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Just noticed my car got this long scratch (keyed?) this morning when going out to walk my dog. Doesn't look like it's that deep, tho. Can you guys offer some advice on how best to DIY repair this? TIA!
DIY would be get a Porter Cable or similar orbital buffer and start with a light polish and then move on to a heavier cutting compound. Check a couple youtube vids. Basically you're trying to take the surrounding material down to the level of the scratch or at least closer to the level of the scratch. That can go all the way to wet sanding and then respraying clear coat although at that you might want to step away from the problem as you can end up doing more harm than good pretty easily.
You're not really going for perfection, just minimizing it so the scratch isn't obvious from 6 feet away. Less is more as you have to remove paint/clear to minimize the appearance so you want to remove less and not more.
DIY would be get a Porter Cable or similar orbital buffer and start with a light polish and then move on to a heavier cutting compound. Check a couple youtube vids. Basically you're trying to take the surrounding material down to the level of the scratch or at least closer to the level of the scratch. That can go all the way to wet sanding and then respraying clear coat although at that you might want to step away from the problem as you can end up doing more harm than good pretty easily.
You're not really going for perfection, just minimizing it so the scratch isn't obvious from 6 feet away. Less is more as you have to remove paint/clear to minimize the appearance so you want to remove less and not more.
Thanks for the tip. I can't feel the scratches with my fingertips = hopefully, it isn't that deep.
Just noticed my car got this long scratch (keyed?) this morning when going out to walk my dog. Doesn't look like it's that deep, tho. Can you guys offer some advice on how best to DIY repair this? TIA!
Yes rubbing compound. You don't need a buffer machine. A wet washrag and elbow grease and a little time. I have done this many times, usually with success.
I always try to park my car FAR away from the establishment's entrance. Less cars, less traffic, less people, less likely to get any marks on my car. PLUS, I get the advantage of a little more exercise !
I try to find a spot where at least one side (left or right) is NOT a parking spot - a wall, a curb, end of lot. Sometimes, some spots have two sides that are not an adjacent parking spot (i.e. front and one side).
When I find that spot with nothing on one side, I try to park as far away over to that non-spot as possible, to give the neighboring parker more room to get out, etc.
Beware of parking spots that are adjacent to a walkway or walking pathway or entrance. You would expect pedestrians to walk thru there, and sometimes they are carrying things that might hit your car. Sometimes they're walking together with a few other people (i.e. kids) who might tend to bump into your car.
Don't fight or argue with another driver or pedestrian in that lot. Some people are vengeful and might do harm to your vehicle. Don't even THINK that you're in the right regarding the rights to that next open spot. Just move on and take another spot.
Someone I know recently had a DEEP GOUGE along the side of his (older) car perhaps 4 feet long! I didn't even ask him about it, but I already know. He's a hothead and probably got into an argument with someone in/near a parking lot.
One more thing. Don't think that because a lot has CAMERAS that it's going to help you. Nope. No one is going to look at that footage unless Columbo is called in for a murder investigation!
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Doesn't look like it's that deep, tho. Can you guys offer some advice on how best to DIY repair this? TIA!
