My Wife Scratched My New Truck!

[tomseeley]

She's afraid I'm gonna kill her. She's right, but that's not why I'm writing!

 

The scratch is barely visible. It looks like it just barely broke the clear coat on the left fender near the top of the box, but I don't think it went all the way to bare metal. But I can't tell...

 

I stopped at one local body shop and asked just for an opinion on how complicated the fix would be. He said the right way to do it would be to redo the whole fender! Otherwise, he said, over time the line between original and newer clear coat would show up...

 

Is he blowing smoke at me, since he stands to make money if I agree with him?

 

The affected area is less than half the size of whatever monitor you're reading this on, so if I don't really have to redo the whole fender, I'd certainly rather not!

[700 sportsman]

some pics. may help

[RyanbabZ71]

if its barely visible is it worth having fixed? The right way probably is to paint the whole fender. Can they wet sand it?

[MarkD]

+1 on the wet sanding.

 

I have seen this kind of scratch repaired by the body man spraying clear over the effected area, then wet sanding, then compounding, then polishing, then buffing, then glazing. Cost of the repair would be close to or exceed repainting the fender.

 

The repair I saw was on a green '67 Vette that had a frame off restoration. It was scratched at a car show (he no longer takes it to car shows).

[Stevens03]

Dang that sucks, but I'd try wet sanding first, then buff/polish before having the entire piece painted

[takevin]

If its barely seen, sounds like just thru the clear, wet sand 2000 grit and then polishing compound and its gone.

[jro909]

touch up paint...6 bucks out the door and works good, ive used it alot

[Jubei69]

If its barely seen, sounds like just thru the clear, wet sand 2000 grit and then polishing compound and its gone.

 

 

I would try this first, I done this on my civic and it worked for the smaller/finer clear coat scratches. 2000 grit wet sand, a soft/medium abrasive polishing compound, then finish up with regular polish and wax...

[ColoradoSkiCountry]

Forgive your wife, go have great "make up" sex with her, and get several more estimates from body shops or follow the advice above.

 

Here's a tip to all truck owners: A truck is big, it does not fight into tight spaces, no matter how far away you park or how careful you are, scratches WILL happen. Yes it may be a $40,000+ vehicle, but just think, a $300,000 vehicle will get scratched just as easily and cost about the same to fix. Scratches happen!

[95Sierra]

Another one for wet sanding and buffing. Unless it's down to bare metal, there's no need to repaint, specially not the whole fender. Most good body shops could blow in the color in the scratched area if it really bothered you, but it really isn't worth it.

[ricci151]

Another one for wet sanding and buffing. Unless it's down to bare metal, there's no need to repaint, specially not the whole fender. Most good body shops could blow in the color in the scratched area if it really bothered you, but it really isn't worth it.

 

 

Touch up paint sounds like it will do the trick.

[95Sierra]

In my experience touch up paint is often more obvious then leaving the scratch. But that's just me.

[Nick The Great]

In my experience touch up paint is often more obvious then leaving the scratch. But that's just me.

 

 

Touch up paint is for touching up. NOT covering up.

[seamonster]

I have had good success with Maguires scratch remover if its not to deep.

Maybe it will make it so you can live with it. Its worth a try! I was surprised

by how welll it works