Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Serenity on December 29, 2016, 01:27:22 PM
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So, some [expletive deleted] kids thought it would be funny to run around keying cars and egging them the other night. So my nice brand new truck is now scratched all to hell. They're not very deep, but they're there. Does anyone have any experience with products for "filling in" scratches? I've seen them advertised on TV, but it sounds too good to be true. Does anyone here have any experience or recommendations?
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If the scratches did not expose the primer or get down to metal, then a good poly sealer (I like Wolfgang products for this) and buffing should hide the scratches.
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Your insurance will not cover that? Just asking but I do not know.
If it is a new truck, at the dealership they may sell small bottles of touchup paint. I know Ford does or used to anyway.
Sure worth while doing a google search. You are probably one of thousands.
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Your insurance will not cover that? Just asking but I do not know.
If it is a new truck, at the dealership they may sell small bottles of touchup paint. I know Ford does or used to anyway.
Sure worth while doing a google search. You are probably one of thousands.
I run a fairly high deductable on my insurance. This is minor enough I'd still be paying out of pocket.
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I hear that finding the people that did this and using their blood to fill the scratches works wonders.
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remember it's a clear over colour paint job! if the colour is still there you could try a clear filler like those clear coat pens or a small brushed bottle then once dry plenty of polishing.
If the colour is gone you will need the base colour and the clear.
If you dont have experience doing this and the scratches are deep,have a pro do it! Otherwise it will look terrible and you will need a pro anyways. A pro can wet sand and polish and bring it back to new but without seeing what you are dealing with it's all speculation!
If you have never done wet sanding,dont attempt it without lots of practice!
YMMV!
:salute
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If they're not very deep you might be able to get rid of them by using polishing compound then wax over those areas.
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If the vehicle was parked at your residence your homeowners policy it would also cover it, providing you're not renting
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If the vehicle was parked at your residence your homeowners policy it would also cover it, providing you're not renting
Unfortunately, I AM renting this property.
I'll try polishing and buffing, if that doesn't cover it, I'll take it to a pro.
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Run a fingernail over the scratch. If you can feel the scratch you need more than just polishing. Talk to Ripsnort, he's into car detailing.
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Run a fingernail over the scratch. If you can feel the scratch you need more than just polishing. Talk to Ripsnort, he's into car detailing.
I can definitely feel the scratch :(
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If you can feel it, then no amount of buffing is going to smooth it out, without risking damage to the rest of the paint.
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I run a fairly high deductable on my insurance. This is minor enough I'd still be paying out of pocket.
If the scratches are very light you can just claybar the area. This will smooth out the clear coat. The scratches will disappear. When you are through with the claybar then wax.
Nevermind in your later post it sounds like it is too deep.
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If the scratches are very light you can just claybar the area. This will smooth out the clear coat. The scratches will disappear. When you are through with the claybar then wax.
Nevermind in your later post it sounds like it is too deep.
It's hard to say. Visually, they don't look that deep. I can feel them with my finger, but I can't imagine a scratch you COULDN'T feel.
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Surface scratches, from washing the paint (soft brush car washes), are normally not detectable by touch. Those are easily buffed out and/or filled by a good poly sealer.
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If your asking "how" my recommendation is bring it to a shop if you want it fixed. Fixing most scratches "right" isn't something you do while you wait for your girl to finish drying her hair.
On the other hand, some people believe that a truck is a truck and "stuff happens" and just let it go.
Posting a few pictures might help with the responces tho.
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My truck got a lot of knicks and dings in it from rocks and such. I bought one of those color matching pens from AutoZone and filled them in myself. They look horrible.
Better get a pro to fix it.
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Thanks guys! Well, the GF is gonna be driving the truck while I'm out on detachment, so I'm SURE there will be plenty more scratches when I get home. I'll take it to a shop then.
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I'd take it to a shop now, and at least get an estimate. The damage is only going to get worse as time goes on. Depending on how deep the scratches are, and the environment it can get bad pretty fast.
:salute
Sik
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It's hard to say. Visually, they don't look that deep. I can feel them with my finger, but I can't imagine a scratch you COULDN'T feel.
I would say to give the colaybar a try then. It will not hurt at all.
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There is a special coating you can get too. It's sprayed on the interior and exterior of the vehicle. I saw a demonstration with it. The dealer sprayed spraypaint on a car hood, and was able to whipe it off.
I have a brother that used to work at a body and paint shop. It can be very expensive to get your truck repainted. Thousands. This was in the late 90s.
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I would say to give the colaybar a try then. It will not hurt at all.
I'd say ya shuff,if it was me I'd wash the truck then claybar the area to make sure it's good and clean before I'd attempt any repair. :aok
If the colour is still visible under the scratch it's simple enough to fill the scratch with clear,allow to dry then get to polishing. I used to do this stuff all the time,mostly I would hand polish,but have plenty experience with assorted machine polishers and a fair amount of wet sanding! If you know what you're doing it's pretty easy,if you dont,well you can mess up a paint job to the point were nothing short of a complete repaint will help. I spend hours practicing on an old door and front fender to get my wet sanding down.
They make a kit that comes with the clear filler,polish compound and even some wet paper to sand really bad scratches! I would imagine that you can grab one of those at any auto supply store,not sure what's the best place to look in the States,maybe pep boys?
Some closeup pix would be of big help but it all depends on what you expect Serenity,do you want it to look like new or do you just want to repair the areas so they dont get worse? If like you say your GF will be driving it and you expect more damage,then just fill the scratches with clear,polish as best you can and when you get the truck back you can decide whether to have a pro fix it or just let it go and have a real work truck...... :devil Just remember those scratches could affect resale value,get a price on repair and then decide it it's worth it or not and whether you can live with it or not!
YMMV!
:salute
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I would like it back to like-new. This is the first car I've ever bought for myself, and the first new car I've ever had, so I really want to take care of it, i.e., not a work truck. I'm also planning on keeping it forever, so it's more about pride and peace of mind than resale value. This is the biggest scratch spot, the one I'm most worried about because it's RIGHT under the window, and impossible not to see. Based on the shape, I'm betting it was an egg-impact.
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc74/Serene_One/20170101_131005_zpsgsjvptel.jpg) (http://s217.photobucket.com/user/Serene_One/media/20170101_131005_zpsgsjvptel.jpg.html)
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Take shufflers advice,wash the area then claybar it,they arent that expensive! I suspect that will remove most the grit and clean it up,then try a light polish compound. Do it by hand and dont rub in little circles as that will leave swirls,just rub along the panel lines,back and forth.
If you like the results be sure to protect it with a good wax,best to wax the whole truck!! It's still hard to tell from the pic but it's worth a try.... If it doesnt come out completely you can always take it to a pro!
From your description I thought your truck was keyed,that often takes the paint down to bare metal,the pic doesnt look like thats the case. Oh a tip,try to do it in a garage under Florescent lights they show everything!!! If it looks good under them then you wont see it outside at all! Cant tell you how many times I worked on a small swirl only to find you couldnt see it outside....... :furious :furious :furious
YMMV!
:salute
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Take shufflers advice,wash the area then claybar it,they arent that expensive! I suspect that will remove most the grit and clean it up,then try a light polish compound. Do it by hand and dont rub in little circles as that will leave swirls,just rub along the panel lines,back and forth.
If you like the results be sure to protect it with a good wax,best to wax the whole truck!! It's still hard to tell from the pic but it's worth a try.... If it doesnt come out completely you can always take it to a pro!
From your description I thought your truck was keyed,that often takes the paint down to bare metal,the pic doesnt look like thats the case. Oh a tip,try to do it in a garage under Florescent lights they show everything!!! If it looks good under them then you wont see it outside at all! Cant tell you how many times I worked on a small swirl only to find you couldnt see it outside....... :furious :furious :furious
YMMV!
:salute
lol sadly there's nothing remotely resembling a garage in this town.
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Clay is not going to remove any scratches. It only remove surface impurities embedded in the surface of the paint. However, you *must* clay the paint before attempting any type of buffing or you will mar the surface further.
I would let a local expert look at it before going any further. Just my two bits.
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Clay is not going to remove any scratches. It only remove surface impurities embedded in the surface of the paint. However, you *must* clay the paint before attempting any type of buffing or you will mar the surface further.
I would let a local expert look at it before going any further. Just my two bits.
Clay will also remove scratches. It will remove high spots and fill in low spots. Clear coat still acts as a liquid. Heck even glass can be cleaned as it reacts as a liquid too. On glass you use OOO wire pad and paste.
I have detailed many vehicles that had scratches before clay.
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Clay is not going to remove any scratches. It only remove surface impurities embedded in the surface of the paint. However, you *must* clay the paint before attempting any type of buffing or you will mar the surface further.
I would let a local expert look at it before going any further. Just my two bits.
While I tend to agree,I merely stated to use the claybar to remove and egg residue! It's pretty good practice to thoroughly clean the area before any buffing,polishing,etc. which I would use a clay bar as the last step before attempting to polish out and scratches!
It's hard to tell from the pic but it looks like the clear cracked were the panel was impacted.
Again if you have little or no experience I would take it to a pro for an estimate and find out what exactly is wrong. Until we actually see the truck we could go back and forth forever on what to do as we dont know the extent of the damage.
I totally agree with taking to a pro,I used to do that type of work and most would be surprised what a little polish and some elbow grease can cure!
Roy ever deal with blanket marks in paint? Had a hudson hornet that was stored for too long with just a blanket to protect it...... you could see the weave of the blanket in the paint,but it was the old school enamel paint.
As always.....
YMMV!
:salute
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Clay will also remove scratches. It will remove high spots and fill in low spots. Clear coat still acts as a liquid. Heck even glass can be cleaned as it reacts as a liquid too. On glass you use OOO wire pad and paste.
I have detailed many vehicles that had scratches before clay.
Shuffler, what you are seeing is more likely due to the lubricant used with the clay. Most of the lubricants have a water based polymer included to help with the lubrication process. Check your lube. It is the likely reason you are seeing swirl marks being filled.
I have been painting and detailing cars for over 40 years. I was lucky enough to live across the street from a custom car builder who was good enough to teach me a lot of tricks with paint.
Here is a really good article on clay use and its impact. http://www.hotbodywax.com/ClayBars.html
<snip>
Roy ever deal with blanket marks in paint? Had a hudson hornet that was stored for too long with just a blanket to protect it...... you could see the weave of the blanket in the paint,but it was the old school enamel paint.
</snip>
Have had to deal with a few of those.
Side note: If you are going to cover your car for an extended period of time, then clay the paint, and apply a good sealant to it, not wax!
Make sure you use a car cover which also reflects UV.
Then, before you put the cover over it, take Saran wrap and cover all the horizontal surfaces, making sure to smooth the wrap out. Then affix the cover. You can also use the Saran wrap trick under fender covers when you work on your car.
Now to the enamel paint.
First, test the enamel to see if it is baked or sprayed. You do this by wetting the end of a toothpick and, using an obscure place, attempt to mar the surface of the paint by dragging the tip of the toothpick over it. If there is a visible mark left, then the paint is sprayed on. If it is not marked, then it is baked on.
Whether of not it is painted or backed makes a big difference in how you approach the removal of surface embedded marks. In both cases, there is an abundant amount of paint on the surface to work with.
It if is baked:
You can use a light polishing compound to remove the surface marks. Be sure to clean and clay first. A good random orbital polisher would be advised.
If it is painted, not baked on:
This is a bit trickier as the paint is a lot softer. Instead of using a polishing compound, get a soft pad for your random orbital polisher and use the same lubricant you use for claying and buff it out, using very light pressure with the buffer. You will need to change the pad many times. DO NOT let build up on the pad occur!!!
Good luck.