Scratch repair

[SuperDuper]

So I noticed my first scratch on my barely 2 month old AT4. Of course it’s black, so that doesn’t help anything.  Some of it might actually buff out, but not all of it will. I just wanted to get any feedback on what some of the members on this forum would do to either repair of help cover this blemish. See photo:

[Wiggums]

First of all, my condolences.

 

Second, chase down this ****, set him on fire, and throw him off a cliff. Or break his kneecaps and drop him off in the middle of a desert, the hotter, the better.

 

Third, you really sure you can't get it buffed out? I just had a damage that looked really bad when the nozzle scraped the side of my truck. I sent it to a good car wash and they managed to do it for $150. There were at least 6 or 7 scrapes on the side and my finger was unable to rub it out but they sure got it all out.

[L86 All Terrain]

Go to a detailer and get a quote. It may be too deep and you will require paint work if it made it all the way through the clear. It looks pretty bad on the left end. Once it is fixed, ceramic coat your truck. GM's paint is very easily damaged and requires the upmost care to maintain. Look into ceramic coatings and proper wash techniques if you want to avoid swirls and scratches. Looks like you are washing and waxing properly though looking at the reflection in your paint. Your front bumper will chip like crazy too so you may want to look into 3M while your at it. If you ceramic coat it and look after it, your paint can look good for a long time. Here's my 5yo AT. 

[smrr1]

Have a high end body shop look at it. They are usually very good at wet sanding and polishing. Also usually good at fixing small paint blends. 

[Mountain boy]

Most detail shops could get that out, you use a lite compound and a fast buffer the paint will get warm and sort melt back together, thing is it’s tricky to hot and you can ruin the paint. I have done it but it should be done by an expert.

[BenThere]

Man, that sucks!  Looks like it went all the way through the clear-coat?  if so, I probably don't need to tell you that you can't fix it yourself.  I agree with others here, have a pro look at it.  A good pro, with good recommendations/reviews.  

 

I feel your pain, Man.  I had a 2001 Sierra that had a mega-scratch in the side.  I think my SIL dragged his bicycle against it in the garage.  It was deep and all the way past the clear coat, all the way to the color. No way to polish it out.  Rather than have it "fixed", grind it out and re-paint/re-coat, feather it in with the stock finish,  I just lived with it for the rest of the time I owned it.  It was a 4WD, it's just one of those things that happen when you use your truck as intended off-road.  At least, that's how I rationalized it.  

 

I'm sure a good pro can fix it like new, but a good pro is $$$.  

 

Good luck.  Serious.  

[SuperDuper]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Unfortunately there aren’t really any top of the line detailers where I live that I’ve come across. If anyone knows of any in northeast Iowa I’m all ears. 

[Mjharden]

I own a mobile auto body company in Chesapeake, VA. Does your fingernail “catch” on the scratch? If so, then it’s through the clear coat, and can’t be “buffed out.” If it doesn’t catch, then it can be buffed out. Any good mobile recon company should be able to wet sand/buff that scratch out if it’s not all the way through!