How to go about repairing this scratch
11-21-2010, 04:29 PM
#1
Instructor
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How to go about repairing this scratch
EDIT: posted in wrong forum, apologies for that,
Just noticed a bad scratch on my 1 week old Z06
It's about 12 inches long with depth of the scratch varying along the length. However, the scratch is not very wide at all. At the deepest you can see that the scratch is down through the clear coat and the paint is gone. You can actually stick a fingernail down into it. Even on the lightest parts of the scratch you can catch your nail.
So what are my options? Any DIY options? Could a detail shop repair it? Or does the panel have to be painted?
I do have a flex orbital, but like I said this is a very deep cut.
Here is a picture of the deepest part, though it's kind of hard to see because the scratch is so thin in width.
Just noticed a bad scratch on my 1 week old Z06
It's about 12 inches long with depth of the scratch varying along the length. However, the scratch is not very wide at all. At the deepest you can see that the scratch is down through the clear coat and the paint is gone. You can actually stick a fingernail down into it. Even on the lightest parts of the scratch you can catch your nail.
So what are my options? Any DIY options? Could a detail shop repair it? Or does the panel have to be painted?
I do have a flex orbital, but like I said this is a very deep cut.
Here is a picture of the deepest part, though it's kind of hard to see because the scratch is so thin in width.
Last edited by Armalite; 11-21-2010 at 05:02 PM.
11-21-2010, 06:40 PM
#2
Race Director
I can not see the scratch. By your description the proper way is to paint the whole panel and even the adjecent panels blended. Otherwise touch up will draw more attention. Option also is to leave alone.
11-21-2010, 07:27 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
I would say to get it repaired professionally but before you try that......try DR. colorchip ive had success with it on my road rash and deep dings.................i think AutoGeek sells it. if not PM me for the link.
Clif
Clif
11-21-2010, 09:56 PM
#4
Heel & Toe
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11-22-2010, 05:56 PM
#5
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sorry to hear of your troubles....
forget buffing it out; sounds too deep for that.
options, based upon my own experience with such things:
see if you can live with it
or
see if you can hide it to some degree via wax products that might leave a white residue in the scratch (in a good way)
or
find a good body shop that can just blend in that one spot; you would be surprised at what can be done by someone who knows what they are doing.
good luck!
forget buffing it out; sounds too deep for that.
options, based upon my own experience with such things:
see if you can live with it
or
see if you can hide it to some degree via wax products that might leave a white residue in the scratch (in a good way)
or
find a good body shop that can just blend in that one spot; you would be surprised at what can be done by someone who knows what they are doing.
good luck!
11-23-2010, 06:29 AM
#6
Melting Slicks
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Deep Scratches
A surface scratch that will `catch' your fingernail is approximately 0.04 Mil (1.0 µ) deep will usually require wet sanding (you should sand the scratch to bare metal because the device that caused this scratch was probably used with enough pressure to damage both the paint and the primer) and the clear coat refinishing
Removing a scratch requires removing the layer of paint that contains the defect; you need to level the paint to the lowest point of the scratch. Removing more that 0.5 mil (12µ) of clear coat will cause premature paint film failure as UV protection percolates to the top of the clear coat. Check paint film thickness with a Paint Thickness Meter (PTG) before you attempt to remove
As you go over a deep scratch, the abrasives round off the edges of the high spots of the scratch. The result is a shallower scratch (when no full correction can be made) rounded edges don’t reflect light the same way a sharp edge will and is therefore less noticeable.
It may be necessary to carry out some localized wet sanding to facilitate full removal of any deep scratches, once again, paint thickness must be checked, and if the paint is too thin wet sanding should not be considered
A surface scratch that will `catch' your fingernail is approximately 0.04 Mil (1.0 µ) deep will usually require wet sanding (you should sand the scratch to bare metal because the device that caused this scratch was probably used with enough pressure to damage both the paint and the primer) and the clear coat refinishing
Removing a scratch requires removing the layer of paint that contains the defect; you need to level the paint to the lowest point of the scratch. Removing more that 0.5 mil (12µ) of clear coat will cause premature paint film failure as UV protection percolates to the top of the clear coat. Check paint film thickness with a Paint Thickness Meter (PTG) before you attempt to remove
As you go over a deep scratch, the abrasives round off the edges of the high spots of the scratch. The result is a shallower scratch (when no full correction can be made) rounded edges don’t reflect light the same way a sharp edge will and is therefore less noticeable.
It may be necessary to carry out some localized wet sanding to facilitate full removal of any deep scratches, once again, paint thickness must be checked, and if the paint is too thin wet sanding should not be considered
11-28-2010, 06:36 PM
#8
Former Vendor
11-28-2010, 08:01 PM
#9
Drifting
Take it back to the dealer if you bought it new. Tell them you didn't notice it until you got home. Ask them to do a "Goodwill" Repair. This is the term they use.
I arbitrate for the BBB and know that there is a certain percentage of every car's value that the dealer is allowed to use to make "out of warranty" repairs. I had this same exact scenario play out with a Nissan I purchased and they fixed the pain w/o any hassle at all!
If they refuse to fix it, just file a "Autoline" complaint with the BBB. Tell your dealer's Service Manager that you are going to do this if they refuse to re-paint the hood. This will frequently do the trick as the dealer does not want a complaint on their record with GM or they lose signifcant "incentive" money at the end of the month.
If this doesn't work, contact you BBB and they will complete all paperwork over the phone and submit the complaint to GM. I bet you have a 90 to 95% chance of having it fixed without any type of arbitration as GM sends attorneys to Arbitrations. That costs them a lot more than re-painting your hood!
I arbitrate for the BBB and know that there is a certain percentage of every car's value that the dealer is allowed to use to make "out of warranty" repairs. I had this same exact scenario play out with a Nissan I purchased and they fixed the pain w/o any hassle at all!
If they refuse to fix it, just file a "Autoline" complaint with the BBB. Tell your dealer's Service Manager that you are going to do this if they refuse to re-paint the hood. This will frequently do the trick as the dealer does not want a complaint on their record with GM or they lose signifcant "incentive" money at the end of the month.
If this doesn't work, contact you BBB and they will complete all paperwork over the phone and submit the complaint to GM. I bet you have a 90 to 95% chance of having it fixed without any type of arbitration as GM sends attorneys to Arbitrations. That costs them a lot more than re-painting your hood!
11-29-2010, 08:42 AM
#10
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '06-13,'16-'17, '19
Tom