Repairing cosmetic damage to bodywork

PeteW

Unfortunately my wife uses walls as parking sensors, so her car is a bit of a mess. No real damage, just lots and lots of scratches.

You can see some photos of the worst areas here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/SIvTV6HsWayYuyhB2

I'd like to tidy this up a bit as frankly it's embarrassing, but this isn't something I've attempted before, so just looking for any tips.

My thinking is to:

• Sand down the scratched areas to bare metal (or plastic in some areas) with 80 grit on the orbital sander
• Give it a thin coating of body filler, sand that down with 180
• Spray with primer, sand that with 800
• Spray with colour matched paint and lacquer

The bit I'm most concerned about is doing the paint with just an aerosol can, but when I can to paint a welded area on my other car it came out fine.

Any tips would be gratefully received!

Cheers

Pete

angrycrow

Silver is one of the hardest colours to get right out of a rattle can, so result will depend on your experience and skill level. It would be difficult to make it look worse so nothing to be lost by giving it a go.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Thats a large area of damage to use a spray can on. Personally wouldnt want the challenge and headache (and i would say im pretty skilled in body work repairs after many years in the industry), thats a paint the rear bumper, rear door, blend into front door, blend into C pillar. the process is a bit more than what you describe in its prep work too.


sand down, fill dents, mould filler, feather filler into panel, using between 32-180 grit.
Seal up the bare metal with a sealer primer, wait for this etching primer stage to fully cure out usually 24hours in air temps.
then 2 coats high build primer, use a guide coat sand back the guide coat to locate and find scratches and dents and low spots to be filled up, fixing those with filler or going back down further on the highbuild till light scratches are out. again seal up the bare metal with sealer primer, then 2 coats highbuild, guide coat and sand back with 240 grit once all deep sanding marks are smoothed out, its time then to prep for paint, i lay on another coat of high build and smooth out with a 400 600 800 grit, then onto laying my base coat, then lacquer.


The amount of cans and paper filler used to attempt a DIY repair on this you may aswell put the cash into a body shop repair. But each to their own.

AndyMc.....

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

Thats a large area of damage to use a spray can on. Personally wouldnt want the challenge and headache (and i would say im pretty skilled in body work repairs after many years in the industry), thats a paint the rear bumper, rear door, blend into front door, blend into C pillar. the process is a bit more than what you describe in its prep work too.


sand down, fill dents, mould filler, feather filler into panel, using between 32-180 grit.
Seal up the bare metal with a sealer primer, wait for this etching primer stage to fully cure out usually 24hours in air temps.
then 2 coats high build primer, use a guide coat sand back the guide coat to locate and find scratches and dents and low spots to be filled up, fixing those with filler or going back down further on the highbuild till light scratches are out. again seal up the bare metal with sealer primer, then 2 coats highbuild, guide coat and sand back with 240 grit once all deep sanding marks are smoothed out, its time then to prep for paint, i lay on another coat of high build and smooth out with a 400 600 800 grit, then onto laying my base coat, then lacquer.


The amount of cans and paper filler used to attempt a DIY repair on this you may aswell put the cash into a body shop repair. But each to their own.

You don’t work and haven’t for years, working on a trade counter and doing a bit on the side isn’t being in the industry.

C_Mababejive

I think thats a professional repair job..

PeteW

Thanks all. I appreciate it would be best left to the professionals, but it would probably cost more than the car is worth! Plus I quite enjoy these DIY jobs so don't mind putting some time into it. Atrixblue - your process is really useful, thanks.

I think I'll start on one of the smaller areas and see how I do and then decide how to proceed from there.

C_Mababejive

I have a fine scratch on my car. Its almost like a single point has dragged along for a couple of inches and removed top coat exposing base coat. I have the official two pack touch up kit, i.e paint plus clear laquer. Despite using the finest brush i have, i cant get the paint into the tiny channel of the scratch ! I'm wondering whether to pluck a single bristle from a household paintbrush as thats probably about the width of the scratch and try to use that to infill the channel ??

System

It'll stick out like a sore thumb and will likely look even worse than just leaving the rash as it is.

AdrianC

You appear to be worried about the symptoms. Without addressing the cause, the symptoms will return in short order.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

AndyMc..... wrote: »

You don!!!8217;t work and haven!!!8217;t for years, working on a trade counter and doing a bit on the side isn!!!8217;t being in the industry.

I don't splatter my who working career on MSE for common knowledge for everyone. I let people know what I want to let know.


Will admit I haven't worked for years because of disabilities that common knowledge with people on here, but doesn't make my advice any lesser over anyone one else I do and try keep myself updated on current techniques too.


Whats your contribution to the OP's situation?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I have a fine scratch on my car. Its almost like a single point has dragged along for a couple of inches and removed top coat exposing base coat. I have the official two pack touch up kit, i.e paint plus clear laquer. Despite using the finest brush i have, i cant get the paint into the tiny channel of the scratch ! I'm wondering whether to pluck a single bristle from a household paintbrush as thats probably about the width of the scratch and try to use that to infill the channel ??

Buy a pack of cocktail sticks and use the point of it to dab the paint into the scratch. it's what I used when a fine painters brush was a tad too thick for touching up or fine scratches it works quite well.