Auto Paint Repair Tips

Scratches

1. Light scratches and swirl marks can be repaired by polishing the car. Begin by washing the car with car wash soap and cool water. Use a medium to fine abrasive car polish and a dual-action orbital polisher. Pour the polish on the pad and work in small areas on the car. Use circular and back and forth motions over the scratched areas. The polish fills the scratches in slightly and polishes the surrounding paint, making the scratches seem to disappear. Polish the entire car to make all of the paint shine. Finish with a thin coat of carnuba wax.
   
   Deep scratches can be repaired with touch-up paint and a Q-tip. Lightly sand the scratch with a sandpaper stick and then apply the paint with a Q-tip. Allow the paint to dry and then sand it smooth with a piece of 1200-grit sandpaper. Finish with the same steps used for light scratches.

Faded or Peeling Paint

2. Faded or peeling paint can cause your car to look less than ideal, but it isn't difficult to repair. Use a dual-action sander and 160-grit sandpaper on all of the faded or peeling areas. This removes the outer layer of paint and smooths the area. Wipe the area down with wax and grease remover. Mask off any areas that can't be painted with masking tape.
   
   Spray a thin coat of primer on the sanded areas. Allow it to dry and then spray two or three thin coats of paint on the area. Allow this to dry and then spray four coats of clearcoat paint on top.

Bubbling Paint

3. When you see bubbles coming from under the surface of the paint, this means you have rust on your car. You won't know how much rust exists until you remove the paint. Use a grinder and grinding disk to remove the paint down to the bare metal. Use the grinder to remove all of the rust also. If there is severe rust damage, you may have to take the car to a collision repair center to cut out the metal and weld new metal in place.
   
   If the damage is light or you don't mind having to repair the rust at a later time, remove as much as you can with the grinder. Spray an epoxy primer over the metal to seal it and prevent new rust from forming. Spray over this with a regular primer and allow it to dry. Go over the primer with two or three coats of paint, followed by three coats of clearcoat paint