Ricky

I have a super black, and it looks as if someone gently drove their key across my car. Well, I know the rule of thumb is if you can feel the scratch, it's deeper than clear coat damange, I can BEARLY feel the scratch... how do I get rid of this so it's unnoticeable? Suppose I take some touch up paint and put it over, how do I smoothen out the paint to make it as smooth as the rest of the car? What tools do I need? And do I use the same process of smoothening out the paint as I will to smoothen out the clearcoat?

DetailingDude

To expand on the 'Rule of Thumb'. If you can get your fingernail to stick in it it can be rather difficult.... so I guess it's actually a "Rule of Finger Nail"

Secondly, when your clear coat is scratched it is white. If you see more than just white there then you're probably looking at the pigmented layer of paint.

Finally, it may not have been keyed. One lady brough her car to me and said that it had been keyed. She got out of her car and I noticed how she held her hand-bag that it was at the level of the scratch. So it may have been someone at a shopping mall that got it with their bag. It has been my observation that when people key they KEY. They usually leave little speculation of their intent!

Are you able to post a picture of the damage so I can see exactly what we're dealing with here? I should be able to safely guide you through the process if I have a better idea.

ricastm8

Ricky

Sorry to barge into your thread like this but I'm desperate...

My Grandfather rubbed the lower front of the car in a curb and look at the damage.

DetailingDude, since you ofered to help ricky, maybe tou could offer some thought on my case too.

Is there some special kind of polish for plastic parts so i can take the yellow pait out?

For the section where the original paint was scraped completely off I was thinking of getting an airbrush (like those used for model building) and using the touch up paint (wich I already ordered from courtesy parts). What do you think of this?

Please help

DetailingDude

Dude, don't panic!!! The yellow paint will come off extremely easily with 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner. You could do the air brushing or you could give either Chips Away or AeroColours a call.

ricastm8

Thanks for the reply DetailingDude, but I live in Mexico and we don't have those shops here . I'm taking it to a suposedely specialized bodyrepair shop and see what they can do about it. Nevertheless I still believe my best chance could be with touchup paint and airbrush just need to get some help with primer or surface prepping instuctions, as well as aplying instructions . I suppose since I love my car only I will try to get decent enough results.

DetailingDude

If you're skilled with an airbrush then I suggest that you order some paint from someone online who specializes in that sort of application. If you're planning on putting your own touch up paint into the guy you'll find that it is very high in solids and will clog up your gun.

ScottC

I'm going to try 3M Swirl Mark Remover (for dark cars). Mine are definetely just clear coat marks from washing etc. so they arent bad at all, but i want to keep them from getting worse. I'll post back to let you know how it works out. Any opinions?

Sanderman

Careful. I'm pretty sure your paint is a three stage paint like my Daytona Blue. There is a undercoat, a tint over that, and a clearcoat over that. That's why the paint has such depth and that show car like glow to it in the sun. Any touch-up paint you buy will likely be a lacquer based mix and it WILL NOT replicate the depth and glow (or even the color) of the original - even if you put clear coat on over it. You really need a body shop that can do the three step process or the results are going to look pretty sad. A two step touch up will look milky, have no depth, not have the diemnsional gleam of the original and probably will be off in color as well.

I have learned all of this the hard way in the past 2 days getting my new Nismo body kit painted. It can be done, but I don't think there is any way you can duplicate it (or even get close) yourself. My advice would be to drive how ever far you have to to find a good body shop.

joe