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I live in a building with a garage that has very narrow parking spaces and recently scratched the area above my rear wheel on the drivers side (see attached pictures).
I had a friend tell me it would be possible to buff out the scratches, which do not appear to be too deep. However, I am skeptical that this will work. Does anyone have any experience with something like this?
I am guessing that I will need to have the area repainted (which will cost $$ and put me without a car for a few days), but just wanted to check whether buffing might work.
The damage looks to be below the clear coat and even paint. Buffing would not fix the damage other than cleaning up the area and give it a shine. If the marks really aren't below the paint and only on the clear coat you can buff it out but the it is hard to tell from the pictures.
Your best bet is to have a detail shop sand down, repair and repaint it IF the damage is into the paint. Otherwise, there might be other ways around doing a repainting. But if you want to save some $$$ buff it out, put some protectant on it (will keep the paint from chipping more) and but a vinyl band aid over it :P
Sorry to hear about the damage. I know what you mean on the garage. I feel like it might happen to me one of these days too with my garage. Best of luck!
Looks to me like paint from a post came off onto your paint. My wife has done this several times to her vehicle parking in tight garages. I have managed to buff it out every time.
Thanks for all your responses. Just to clarify, the pillar that caused this damage is bare concrete, and does not appear to be painted; as such, I don't believe any external paint (i.e. from the concrete) rubbed off on the car.
Do detail shops do paint work? I was thinking I needed to go to a bodyshop to have them repaint the area.
Is it worth going to a detailer first to see whether buffing will work?
If the damage is simply material transfer and has not penetrated the clear coat into the base & primer layers, then it can be repaired through a series of paint correction steps, and perhaps even sanding depending on how bad the damage is.
If the damage has penetrated the clear coat, the only way to repair it is to repaint.
From the one picture it looks like there is a decent sized dent above the damage but that may just be the reflection. I would try using washing it off with soap/water, then alcohol and see what comes off. Then try using a compound, cutting pad, and a buffer and see what happens. If most or all of it comes off then you can polish it out with less aggressive polishes pads. There will likely be some scratches but they may be so un noticeable on your black car that you can live with them. If the scratches are too deep you should be able to get that painted/blended for a decent price, the whole pane/bumper likely won't have to be painted and can be blended.
...perhaps even sanding depending on how bad the damage is.
-Zach
would you happen to have any guides or advice on sanding procedures?
Originally Posted by UDel
If the scratches are too deep you should be able to get that painted/blended for a decent price, the whole pane/bumper likely won't have to be painted and can be blended.
would you happen to have any guides or advice as far as trying to blend?
would you happen to have any guides or advice on sanding procedures?
would you happen to have any guides or advice as far as trying to blend?
Thanks all!
A bodyshop/paintshop can blend new fresh paint into older paint if only a small part of a panel is scratched/damaged instead of sanding, priming, painting the whole panel/bumper.
04-01-15, 07:45 AM
Scratch Repair
