Filling in scratches

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

I have a deep scrap on my front bumper (looks like maybe a screwdriver slip) its about 1/8" deep. Bought some touch up paint to paint it but it didn't help. Was wondering what I could use to fill in the scrap with so that I can paint over it with some touch up paint. Preferably something quick, easy, and cheap.

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[negativezeroz 5,000+ posts]

If iyou can feel it with your fingernail, it's into the paint/metal. So you basically have to fill it in with a body filler or primer, etc then you can sand that shiz then paint it. It can either be good or horrible.

edit: I don't know how good this works but Dupli is good stuff.

http://duplicolor.com/products/repair.html

There's another product I have in my head just don't remember the name but it'd be prefect. You fill in the area with a body filler then this product like erases the extra stuff making it smooth and one level then you can finish it off with a clear.

 

[bigwheel15 10+ year member]

Toothpaste.

 

[negativezeroz 5,000+ posts]

Toothpaste.

will scratch the paint hardcore

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

If its deep enough to warrant it's use, 3m spot putty does a very good job. Just go and wetsand the shit out of it to make it look like there was never any gouge, touch up the paint, and blammo.

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

If its deep enough to warrant it's use, 3m spot putty does a very good job. Just go and wetsand the shit out of it to make it look like there was never any gouge, touch up the paint, and blammo.

Thanks, prolly will try that. It's a plastic bumper cover, and the scratch is pretty deep and wide, so that stuff might work. Just hope the touch up paint ain't too noticeable

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

It will come out fine if you take your time on it. Make sure to wetsand with a really fine grit paper (1000 works great) after applying some touchup on it. Then clearcoat it and hit it with 2000 grit paper, some water, and a dab of cheap dish soap. The expensive stuff sucks for wetsanding.

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

yeah iam just worried about the touchup paint being a different shade. When I repainted my fender and bumper on my old car with the factory paint it was a little darker, however it was prolly only noticeable because it was such a large area meeting with another large area.

 

[dcole18 5,000+ posts]

If its deep enough to warrant it's use, 3m spot putty does a very good job. Just go and wetsand the shit out of it to make it look like there was never any gouge, touch up the paint, and blammo.

spot putty will work, but that stuff isnt used that much any more because its lacquer based and will eventually cause lifting... i would use basic body filler...

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

spot putty will work, but that stuff isnt used that much any more because its lacquer based and will eventually cause lifting... i would use basic body filler...

Can you get that stuff at wal-mart? Iam lookin for something I can buy locally, and being in such a small town the only place to shop is wal-mart or Ace Hardware

 

[dcole18 5,000+ posts]

Can you get that stuff at wal-mart? Iam lookin for something I can buy locally, and being in such a small town the only place to shop is wal-mart or Ace Hardware

walmart carries bondo...

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

Well bondo is no good for plastic. Trust me on that one. It is harder than plastic and you'll never get it to look right. I've used the 3m spot putty and it has worked fine. I never got any lifting, but I did get cracking due to me laying it on thick and then sanding before it was 100% cured. I used it to fill in my bumper where my nissan emblem used to be. I also used it to fill in tiny door dings and it sands nice, paints well, and hasnt yet failed me.

 

[LaidMagazine]

Evercoat Rage Lightweight Filler is also a great product.

if you care about how your bumper looks, then id repaint it. If you are not experienced blending paint then have someone else do it. Plastic bumpers and panels tend to be a different shade then the body of the car anyway. They are like that from the factory. There are tons of variants of the same paint code. Youd be hard to match it anyway. Prep the bumper, filler, primer, sanding, primer, painting, clearing, wetsanding and polishing. Youll be happier in the end. A shop shouldnt charge more then @250-300 for the job. The majority of it being material, about 150 bux for good material

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

You mean a majority being labor, and 150 for material.

 

[DubbDesigns 10+ year member]

Not looking for a real professional looking job. Just wanna make it look a little better. I am not too worried about trying to make it look like new. Local paint shop around here wanted to charge me $450 to paint my fender and bumper that was not even on the car with me buying the paint. All he had to do was spray it, it was ready for paint, so I would hate to see how much he would charge to do just a little bit of labor.

Ended up having my friend spray it for me for $50 which I thought was still a little high just for a quick spray, but thought it was alot better than $450. Turned out decent, just a shade darker which I kinda expected. But like I said, it was a fender with the new paint colliding with the old paint of the door and hood, so of course it would be noticeable, maybe with the little area on my bumper it won't be as noticeable.

Thanks phantom, I will probably give your technique a shot. Not looking to spend alot on it