subject: My car is scratched, what should I do? [print this page] My car is scratched, what should I do? My car is scratched, what should I do?
It's a common problem; you look at your car one day and notice that it's been scratched. How did that appear? Perhaps some kind person caught it with a bag, shopping trolley, you've driven to closely to the hedge when you parked it, even caught a gatepost, could have been anything but the next question is what to do?
There is a residue left on the panel, what should I do? If your car has been caught by another vehicle then you might find a different colour paint left on your panel, or even wood from a fence post, if it's soft enough you should be able to remove this easily with some car polish, even a really stubborn mark might be removed with either acetone or lacquer thinners. But be very careful if you're at all unsure about using chemicals on your car then pop along to your local accident repair centre. Ask them nicely and they should remove this for you very quickly, with little or no cost.
It doesn't look too bad, will it polish out? A good rule of thumb is actually that, if you gently rub the back of your thumb nail over the scratch and you can't feel anything then you may be in luck, the scratch hasn't gone all the way and it should polish out. You might be able to do this yourself, or if you prefer get it booked in for a mop and polish. I won't take long, depending on the size it should be an hour's labour at the most.
If you can feel the scratch slightly then the chances are that it's gone through the lacquer to the base coat. It is possible to remove the scratch still, the paintwork will need to be treated with a very fine abrasion, then mopped and polished back to a shine.
If the scratch feels quite deep then it has probably gone through the layers of lacquer, basecoat, primer to the metal or plastic below. At this point you will need to repaint the area.
Do I need to paint the entire panel? This really depends on the finish that you want or can live with. If your car has seen better days and you just want to protect the paintwork then you might want to buy a colour matching touch up pen and treat the scratch. You will always see the area of damage but it will take your eye away. But if your car is your pride and joy then a quick touch up pen isn't going to be the answer you're looking for. Visit your local accident repair centre. They'll advise you on the best course of action.
