Repairing A Scraped Paint Spot On Your Vehicle
Posted on: 15 April 2015
If you have a spot on your vehicle where paint has become scraped, taking it to an auto body repair shop would be best in repairing it so it will not be noticed. If the scrape is not very large, however, you may want to give a try at repairing the area yourself. Here are some instructions you can use to help you repair a scratched paint job on your vehicle.
Materials You Will Need
- Non-abrasive sponge
- Bucket of soapy water
- Solvent
- Lint-free pieces of cloth
- Auto paint pen matching your vehicle's paint color
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Paint polish
- Buffing pad
- Electric drill
Matching Up The Color
Before you apply the paint over the scratch on your vehicle, you will need to match the color. There should be a sticker or metal plate that lists some details about your vehicle, including the paint code, somewhere inside your vehicle. Most will have it located either on the driver's side door sill area or underneath the front hood.
Matching via visual inspection is not recommended as the shades can be off by just a small amount from year-to-year, making the area you apply it apparent to others. If you cannot find the color in an auto parts store, you may need to buy it through a car dealership.
Prepping The Surface
Before you apply paint to the scraped area on your vehicle, clean it and the surrounding paint job so the new paint will adhere without restriction. Use a non-abrasive sponge dipped in soapy water to scrub the affected area. Use a clean piece of lint-free cloth to dry the scraped area thoroughly. Use a solvent on the scratched area to remove any oils or wax. Rub it into the scratch using another piece of lint-free cloth.
Coloring In The Scrape
Use your paint pen to color in the scratched area. The pen will have a small brush to dab the color into place, much like a nail polish brush. After you have painted the scraped spot, the paint will need to dry for a full 24 hours so that it hardens and shrinks into place. Then you will need to add another coating and let it dry an additional day. This should be repeated until there are four to five coats of paint over the scrape.
Finishing The Job
When the paint has been applied and dried, sanding will need to be done so the new paint blends into the old paint job. Place a dab of paint polish over the area you had just repaired. Rub a piece of fine-grit sandpaper over the polish, lightly rubbing it over the area you had just repaired. Rub it over the area of paint that was already in place on your vehicle, as well, helping the colors to blend uniformly.
After you have completed this step, place a buffing pad on an electric drill. Apply another glob of pain polish on the vehicle and turn on the drill so it starts rotating the buffing pad. Move your buffing pad in a circular motion while rubbing it over the paint polish, giving your vehicle a glossy shine.
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