OUCH! I scraped my VUE/Clearcoat Question

[davidjw]

Hey,

I recently scraped my VUE on a cart corral in a parking lot. I scraped down the two passenger doors. If it had not been plastic, it would have definitely left a crease/dent.

So, the scrape is not horrible, but it's not great either. Estimated cost to repaint the two doors is around $600-800. I am willing to live with it, instead of pay this much money. However, one shop said that they could polish out 60-70% of the lighter scratches (not the deep ones, though) for about $125. To me, I think this is worth it--I don't need it perfect--just better than what it is.

I posed a question to the shop regarding the implications of losing the clear coat when they polish down the affected regions. He did not act like it was a big deal.

So, I'm posing this question here:

What are the implications of polishing down the clear coat in the areas where the scratches exist, to remove the lighter scratches? Is there any problem with this on such a new car?

Thanks,

David

[Qlara]

Scratches on polymer may not be as bad as you think. Have you tried to use Auto Polish (clearcoat safe-type) to buff it first? Sometimes the scratch maybe stained by the impact object instead of real paint peeling. (Remember the polymer panel is flexible enough to absorb the force instead of against it, thus easier on the paint)

In the worst case if the paint indeed got scratch out, just buy a touch-up paint from Saturn to mark it up first. Then use some nice polish & Wax to buff and make it blend into the original paint.

$6 for Touch-up paint only as you don't need it to be perfect, so why pay $125 to do the same by someone?

[davidjw]

Thanks for the info...I might just try it myself, as I always prefer to do things myself, since I usually care about the work more than the average Joe out there...

I've used a "cleaner-wax" as well as a regular wax on it already, to get it as clean as possible. And it looks great when the car is clean. It's when the car gets dirty (after it's rained a couple of times) that it looks pretty bad...

So, you're recommending a polish? Do you have any brands/names that you prefer? Is rubbing compound a definite no-no?

Thanks,

David

[RojoVue]

If you've got one in town, a professional automotive paint store carries all the same buffing and polishing products the local body shops and a lot of detailers use, not just paint. I've used many 3M products over the years for small buffouts, touchups, etc., either by hand or machine. The packaging doesn't have a shiny Pantera or some other vehicle on it but the stuff is great and comparable in price. Usually the counterperson will give you advice. Don't use rubbing compound on clearcoat. There are polishes and swirl removers specifically for clearcoats.

[Qlara]

I'll second that too. So after some minor rubbing actions from yours, how's the look on the panel now?

[Body Man]

The other thing you might want to do is look very closely at the scrapes. Some of them may be paint from the cart corral on top of your paint. You can probably scratch it off with your fingernail. If you run your nails across the scratch you should able to tell if it's into the clearcoat or just on top of it. And you'd be suprised how much damage can be taken out by someone who is skilled with a buffer.