sick to my stomach...
12-31-2006, 11:24 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
sick to my stomach...
Oh guys.. not a good morning (corvette wise..)
Well we got some snow up in NH last night, and my almost 3 year old son was very excited to go out and help me shovel snow.. We did part of the driveway and he wanted me to use the snowblower..
Well I went in the garage to get it, and all the xmas boxes etc were in the way, so I backed up the snowblower towards the corvette (I was inbetween the car and the blower) and as i pulled back I felt something hit.. The darn handle for the blower shoot was way out to the left and caught the corner of the Z!
I instantly felt sick to my stomach, and I knew it wasn't gonna be a polish mark.. I took quite a bit of paint off, down to the fiberglass.
Couple errors lead to this, 1) crap in the way in the garage 2) I wasn't careful enough 3) my son wanted me to use the snowblower (and I really didn't need it)
Took me a couple mins to cool down, but when I looked out and saw my son shoveling, I just continued to get the blower out and join him..
Pics below! I may pick up a couple panels at a junk yard and buy some touch up kits and practice touch up, sanding, polishing on those before trying it on the vette.. I know it will never be nice, but maybe I can take some pain out of it!
36K miles, 17 years old and the first real damage! Not sure its worth painting the whole tail quarter for, since it will prob never match the doors etc...
Still feeling a bit
but the picture of my son having fun helps me quite a bit! Hope all your newyears is better than mine! 
Well we got some snow up in NH last night, and my almost 3 year old son was very excited to go out and help me shovel snow.. We did part of the driveway and he wanted me to use the snowblower..
Well I went in the garage to get it, and all the xmas boxes etc were in the way, so I backed up the snowblower towards the corvette (I was inbetween the car and the blower) and as i pulled back I felt something hit.. The darn handle for the blower shoot was way out to the left and caught the corner of the Z!
I instantly felt sick to my stomach, and I knew it wasn't gonna be a polish mark.. I took quite a bit of paint off, down to the fiberglass.
Couple errors lead to this, 1) crap in the way in the garage 2) I wasn't careful enough 3) my son wanted me to use the snowblower (and I really didn't need it)
Took me a couple mins to cool down, but when I looked out and saw my son shoveling, I just continued to get the blower out and join him..
Pics below! I may pick up a couple panels at a junk yard and buy some touch up kits and practice touch up, sanding, polishing on those before trying it on the vette.. I know it will never be nice, but maybe I can take some pain out of it!
36K miles, 17 years old and the first real damage! Not sure its worth painting the whole tail quarter for, since it will prob never match the doors etc...
Still feeling a bit
but the picture of my son having fun helps me quite a bit! Hope all your newyears is better than mine!
Last edited by Bans25; 12-31-2006 at 11:29 AM.
12-31-2006, 11:34 AM
#2
Race Director
ah dont kick yourself to much over it **** happens
are there things you could have done different yes but you were trying to make your son happy and thats what its all about you can get that fixed just have fun with your boy
are there things you could have done different yes but you were trying to make your son happy and thats what its all about you can get that fixed just have fun with your boy
12-31-2006, 11:35 AM
#3
Le Mans Master
Ugh, sorry to hear that! I'm sure I'd be beating myself up over something like that too. But it happens. It won't make the car any slower or less fun to drive. 
I remember replacing the lower/outer window weatherstripping on my '87 vette. I was drilling out the factory pop-rivets, only partially having a clue of what I was doing. One of them just wouldn't come out, so I thought it wasn't drilled through. I decided to go a little deeper, and was rewarded with shiny red metallic curls of fiberglass streaming out of the drill bit. I drilled right through the door (thankfully right under the side mirror where it was only slightly less obvious).
If you use touchup, my suggestion is to use a matchstick or a toothpick. Don't use the brush in the touchup bottle, they will put a ton of paint on, way too thick. Just let the paint spread from the toothpick via capillary action and you will get a nice even fill that will be a lot better than the brush-patterned glob you'd otherwise get. I usually break a toothpick in half at a jagged angle and use the broken edge to put the paint down.
I remember replacing the lower/outer window weatherstripping on my '87 vette. I was drilling out the factory pop-rivets, only partially having a clue of what I was doing. One of them just wouldn't come out, so I thought it wasn't drilled through. I decided to go a little deeper, and was rewarded with shiny red metallic curls of fiberglass streaming out of the drill bit. I drilled right through the door (thankfully right under the side mirror where it was only slightly less obvious).
If you use touchup, my suggestion is to use a matchstick or a toothpick. Don't use the brush in the touchup bottle, they will put a ton of paint on, way too thick. Just let the paint spread from the toothpick via capillary action and you will get a nice even fill that will be a lot better than the brush-patterned glob you'd otherwise get. I usually break a toothpick in half at a jagged angle and use the broken edge to put the paint down.
12-31-2006, 11:39 AM
#4
Race Director
Been there.
A good body man could touch it up so as to make it practicaly invisible. I'll bet you remember the shoveling more than the scratch though.
A good body man could touch it up so as to make it practicaly invisible. I'll bet you remember the shoveling more than the scratch though.
12-31-2006, 11:40 AM
#5
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks for the words guys, just talking about it makes me feel better.. someday (NOT TODAY!) I can look back and laugh about it.. well maybe not laugh, chuckle... or possibly just a smile??
Anyway, has anyone tryed a system like this?
http://www.langka.com/complete-paint...-kit-p-30.html
I can look back and laugh about it.. well maybe not laugh, chuckle... or possibly just a smile?? Anyway, has anyone tryed a system like this?
http://www.langka.com/complete-paint...-kit-p-30.html
12-31-2006, 11:44 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
12-31-2006, 11:49 AM
#7
If it were an airplane this would be called 'hangar rash' and is not considered damage history. I'm also guilty of this type of sin and believe others on this site are too. So get it fixed and you'll get over it.
BTW I love red Corvettes....
BTW I love red Corvettes....
12-31-2006, 11:54 AM
#8
Le Mans Master
I'm not of the mindset to do that. To me, I want to fix the damaged part as best as possible, but not at the expense of affecting the perfectly good paint around the damage. Sanding the area around it will lower the clear there and then you'll possibly have a larger area of uneven paint. I'd rather just have a touchup that looks better than the chip, even if it doesn't blend in perfectly well.
Anyway, if you want to try it, it's also sold under the Mother's name and you may be able to find that locally and for less.
Edit: also, you mentioned practicing. FYI but keep some mineral spirits or laquer thinner nearby. If the touchup isn't going how you want, just wipe it off. Touchup is usually laquer paint whereas the original is probably a catalyzed urethane paint. So the laquer thinner really won't affect the original paint (though don't let the laquer thinner just sit there on the paint. Wipe it off promptly, as the longer it is there, the more it can start to do it's thing). Mineral spirits are even milder and should be strong enough to remove fresh/wet touchup paint. I use distilled mineral spirits to prep the chip anyway just to make sure any wax or anything is cleaned out of there.
Last edited by Aurora40; 12-31-2006 at 11:59 AM.
12-31-2006, 12:00 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
I have heard of it. Good things. It helps, but of course isn't perfect. I have never tried it though. The main reason is that you have to sand a little.
I'm not of the mindset to do that. To me, I want to fix the damaged part as best as possible, but not at the expense of affecting the perfectly good paint around the damage. Sanding the area around it will lower the clear there and then you'll possibly have a larger area of uneven paint. I'd rather just have a touchup that looks better than the chip, even if it doesn't blend in perfectly well.
Anyway, if you want to try it, it's also sold under the Mother's name and you may be able to find that locally and for less.
I'm not of the mindset to do that. To me, I want to fix the damaged part as best as possible, but not at the expense of affecting the perfectly good paint around the damage. Sanding the area around it will lower the clear there and then you'll possibly have a larger area of uneven paint. I'd rather just have a touchup that looks better than the chip, even if it doesn't blend in perfectly well.
Anyway, if you want to try it, it's also sold under the Mother's name and you may be able to find that locally and for less.
One question, does the 90' corvette have clearcoat? I thought they don't?
12-31-2006, 12:03 PM
#10
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Of course I like other colors too!!
12-31-2006, 12:13 PM
#12
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds Alabama
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Call your local high line car dealer ...mercedes , bms, etc. ask them who does their paint touch up ...find someone that uses the rub on rub off type of repair ...they can make it look much better.
12-31-2006, 03:48 PM
#14
Safety Car
You should part it out now that your NCRS aspirations for car are finished Better yet you should install those headers, exhaust, & gears and have some fun with it since its now damaged goods...
Better yet you should install those headers, exhaust, & gears and have some fun with it since its now damaged goods...
01-02-2007, 11:11 AM
#16
Drifting
Bill...your snow blower scrape looks a lot like my window cleaner squeegee scrape! Really looks nice against that red paint. I cleaned my windshield while on a trip at a gas station and when I went to "flick off" the water from the squeegee I hit the side of my car...gouged it right down to the fiberglass...just like yours even with the same angle. Lovely.
01-02-2007, 12:05 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
Man, it looks EXACTLY like my car!
I better go look at mine to make sure it isn't the one you chipped!
Actually you have a front plate, and don't have the '91 endurance decal. But still, it sure looked like you put up a picture of my car at first.
I better go look at mine to make sure it isn't the one you chipped!
Actually you have a front plate, and don't have the '91 endurance decal. But still, it sure looked like you put up a picture of my car at first.
01-02-2007, 02:10 PM
#18
Team Owner
Member Since: Oct 2001
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Finally your car has some character! Don't sweat the small stuff. I remember the first rock chip I got on my '73 after new paint. That rock flew through the air in super slow mo!
I know it's there, but it's silver, so it doesn't show too much, so I just left it alone....just get your beast touched up, and have a good humored story to tell.
I know it's there, but it's silver, so it doesn't show too much, so I just left it alone....just get your beast touched up, and have a good humored story to tell.
01-02-2007, 07:50 PM
#19
Easy fix! You don't need a bodyman for that. If you were closeby I'd have it done for you in a couple of hours not including waiting for paint to dry.
1- Get the matching paint.
2- Lightly sand the area in and around the gouge with #600.
3- Clean carefully thinner
4- With a very small touch up brush (00), begin filling the gouge with layers of paint. Only use a brushfull at a time and wait until it's dry. You want the paint dry underneath and not just on the surface so it can be smoothed at each addition.
5- Add enough layers to build a small mound just above the height of the original paint.
6- When completely dry begin to sand/polish off the excess from the mound until it matches the original surface. You should start with #600 and work your way to #1500, then #2000 and to polish (NO WAX). Each time you go to the next finer grain of paper make sure your strokes are perpendicular to the last sanding. You should USE A SANDING BLOCK of foam or soft wood. Your fingers will just follow the grooves and not knock down the ridges.
By the time you get to fine polish the gouge will be long gone and only you standing there at the right light angle will be able to find it. Don't be afraid to let coats dry for a couple of days if you aren't driving the car.
For any of you who have these little dings and scratches I suggest you buy a Micromesh polishing kit. I have used them for years for polishing the museum/show quality large scale models I build. They have grit from #1500 to 1200, plus polish. You can actually get a finish smoother than most glass if you want. A kit is about $20, and I'll get a source up for you asap.
1- Get the matching paint.
2- Lightly sand the area in and around the gouge with #600.
3- Clean carefully thinner
4- With a very small touch up brush (00), begin filling the gouge with layers of paint. Only use a brushfull at a time and wait until it's dry. You want the paint dry underneath and not just on the surface so it can be smoothed at each addition.
5- Add enough layers to build a small mound just above the height of the original paint.
6- When completely dry begin to sand/polish off the excess from the mound until it matches the original surface. You should start with #600 and work your way to #1500, then #2000 and to polish (NO WAX). Each time you go to the next finer grain of paper make sure your strokes are perpendicular to the last sanding. You should USE A SANDING BLOCK of foam or soft wood. Your fingers will just follow the grooves and not knock down the ridges.
By the time you get to fine polish the gouge will be long gone and only you standing there at the right light angle will be able to find it. Don't be afraid to let coats dry for a couple of days if you aren't driving the car.
For any of you who have these little dings and scratches I suggest you buy a Micromesh polishing kit. I have used them for years for polishing the museum/show quality large scale models I build. They have grit from #1500 to 1200, plus polish. You can actually get a finish smoother than most glass if you want. A kit is about $20, and I'll get a source up for you asap.
