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Caring for My Car: Scratches

2K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Mark Essman 
#1 ·
Over the one and a half years of being parked at college campuses where kids don't care when they run into other kids' cars with their car, my Benz has accumulated a fair number of battle scars. There are also some holes in the paint that I noticed as a went around the car. I was wondering if there may be any way for me to DIY these scratches out. Here are the pictures of the scratches (excuse the lack of shine; it had been forcasted to rain some more so I'm putting cleaning the car on hold):

1) Front bumper trim piece:


2) Some general scratches:






3) Paint holes?



4) Funny looking surfaces



Are there any experts out there that can guide me to minimize/eliminate these scratches and others on my car's exterior? Thanks in advance!:thumbsup:
 
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#2 ·
The "funny looking" parts are where surface rust is starting to form. Not a good sign as it means there is rust elsewhere.

Alot of the scratches look like they can be buffed out.

For the bumper, looks like you are going to need some body putty and touch up paint.

This is exactly why I bought another car to keep at school, so my benz can stay safe in the garage at home :)
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the input babybenz!
Rust elsewhere? That means even if I replace the panels, I may have rust elsewhere that will eventually emerge once again?
I know I can get exact match touchup at the dealership, but where do I pick up this body putty stuff? Also, that's on the trim of the bumper, will the putty adhere to that area?
It's going to rain for the next couple of days, and I have to bother someone else for cover if I am going to work on the exterior, so it won't be until the rain stops when i start to fix it up.
This is my only car, so I don't particularly have a choice :/
 
#4 ·
Make sure to get educated on how to correct paint, etc before you attempt anything or you run the risk of making things worse if you are not too experienced with paint correction.

You have some pretty severe paint issues that might require professional assistance.

And you need to know how to use and apply body putter and filler correctly to make it work properly or it will crack and loosen down the road.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the reply!

I honestly don't think I need body putty. The trim scratch hits the black layer of the trim at its deepest, and it looks like I can get away with filling the holes. Would it be possible for me to use a toothpick tip with touch up and fill the deeper scratches/holes, then wet sand the area down to get a smoother finish?

I've actually got swirls all over and, from the pictures, I think the dreaded "orange peel" is present as well. I'm pretty sure that's not something I can tackle and I would indeed have to take the car to a professional detailer for that.
 
#6 ·
If you have good full coverage insurance with not too high of a comp. deductible I'd take that to a great body shop and get an estimate. It should all be covered under comp. deductible. There's too much work there for a DIY job or even a detailer. If you plan on keeping it for a long time I'd have a real pro due the job and get it back to looking great again.
 
#7 ·
+1.

For your needs it might be better for you to spend a few $ and have a pro take care of the filler as well as the paint correction. It will pay off in the long run as using filler can look good in the beginning, but if you are not familiar on exactly how to apply, it could cause lifting and separation issues down the road.

Paint correction, unless that is your hobby, should be addressed by a pro, again for your best ROI in the long run.
 
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