially from the dealers that do the really expensive cars (Mercedes, Lexus, etc)

Jim G

Scott 0168

· #6 · Apr 28, 2005

Scratch

Meguiar's has a product called "Scratch X". Fine scratch and swirl remover. It comes in a tube for about $7.00. It works great! Read the instruction's on the tube.

Scott 0168

houtex

· #7 · Apr 28, 2005

Scott 0168 said:
Meguiar's has a product called "Scratch X". Fine scratch and swirl remover. It comes in a tube for about $7.00. It works great! Read the instruction's on the tube.

Scott 0168

Won't work once you've got a scratch through the paint to the white underneath. My research is only three hours old.

Hot Wheels

· #8 · Apr 28, 2005

Another product to try is Langka. Check it out at www.langa.com
Works great! :thumbs

Digital

· #9 · Sep 16, 2005

just found the site, its http://www.langka.com/

Buffy

· #10 · Sep 16, 2005

Red,

I too have a Slingshot Yellow SSR and while washing it, happened to scratch the hood similar to yours. It looks like it went down to the light colored primer, but it actually turned out to be that I just removed the clear-coat and I was looking at the base-coat.

From www.paintscratch.com/ I ordered the SSR Yellow paint pens and although it came with the base-coat (yellow) and clear-coat (clear) all I needed was the clear-coat and the scratch disappeared!

Reasonably priced and easy to use. Just use multiple light coats to build it up to the original height of the rest of the hood. A little 2000 sandpaper and a clay bar and the scratch is GONE!

G

· #11 · Sep 18, 2005

REDIdrill said:
Do any of you know the best way to repair a paint scratch?

If it is just in the clear coat, you can rub it out.

If into the paint, you may need to polish it, then soften it, and rewax.

If into the primer, you can clean the scratch, but getting the paint into the crack is NEVER (in my humble opinion) done well with the included applicator. You can make your own brush, but it takes work. You can take a tooth pick, turn it into a point, and work it into the crack. If you do it right, you can polish over the top. If it the paint shrinks into the crack as it dries, you can apply a second coat.

If after the polishing you leave a raised lip, you can work it down with wet sanding. You will then need machine or hand polish to remove fine scratches a swirls.

If into the paint, same as above but you start with one run of primer.

Keep in mind, patience, patience, patience. Do it at the beginning of the day when you have nowhere to be urgently. You can take paint off a little at a time, but too much and you can work thru an entire layer of paint. (which really sucks...)

Good luck

Vaquero

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Royalshowing

· #12 · Sep 18, 2005

I have had some very good success with the following process, remembering that dark color are always harder to fix.
1. Pre-wax cleaner-Mothers, phase 1
2. Sealer and Glaze-Mothers-phase 2
3. Pinnacle Souveran for Dark Colors-The Best Wax on the Planet

If, this did not work then try.
1. Pre-wax cleaner-Mothers phase 1
2. Meguiar's-Mirror Glaze #82-Pro Swirl Free Polish
3. 3M Pro Formula Swirl Mark Remover-for dark colored cars
4. Sealer and Glaze-Mothers-phase 2
5. Pinnacle Souveran for Dark Colors-Best Wax on the Planet

I have successfully removed deep scratches, such as the ones my wife made driving her Murano (Copper) along an evergreen bush. The Dealer installed scratches in my Aqua Blur SSR.

A great site for all your questions is http://autopia.org/forum/index.php?

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kengodfrey

· #13 · Aug 24, 2006

Meguilar Scratch X

Ok, I bought this product, tried it on several degrees of scratches; none were through the paint. I got ZERO results, even on the most minute scratch. Dont waste your money!

woohoo

· #14 · Aug 24, 2006

:agree :agree :agree

Ricochet

· #15 · Aug 24, 2006

Ask your local auto dealer to hook you up with there scratch and dent person for there used car lot. There is a service they employ that does air brush paint touch up with very good results for little money.

JAustin

· #16 · Aug 24, 2006

comley said:
i took my ssr to the dealer here where i live and they did touch up paint for me at no charge.

Who's your dealer?

XSELER8

· #17 · Aug 25, 2006

JimGnitecki said:
There are guys who specialize in going from car dealer to car dealer and doing exactly this kind of repair on cars on the lot. Talk to someone at your local dealer, and find out who does their work. Better yet, talk to several dealers, and go to the guy who gets work from MANY of them, and especially from the dealers that do the really expensive cars (Mercedes, Lexus, etc)

Jim G

They are real good at what they do. You cannot see the touch-up.

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