No one wants to see damage done to their car, especially to the paint.
Based on the amount of paint damage and how deep it is, should you try a DIY repair or head straight to the local auto body shop?
Here are some guidelines:
Assessing the Damage
Obviously, if your car is involved in an accident, you should take it in to an auto body shop for a thorough and professional inspection. An accident may have caused hidden frame damage in addition vehicle body and paint damage.
However, if you have marks or minor scratches, you may be able to repair the damage yourself.
A Vehicle’s Paint is Like an Onion…
Vehicles are painted in layers:
- Primer is sprayed over bare metal/body of the vehicle
- One or more coats of the base coat paint is applied, which gives the vehicle its color
- One or more coats of a clear coat is applied to give the vehicle protection and shine
Depending on the type of damage and how deeply it goes into the paint layers will decide whether or not you should try a DIY repair.
Minor, Surface Scratches or Marks
Typically, marks or surface scratches only affect the top or clear coat layer of the vehicle.
A mark left by someone else’s bumper or other black rubber object is something you can try to fix yourself. Rubbing the area with an acetone or car paint polishing product on a soft cloth will probably do the trick.
Minor scratches usually only penetrate slightly into the clear coat layer. As long as you don’t see exposed metal at the scratch site, you should be able to very lightly buff and polish this out with a polishing compound.
Don’t polish the area too hard because it’s possible to further damage the clear coat.
Base Coat Scratches
These types of scratches penetrate through the clear coat down to the base coat, or actual paint, of the vehicle.
For this type of damage, you can go either way. Either try a DIY repair or head to the auto body shop if you don’t feel confident in making the repair.
These types of repairs take more time and involve more steps. To make the process a little easier, you can buy a paint scratch repair kit. It’s important to read and follow all directions carefully if you go the DIY route for these types of repairs.
Although different kits have different directions, the basic idea is to clean and dry the damaged area, apply scratch remover and work gently into the damaged area. Complete by lightly buffing the area with a soft cloth, followed by a good polish with a protective wax.
Remember the deeper the scratch, the more important it is to follow directions carefully, use a light touch and take your time.
Deep Scratches
For deep scratches that penetrate all layers right down to the primer or even bare metal of the vehicle, it’s best to leave it to a professional auto body shop.
A professional auto body shop has both the tools and talent to restore your vehicle to pristine condition.
Since 2004, Downtown Autobody has proudly served customers in Rohnert Park, Petaluma and Sonoma and Marin counties.
Whether you need to fix minor dents or scratches, paint restoration or for more serious collision repairs, call us for a free estimate.
