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I had a gate blow shut on my car door over the weekend while I was driving past it. No dent and the majority of the (saucer sized) scrape has polished out leaving a scratch down the swage line about 3/4" long. Sadly it's bloody obvious in an other wise immaculate panel.
So - are smart repairs any good these days? There's been a couple done by a previous owner on the front bumper that have faded differently to the rest of the paint (metallic blue) and that to my eye are fairly obvious, however it'll be a damn sight cheaper than a full panel respray. To follow on - any recommendations in the Sheffield area?
Cheers,
Jon
My experience is no better than yours. I'd consider somewhere discreet e.g. Lower bumper. Wouldn't use it somewhere obvious.
I believe it also very much depends on the skill of the repairer.
How deep is the scratch and what colour the car? Some muppet scratched the bonnet of my brand-new black car (not my choice of colour) I think by swinging past it with a bag over their shoulder, leaving a long crescent-shaped scratch. In despair I called the dealer who took the car into the paint shop and polished the scratch out, explaining that with modern cars the water-based soft lacquer powders and goes white, looking far worse than it actually is.
That said, your scratch is small so I'd be tempted to buy a touch-up stick and bodge it, to be honest.
Not Sheffield, but my mate Dave nr Halifax is highly recommended. Come up, leave your car with him and go for a ride in glorious Calderdale 🙂
https://en-gb.facebook.com/autorefinishing/
Something in the middle of a panel they will have to blow out to the panel gaps and then maybe further to blend it.
Largely depends on the type of car, colour and make up of the paint.
I would probably want somewhere with a proper dust free facility to be doing it.
Show a body shop - no dent and you'd be surprised what a machine polish can get out.
My last car I clipped a car in a car park, scraping all the side of the rear 3/4 panel and wheel arch. 95% of it polished out.
leaving a scratch down the swage line about 3/4" long
Can you feel the scratch with a fingernail ?
If not, it will machine polish out. Take to a body shop or a decent detailer.
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This is it. It's definitely through the laquer, so there's no way it will polish out. If left its just going to get moisture under and flake. (this is happening from stonechips on the front bumper)
A touch up pen will look awful as it's prominent on the swage and will catch the light wrong, but I may get away with a really neat airbrush job if the colour match is good.
The lower scratch will probably polish out with more effort.
I wouldn't bother, and I'm fairly fussy. I guess that it's in an area likely to be car-park-scuffed again (and the base colour seems intact??), just make sure that corrosion can't begin by touching up the lacquer
Gosh is that all it is? Really, in that place I doubt anybody will even notice it because it will align with the flattened reflections along that swage. Why don't you just touch it in with some clear lacquer and forget about it?