As most of you know, I had a similar problem just the other day - ran into a high curb and got a nasty scratch on my bumper. The dealer touched it up very well for free. You can't even see it with the naked eye. You have to feel for it to know it is there. My scratch, however, was not as bad as the problem here.
Dsb, if you are like me, then you will not be satisfied unless you get the entire bumper painted by the MB dealer. This is about a $500 - $600 repair. I think it would be money well-spent for your peace of mind. Think of it as a punitive measure for letting someone else drive your SLK. If you can, suck up the cost and get it looking like new again. Then NEVER make the same mistake again.
Each person is different though. Your tolerance threshold for this type of thing may be higher than mine. Also, it may take some of the pressure off when driving - you can't really scratch it much worse and curbs may not be the scary things they used to be. It is just a personal choice.
In the end, my advice is to get it fixed right (a full repaint) or not at all. You won't be satisfied with a half-ass fix - that I am pretty sure of.
I live down town ft worth in texas and this happens everyday. there's absolutly no way to get in and out of someplaces. even if i go diagnally at 1mph.. which i do I still here it scuff a little. I've just settled for the fact that ill get it professionally resprayed or replace the bumper when i move somewhere else.
dsb,
Once you get it fixed, and I think you will spring for it if all your previous postings are any indication of your commitment to this vehicle, wait a couple of months for the paint to age and then get the VentureShield treatment. A few days after I got the extra thick Venture Shield applied to the bottom of the front bumper, I scraped it on a curb stop. The Venture shield was cut up a bit but it barely scraped the bumper itself. That 'accident' alone made the $$ worthwhile. [:)] BTW, I wouldn't ask your friend to pay. When you loan something to someone, you just have to suck it up! Once on a long-range San Diego tuna fishing trip I saw a guy accidently toss a borrowed $1500 salt water fishing rod and reel into the deep. The guy felt terrible but the guy he borrowed it from bought him a beer and everybody was smiling and laughing again after that. Life is too short and friends are too valuable to risk losing them over an accident. Know what I mean?? [8D]
One thing to watch out for is the tire pressure after a long drive. The tires got inflated a bit after a long drive and it's easy to drive over a high curb. If you let the car sit for a while and cool down, the tires got deflated a bit and stuck on the curb when you get back in. Scratch often happens that way.
If I were you I'd go to a body shop supply store and buy a spray can of color matched paint and some extra fine sandpaper in two grits (tell them what you are doing).
Prepare the area with the sand paper or sanding pads (better) clean the area with prep-sol or it's equivalent and sparingly spray the area twice with thin coats to avoid dripping etc. Maybe finish it off with a can of clear coat and call it a day.
Be careful to only paint the scratched area and don't allow over spray to drift onto any other areas.
It's only noticable to you and that's what matters. After that you'll feel better and won't even think about it.
I purposely park in areas of the lot that don't have concrete curbs and if I can't avoid it, never pull UP to the curb, but WAY SHORT of it. Of course, that exposes the rear end a bit, but so far, so good. [;)]
I've had to get used to not pulling all the way up as well, but I find that the SLK is so much shorter than my old CLK that the rear end actually doesn't stick out of most parking spaces, even when I wind up with a few inches between the bumper and the curb or barrier.
It's been kind of amusing to watch the SL600 owner at work learn not to scrape his bumper too. [:)] Of course, he's got more length (of car) to worry about, but he's been getting better at it!
Shinigami, I don't think that 'Scratch-X' would work. The white marks are due to the paint being scraped off. I'm guessing that the Scratch-X is designed to remove paint transfered from contact with another vehicle. I'll give it a shot, but I don't know if that is the way to go. Would touch-up paint be better? Not sure.
Taken from Meguiars website:
"Scratch X delivers fantastic results on fine surface blemishes. For tougher spots, you will need a more powerful formula and possibly a buffer or polisher. Do not attempt to restore scratches that go beyond the clear coat. You will need to consult a professional."
dsb, you may be completely correct, but I counsel everyone to first try and rubbing out the scratch as Shini says. Many times (perhaps not this one) you will be surprised how much of the scratch is material (paint, dirt, lime from concrete surface) that is transferred but looks like a scratch.
Certainly from you pic, there are real and deep scratches there, but you might get rid of 30-50% of the smaller ones by cleaning.
From there, it's truly how much does it bother you. And remember MURPHY will get you within 2 weeks of paying to get it repainted [:D]
If you can't see it when looking at the car, except by getting on your hands and knees (so it's really only you who knows), but you still hate to see the "white" when you clean your car, another cheap (and poor) option is to get a Sharpie permanent pen marker (in your case blue), and color in the scratches.
It'll look like cr*p up close, but from 5 feet on your hands and knees, most won't see it.
Thanks everyone for all the responses. My friend did offer to pay for the repairs and even offered to buy a lip as well. I had been contemplating the Kleeman front lip. I did appreciate the offer, but I would rather not take it. For one, he has hooked me up with several things without asking for compensation. Plus, I would feel bad for taking him up on his offer. I'd rather not feel guilty and leave the guilt with him [:D]
So, like many of you suggested, I will:
-Buy Scratch-X and see what it does.
-Fill in with touch-up paint.
-I will take pics and post when done.
-Consult a Pro if it still looks bad.
I looked at it again today with a little less emotion. I can only see the scratches while kneeling or when stepping 15+ feet away. I asked my wife to look over my car and see if she found 'what was wrong.' She didn't notice it until I pointed it out. Therefore, I won't put lots of time and money into it... at least not yet. I will lower the car and see what happens. Like Bloflin mentioned, I would hate to have it professinally painted now only to scratch it again in 2 weeks.
On the plus side... The first scratch is always the most painful. Now that it's happened, I can move on.
__________________ '06 SLK55 Caspian Blue / Black & Ash / DPE 19
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