car paint repair Archives - Car Paint Repair

Repair Minor Car Paint Scratches and Chips With Touch Up Pen

minor scratches

Minor car paint scratches and chips are very easy to repair. These scratches damage the paint layer leaving primer layer intact. Usually, these damages are caused by road debris, branches, or little stones from the driveway.

Compared to small chips and scratches that can be easily fixed with some touch-up paint, long scratches require more work. If you try to brush a long scratch with paint, the surface will look uneven. The best way to repair it is to carefully sand the area and then spray it with touch-up paint.

Car Paint Touch-Up

Car paint touch-up is an inexpensive and easy way to fix paint scratches and chips. We all try to keep our car looking shiny and new as long as we can after driving it off the dealership lot. But over time, those ugly scratches just keep adding up. Unfortunately, car paint scratches are a fact of life. The only sure way to protect your car is to put it in a garage and never drive it again.

Car Touch-Up Paint Types

When it comes to car touch-up paint, there are multiple options available for every type of damage. Small chips and scratches can be easily fixed with touch-up pens. Long and medium size scratches can be brushed with paint. Large areas can be fixed by using spray cans. If you are planning on re-painting a whole car or one of the auto body parts, you will need to buy larger quantities of paint and a spray gun.

No matter what touch-up paint you choose, make sure it is good quality. Because even if you do everything right, a cheap low quality paint will not give you the professional result you are looking for. When I am buying paint, I want it to be high quality, but still affordable. One of the places I like is AutomotiveTouchUp site. They have best prices and a high quality paint that is custom mixed to perfectly match the original car color.

How to Repair Deep Car Scratches For Only $50

deep bumper scratch

Taking your car to a body shop to repair deep paint scratches can cost anywhere from $500 – $1,000. Many people don’t know that this expensive repair can be done at home with very little time and money. With the right tools and a good amount of patience, your car will look like nothing ever happened.

Learn exact repair techniques professionals at the body shop use to repair deep scratches. There is no good reason to pay someone hundreds of dollars of your hard-earned money to repair these scratches when you can do it yourself for a fraction of the cost.

In this post, I will tell you how to fix deep car scratches for only $50. First, determine how deep the scratch is. The scratch on the photo damaged the clear coat, paint layers and some primer, but didn’t damage the metal. This scratch can be easily fixed in just a few hours and for only $50. No experience needed. I recommend fixing all the scratches as soon as you can to avoid rust development.

Video Tutorial: Do-It-Yourself Car Paint Repair – Part 2

This is a second video of the 2 part video tutorial on how to repair car paint yourself.

This tutorial was made by professionals at the body shop revealing the exact steps they take to repair car paint. In case you missed it – Video Tutorial: Do-It-Yourself Car Paint Repair – Part 1.

Usually body shops will charge hundreds of dollars for a simple repair. But after watching these videos and reading my comments, you will be able to do it yourself for under $100. I will also tell you what materials and tools you should use to save money and time.

In this part you will learn how to prepare an area for paint, mask properly, apply paint and clear coat.

Video Tutorial: Do-It-Yourself Car Paint Repair – Part 1

Today, I wanted to share with you a two part car paint repair video tutorial. It will show you how professionals at the body shop repair major car paint damage.

The car had a deep scratch and a small dent. In part 1 you will learn how to prepare the area for primer and how to prime (be ready for a lot of sanding). Video Tutorial Part 2 demonstrates how to apply spray paint and clear coat. Some of the tools used in the video are expensive, but there are cheaper options you can use.

Body shops can charge hundreds of dollars for a simple repair like this. But you can do this repair yourself for under $100. Watch the video and read my comments below.

How to Repair Bumper Crack on Volkwagen Passat

This article is part of my car scratch repair tutorials. Today, I will tell you how to repair a big bumper crack. As you can see from the picture above, the damage to this Volkswagen Passat was very extensive. The crack in the front bumper was about 2 inches long.

It will take you a few days to finish the project. Avoid working in direct sun, high wind and high humidity as these conditions might compromise the repair. The best temperature for spray painting is 72F with 50% humidity. If you are doing it during winter, find a heated garage.

To fix this damage you will need to: clean the surface, apply body filler, spot putty, apply primer, touch-up paint and clear coat.

How to Fix Bumper Holes and Peeling Paint on Toyota Camry

Here is a step-by-step process of repairing bumper holes and peeling paint on Toyota Camry. It had a few very deep scratches on the front bumper below the right light, two holes from a license plate and a chipped paint on the back bumper. It would cost around $500 – $1,200 to get it fixed at the body shop. Fortunately, this kind of damage can be repaired at home for a fraction of the cost.

Make sure you have at least two days for this project. Pick a weekend when the weather is nice. The best temperature is 72F with a 50% humidity. Avoid painting in direct sun, windy conditions and high humidity. If you are doing it during cold winter, use heated garage. Since you’ll be doing a lot of spraying, make sure you have a good ventilation.

How to Repair Deep Car Scratches on Toyota Prius

Taking your car to the body shop to repair a few scratches can be very costly. Usually, to fix a medium size scratch will run anywhere from $400 – $1,000. In this economy, not many people have extra cash laying around.

The good news is you can save hundreds of dollars by fixing it yourself. If you are afraid to make it worse, don’t be. Professionals at the body shop will follow the same steps I am describing below. The key to successful scratch repair job is patience.

This is a weekend project. You can probably do everything in just a couple of hours, but for the best result it is better to stretch it over 2 days.

Most Common Car Paint Repair Q&A

Q: What is the best temperature for car paint repair?

A: 72F with 50% humidity is the best weather for car painting. Avoid painting in direct sun and in the windy conditions. Temperatures above 80F and below 55F can compromise your paint job. Since all areas have different weather, try to get to the recommended conditions as close as you can. During cold winter, it is a good idea to use heated garage. When painting in the garage, make sure you have enough light and good air flow.

Q: After car paint repair, why do I need to wait 30 days before applying wax?

A: Coat of wax seals the paint creating a barrier coating over the surface, that prevents solvents from escaping through evaporation, or drying up. Solvents, also called thinners and reducers, are used to thin the paint down so that it can be atomized into a spray when applied with a paint gun or an aerosol can using compressed air.