Two deep scratches... need help

Hello all,

When I returned to my car at the Target parking lot today, this wonderful sight greeted me:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dmalenda/CarScatches

Not sure if it was from a cart or another car....

In any case I'm pretty sad about it.. especially since I've had the car all of 6 months.

In any case.. it doesn't appear to have gone through to the metal, instead it looks like the paint has been scrapped away and left a black primer? layer behind.

I'm wondering if there's any way I can fix this... or should I take it to a pro?

Welcome to the forum!

From your photos it appears the defect is on your bumpers, not the metal of the car. It appears the paint flaked off of your bumper, and the larger of the two shows some evidence of a pretty good scuff, worse than what a cart would do unless it were loaded with large pails of cat litter.

I'd also suspect, based on how the paint appears to have flaked off, that it was not adhered well to begin with. Maybe the bumper has been repainted recently. If you bought the car used, you might get a local professional opinion on if the surface below the chip is automotive paint or if it is primer. If paint, and the car was sold as "new" I think you have a good reason to go back to the dealer and request an explanation.

Sadly, there's not a lot you can do to "fix it" and make it look right. You'd need to wetsand the area to get the paint edges flat, then possibly apply an adhesion promoter, followed by blending the metallic color in to the original paint and most likely then feathering in clear coat. If you don't have the spray equipment or the experience and you want the car to look good again, you probably need to visit a professional body shop.

-Rod

The dealer will take one look, see the rub marks and deny any warranty work because it is from damage, not defect. You might have barely rubbed against another car's bumper when pulling in (or someone else rubbed you getting out). But as long as the plastic underneath wasn't cut or scraped away, you should have no trouble repairing it yourself...it'll just take a little elbow grease and the right materials.

Gather up some 240-, 400-, and 800-grit wet/dry sandpaper, some spray adhesion promoter, and spray cans of the color coat and clear coat . Plus, a bucket with some water and some lint-free towels, too. Finally, a piece of stiff paperboard with a hole about twice the size of the area to be repaired cut into the middle.

First, wash the areas with soap and water to remove any dirt and loose paint. Wash your hands too to remove any body oils that can prevent good adhesion of the new paint.

Then, using the sandpapers wetted with water, starting with coarse and moving to fine, scuff the areas to remove all the flaked paint and remove the loose edges. The coarse paper does the removing, so take it easy and sand lightly. Progressing to the finer grits removes the deeper sand swirls so they don't show through the new paint.

Don't make the sanded area too big (1" max past the bare spots), just enough to give the new paint something to adhere to. After sanding, you shouldn't feel any bumps when going from the bare plastic to the surrounding paint.

Next, holding the paperboard stencil approximately 2-3" from the bumper, and the spray can the same distance off from the stencil, spray the color coat on through the stencil with a sweeping motion. You can move the stencil some with the paint can...the purpose of it is to limit the overspray onto the car and to help feather the edge. Let it dry. Recoat if you miss a spot and let dry again. After waiting the recommended dry time, follow it with the clear coat.

If you get the right match, the repair should be only barely noticeable...Duplicolor has a pretty good selection of touch-up paints but check with the dealer, too.

Hope this helps!

The dealer will take one look, see the rub marks and deny any warranty work because it is from damage, not defect. You might have barely rubbed against another car's bumper when pulling in (or someone else rubbed you getting out). But as long as the plastic underneath wasn't cut or scraped away, you should have no trouble repairing it yourself...it'll just take a little elbow grease and the right materials.

Gather up some 240-, 400-, and 800-grit wet/dry sandpaper, some spray adhesion promoter, and spray cans of the color coat and clear coat . Plus, a bucket with some water and some lint-free towels, too. Finally, a piece of stiff paperboard with a hole about twice the size of the area to be repaired cut into the middle.

First, wash the areas with soap and water to remove any dirt and loose paint. Wash your hands too to remove any body oils that can prevent good adhesion of the new paint.

Then, using the sandpapers wetted with water, starting with coarse and moving to fine, scuff the areas to remove all the flaked paint and remove the loose edges. The coarse paper does the removing, so take it easy and sand lightly. Progressing to the finer grits removes the deeper sand swirls so they don't show through the new paint.

Don't make the sanded area too big (1" max past the bare spots), just enough to give the new paint something to adhere to. After sanding, you shouldn't feel any bumps when going from the bare plastic to the surrounding paint.

Next, holding the paperboard stencil approximately 2-3" from the bumper, and the spray can the same distance off from the stencil, spray the color coat on through the stencil with a sweeping motion. You can move the stencil some with the paint can...the purpose of it is to limit the overspray onto the car and to help feather the edge. Let it dry. Recoat if you miss a spot and let dry again. After waiting the recommended dry time, follow it with the clear coat.

If you get the right match, the repair should be only barely noticeable...Duplicolor has a pretty good selection of touch-up paints but check with the dealer, too.

Hope this helps!

Might work on black, but not bright silver.

I'd just clean w/ rubbing alcohol, get some factory paint and aim for the exposed plastic.
(http://appliedcolors.com)