Need help: Paint question

[arabbit]

Alright guys I need help with a paint question. I'll keep the details short to make the thread relatively simple: I got a scratch on my rear quarter right behind my door (where side scoops would be.) Here's what's going on:

I had a shop polish the scratch, and it did not take it out. I had another shop wet sand it, it also didn't work. I tried Dr. Colorchip and it didn't work. I had a touch up service take a look at it and tell me there was nothing he could do for it. I was then referred to someone at a dealership that specializes in spot painting and blending. He looked at it today and was fairly confident that he could fix it, by doing the following: sanding the clearcoat for the small area, putting new primer and paint on the spot, and then putting a new layer of clearcoat over it and blending the whole thing together.

So, my question is: has anyone ever heard of this? I'm skeptical of having someone paint a small area and blend it with the rest. Also, if I do this, will it compromise my factory paint or clear? I don't want to have a small spot painted and then have the clearcoat around it start to bubble or lift.

My only other option is to put on some side scoops and cover up the scratch, but I don't know that I want to do that. So I need advice, is it a good idea to spot paint and blend? Or should I play it safe and just cover it up with side scoops?

 

[07 Boss]

The only experience I've had with spot painting was doing the whole panel in clear. You can usually get blemish painted over and blended but it was always my understanding you needed to clear the entire panel, and that you needed good cut off lines like a panel gap.

 

[mrt2you]

I am a certified bodyman/ painter for about 30 years.
yes small spot repairs are done a LOT.
DURABILITY of the repair will never be as good as a complete panel repair done by a body shop with a baking booth. I an talking air dry to baking booth. 40 min bake at 140* is equal to a 24 hour air dry at 70*. yes you can use a heat lamp to bake but it will never equal a bake job in a spray booth.
the first thing is the edge of the blended clear coat will never look totally perfect to the picky owner. the ends of the blended edge will not look right. if you buff it smooth you will buff thru the blend. even if the blend is done correctly the edges of the blend will eventually get rubbed off when waxing after a few years or so.
the 100% CORRECT way to repair is to sand, spot prime, basecoat blend, then clear entire 1/4 panel-roof and other 1/4 panel. this way cost $$$$. this is how it probably would be repaired at the shop I work at. we would get the 1/4 glass removed when it was being painted also.

if you are really picky about how your car looks. put 1/4 scoops over the scratch. if you get it blended be prepared for the texture of the clear cot to look different than the rest of the panel. 7 out of 10 people who look at the car will never notice anything wrong, but you probably will.
the darker the car is the more noticeable it will be.

 

[AbdullaGT500]

We do it all the time at our dealership. As said in the post above, after a few years it will eventually look bad. I'd go with the side scoop over painting the quarter panel.

 

[arabbit]

The guy who would be doing it was planning to spray the clear and blend up to where the body has a natural indentation (where the scoops would sit) so it would be very difficult to notice where the blend ends and the original paint begins. I guess an even bigger question for me, is this: if I go ahead and have him try the blend, will it be bad for the surrounding paint? Will it cause the original paint/clear to bubble or peel? If not, then if it comes out looking like crap, I could still just cover it with scoops.

 

[mrt2you]

blending shouldn't hurt existing paint.
if it has been re-painted at one time the blending solvent can cause the paint to lift, wrinkle up.
what will peel up is the blended edges of the new clear.

the biggest concern I would have on a spot driveway repair is overspray.
it's difficult to properly cover a car when it's outside being painted. the wind can blow the masking paper around allowing the overspray to land on your car.

 

[arabbit]

It isn't being done outside, it's at a dealership. Even if the new clear starts lifting over time, I could always just still put on side scoops and hide it. As long as doing all of this doesn't effect any paint outside of that spot.

 

[v8venomgt]

if youre a discerning enthusiast you wont be happy with a spot repair. even the most qualified spot repair specialists leave something on the table. if its a nice car, but just a car to you that you plan to sell in a few years go for it, or ignore it.

 

[arabbit]

It was the car I was planning on keeping. Which is why it bothers me so much that there is a scratch on it. It's driving me nuts.

 

[XxBoostinxX]

It was the car I was planning on keeping. Which is why it bothers me so much that there is a scratch on it. It's driving me nuts.

Can I see a picture of the scratch? If it isn't through the clear it should be able to come out.

 

[arabbit]

The best shot I have.. its hard to see but there is a scratch that splits into two, and a chip (with some ugly touch up paint) toward the center/right of the pic. Theres also a small scratch to the upper left of that. They are deep enough that wet sanding could not take it out, and I know the chip is down to the metal.

 

[XxBoostinxX]

Well you aren't going to get the chip out that's for sure. But there are two things detailers hate, dealerships and body shops. Nothing against anyone that works in either, but most of the time you guys leave a lot to be desired when it come to a finished product. If someone buffed that they did a terrible job. I find it hard to believe anyone wet sanded it either. Usually you can see tracers from wetsanding. I would take it to a professional detailer that knows what they are doing. Remember, a body shop wants to just respray it because it is easier for them. Where are you located?

 

[arabbit]

Colorado. But the polishing was done by a detail shop, the wet sanding was done by a body shop (they did not want to repaint), I took it to another detailing shop (said he couldn't do anything) and then took it to two more body shops ( this dealership was the only one that said they could do anything )

 

[XxBoostinxX]

I wish you were closer. I'd love to have a crack at it. I removed some pretty deep scratches on my Saleen. They were even nail catchers and I wet sanded and polished them out. The main problem you will run in to is if it went through the paint.

 

[arabbit]

I can't tell if the scratches actually made it through the paint, but I know the paint chip made it all the way through.