Bike Rack Scratch :( Touch Up Paint Possible?

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coryd

New Member
#1
#1
Hi all,

I recently tried out a new bike rack for the first time and for the first half of the trip there were no issues at all, but after returning home I noticed the metal fender of the bike had been scratching away at the paint on the trunk during the second half of the trip. It got scratched pretty good, looks like the primer is showing through in some spots.

I don't have much experience with automotive paint so my question is, can this be repaired with a touch up paint kit? Or does it need a full respray? I'm really hoping this doesn't turn out to be too expensive.







Any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Cory
 
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corolla_mike

New Member
#2
#2
Take it to a paint shop. Have heard of a method whereby many thin layers of paint are applied into scratches to fill them. Those scratches are too big and numerous to handle yourself.
 
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corolla_mike

New Member
#4
#4
Here is a story, and you can decide what route you'd like to take:

The first year we had our '09 (purchased Oct, '08), an inconsiderate, lowlife MORON dented our right-rear door with their white door (white paint left behind). Thinking it was a major scratch, we took it to a paint shop for an estimate. Many printouts later, the total came to over $400! I thanked them, and left, never to return.

One day, I found in the bag of goodies given to us by our dealer upon purchasing our car a bottle of paint cleaner -- you know, the kind that gets dirt out of the paint, but won't scratch it. So, I applied it to the dent on the door. In almost an instant, the stuff revealed not a scratch, but a dent filled with the other vehicle's paint. I was left with a pretty good dent, but no need for a paint job, and continued to live with it, although the look of it bothered me greatly. But what would happen in the next few months would make that dent look like no dent at all!

While on a trip to the post office, I happened upon an empty log truck headed in the opposite direction. In a flash, a piece of chain flew from the truck and put 3 deep dents in my Corolla's hood! They were small, but these dents went through to the sheet metal! I was mortified. My only recourse at the time was to attempt a touch-up with some brush-on paint I had purchased not long after we got our car for just such an occasion.

I suck at painting.

So, I decided to call a paintless dent repair guy, and he took care of both the dent in the door, and the 3 dents in the hood. It was then he told me of a guy who filled in scratches with multiple layers of paint, and was so good at it that you couldn't tell there had been a scratch at all. But in my case, the dents were already covered, so he could no longer help me. Had I known about him beforehand, I wouldn't have attempted a repair, but would have left it to him.

I say find such a professional in your area, and discover the costs involved. For me, there is no way in you-know-where I'd attempt as big of a repair as you have before you.

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.
 
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