How Bad Is This Scratch??

[twa318]

I let someone borrow my truck and it came back with this:

This scratch looks very deep, how should I approach it?

This doesnt look like something I can handle on my own, just wondering what the next step is :ybrick:

Also trying to figure out how a scratch gets there, maybe a car door opened into mine?

 

[Mahalas]

Looks like a paint chip that's already rusting.
I would get some rust converter on there ASAP (make sure you get in behind the flair as far as you can) then get some black paint and do a touch up.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Hard to see what you're trying to show there. But if you can get your fingernail in it, then its through the clear coat, and you're going to have to wet sand & buff. should be able to just search "wet sand and buff" in your favorite search engine and go from there. If you can't get your finger nail in it, then its not that deep, and will just take some rubbing. Heat is your friend when it comes to clean up scratches. Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to essentially "melt" the clear coat slightly to refill in the minor scratch. The trick is not over "melting" and burning through the clear coat. Can't tell you how to do that other than practice it several thousand times. My parents owned an auto detail/auto body shop when I was growing up. I've washed/waxed alot of cars.

 

[THEREALTOR1]

Looks like a paint chip that's already rusting.
I would get some rust converter on there ASAP (make sure you get in behind the flair as far as you can) then get some black paint and do a touch up.

Is what he's trying to show? I thought that was a leaf.

 

[twa318]

Looks like a paint chip that's already rusting.
I would get some rust converter on there ASAP (make sure you get in behind the flair as far as you can) then get some black paint and do a touch up.

i was trying to understand how it looked that rusted so quickly (although I do live on the coast).

Hard to see what you're trying to show there. But if you can get your fingernail in it, then its through the clear coat, and you're going to have to wet sand & buff. should be able to just search "wet sand and buff" in your favorite search engine and go from there. If you can't get your finger nail in it, then its not that deep, and will just take some rubbing. Heat is your friend when it comes to clean up scratches. Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to essentially "melt" the clear coat slightly to refill in the minor scratch. The trick is not over "melting" and burning through the clear coat. Can't tell you how to do that other than practice it several thousand times. My parents owned an auto detail/auto body shop when I was growing up. I've washed/waxed alot of cars.

thanks for the info

its really quite deep, about the size of my pinkie finger, and I can flake off more paint if I tried

searching "wet sand and buff" now

 

[twa318]

sorry crappy iphone camera is all i have to work with atm, its a huge scratch

 

[Mahalas]

i was trying to understand how it looked that rusted so quickly (although I do live on the coast).





thanks for the info

its really quite deep, about the size of my pinkie finger, and I can flake off more paint if I tried

searching "wet sand and buff" now

If you're flaking off paint with your finger nail then its no longer a scratch that can be buffed out, its now a chip.

Its only surface rust and not a big problem yet. But make sure you do something about it and not just cover it up.

 

[Millerad1651]

Looks like someone hates your friend. Make them pay for repairs.

 

[Maritimer]

Looks like it rusted from underneath and the paint finally chipped off because it was rusty under it. I bet it's worse under the flare.

 

[agloukhoff]

Looks like it rusted from underneath and the paint finally chipped off because it was rusty under it. I bet it's worse under the flare.

Yeah I would bet that you're just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Considering that you can pick up a brand new primed quarter panel for under $100, I wouldn't waste too much time trying to save this one. You can probably find a shop who'll paint it for under $100. It won't look perfect as it will be fresh paint vs faded, but it won't be rust...