Touching up clearcoat from deep scratch?

ItsHectic · 03-22-2014, 07:13 PM

I have a scratch on my car and it is through to the paint and I am wondering what the best way to go about it is, could I get it buffed out and then have a panel shop touch up the clear coat? Would my car require the oven? (I have had bad experiences with getting a car baked).

Greg@DetailedImage · 03-23-2014, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

I have a scratch on my car and it is through to the paint and I am wondering what the best way to go about it is, could I get it buffed out and then have a panel shop touch up the clear coat? Would my car require the oven? (I have had bad experiences with getting a car baked).

Sorry to hear about your experience with the scratch. Posting a picture may help us make a better recommendation, but I think you're on the right track. Polishing the scratch should improve it as much as possible without any touchup paint, but after that you're looking at either a touch up yourself with something like Dr. Colorchip, or taking it to a shop for a spot repair/repaint. Some shops do very good spot touchup work, but it's hard to find one.

Let us know what you decide to do with it and post some photos.

Ivan @ DI

ItsHectic · 03-24-2014, 08:31 PM

I took it to a shop, they have the best rep in Sydney, 3 M cars and a 911 turbo were there.

They had a look at it and just polished it on the spot free of charge, it improved it quite a bit but they said its not worth spraying otherwise I would be spraying my car all the time for things like that.

They also said touching up wont look good after a year.

Apparently it hasnt gone all the way through the clearcoat.

Greg@DetailedImage · 03-28-2014, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

I took it to a shop, they have the best rep in Sydney, 3 M cars and a 911 turbo were there.

They had a look at it and just polished it on the spot free of charge, it improved it quite a bit but they said its not worth spraying otherwise I would be spraying my car all the time for things like that.

They also said touching up wont look good after a year.

Apparently it hasnt gone all the way through the clearcoat.

Glad you had it taken care of properly. I'm not sure why they said the touchup would look bad, but they are right in that you'll get random nicks and chips from driving and would drive yourself crazy worrying about each one.

ItsHectic · 03-31-2014, 09:30 AM

OCD and car obsession is a very bad combination.

PA135i · 04-07-2014, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

OCD and car obsession is a very bad combination.

Hence the term... 1Addict.

johngrossi · 04-18-2014, 02:01 PM

Depending on how OCD you are feeling you can get some touch up and clear paint then mix them. Take a super fine brush and fill the scratch so it is overfilled with touch up then let that cure.

Once you do that you can wet sand it down to even the texture then polish it out.

Can be quite tedious but it may help the appearance drastically

ItsHectic · 04-19-2014, 12:22 AM

For an OCD person its actually better to not have an immaculate car, cause once the 1st scratch or dent happens you get a lot less anxious about the car in general.

PA135i · 04-19-2014, 05:33 PM

Yup, very true. In almost 6 years of ownership I have only had 1 ding. Strange location below the door on the rocker panel. Went to my PDR guy and $50 later it was cured.

PopsnBurbles · 04-22-2014, 02:49 PM

I too have a scratch where it's past the paint (I don't see any blue, only white) and I can feel my fingernail will get caught in the crevice if I try to. It's 8 about 8 inches on my left, rear quarter panel. Someone probably keyed me, inconsiderately passed with a metal object (zippers, purse, rivets, etc.), or something must've struck my car as I was driving. I'm scared to try as that might make the problem even worse. I have the OEM touch up paint but I don't know how to use it properly. I'll most likely use a toothpick to minimize overspills/overpainting.

ItsHectic · 04-22-2014, 07:54 PM

If its past the clearcoat you should get it fixed cause the clearcoat can peel, I think.

If its past the paint then it can turn to rust.

The bodyshop I went to said "the clearcoat has done its job and protected the paint" so I am assuming if its through the clearcoat you are meant to get it more than polished.

Take it to an authorized BMW repairer.

johngrossi · 04-22-2014, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

If its past the clearcoat you should get it fixed cause the clearcoat can peel, I think.

If its past the paint then it can turn to rust.

The bodyshop I went to said "the clearcoat has done its job and protected the paint" so I am assuming if its through the clearcoat you are meant to get it more than polished.

Take it to an authorized BMW repairer.

The best option would be to take it in for a respray/blend but the appearance can be drastically improved with some touch up, wet sanding and polishing

Unsure about the clear coat peeling but I wouldn't doubt the possibility of it

ItsHectic · 04-23-2014, 03:57 AM

I wanna take it to a detailer to have it touched up but Panel One advised not to, I guess I could have it touched up again down the track?

03-22-2014, 07:13 PM	#1
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	Touching up clearcoat from deep scratch? I have a scratch on my car and it is through to the paint and I am wondering what the best way to go about it is, could I get it buffed out and then have a panel shop touch up the clear coat? Would my car require the oven? (I have had bad experiences with getting a car baked). __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
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03-24-2014, 08:31 PM	#3
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	I took it to a shop, they have the best rep in Sydney, 3 M cars and a 911 turbo were there. They had a look at it and just polished it on the spot free of charge, it improved it quite a bit but they said its not worth spraying otherwise I would be spraying my car all the time for things like that. They also said touching up wont look good after a year. Apparently it hasnt gone all the way through the clearcoat. __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-31-2014, 09:30 AM	#5
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	OCD and car obsession is a very bad combination. __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-18-2014, 02:01 PM	#7
johngrossi Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 234 Posts Drives: 2011 135i e82 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Illinois iTrader: (1)	Depending on how OCD you are feeling you can get some touch up and clear paint then mix them. Take a super fine brush and fill the scratch so it is overfilled with touch up then let that cure. Once you do that you can wet sand it down to even the texture then polish it out. Can be quite tedious but it may help the appearance drastically __________________ PE exhaust, tints...more to come
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04-19-2014, 12:22 AM	#8
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	For an OCD person its actually better to not have an immaculate car, cause once the 1st scratch or dent happens you get a lot less anxious about the car in general. __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-19-2014, 05:33 PM	#9
PA135i Brigadier General 967 Rep 3,323 Posts Drives: 08 135i 08 CR-V Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	Yup, very true. In almost 6 years of ownership I have only had 1 ding. Strange location below the door on the rocker panel. Went to my PDR guy and $50 later it was cured.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-22-2014, 02:49 PM	#10
PopsnBurbles Captain 192 Rep 893 Posts Drives: 135is :) 192/586 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: LA, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW 135is Coup ... [10.00]	I too have a scratch where it's past the paint (I don't see any blue, only white) and I can feel my fingernail will get caught in the crevice if I try to. It's 8 about 8 inches on my left, rear quarter panel. Someone probably keyed me, inconsiderately passed with a metal object (zippers, purse, rivets, etc.), or something must've struck my car as I was driving. I'm scared to try as that might make the problem even worse. I have the OEM touch up paint but I don't know how to use it properly. I'll most likely use a toothpick to minimize overspills/overpainting.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-22-2014, 07:54 PM	#11
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	If its past the clearcoat you should get it fixed cause the clearcoat can peel, I think. If its past the paint then it can turn to rust. The bodyshop I went to said "the clearcoat has done its job and protected the paint" so I am assuming if its through the clearcoat you are meant to get it more than polished. Take it to an authorized BMW repairer. __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-23-2014, 03:57 AM	#13
ItsHectic But your honour it's my Affluenza I swear! 57 Rep 533 Posts Drives: at a reasonable speed Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: NSW iTrader: (0)	I wanna take it to a detailer to have it touched up but Panel One advised not to, I guess I could have it touched up again down the track? __________________ 135i M Sport DCT. BSM/Oyster/GP trim. FBO Cobb, Bilstein EDC coilovers, M3 bushings, PSS. Knowledge of the Tapa Tapa Tapa street race start.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

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