Scratch on plastic fender

[flh3]

I have no idea how I got this scratch here, I made sure the other side was the one hitting the tree branches. It`s a plastic-type fender, painted the same as the rest of the truck. I can just barely feel it with my fingernail, it doesn`t get caught in there, but I can feel it. Is there any hope for repairing this short of repainting? If not, how about hiding?



http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/9997/scratch1ze1.jpg



http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/7172/scratch2ux0.jpg

[benvegas]

While the photos dont do much good, the ultimate question is if the scratch penetrated the clear coat to the paint job. If it has, you`ll need body shop work. If it hasnt, you should be able to polish it out with a heavy, then medium, then light polish, preferrably with a machine buffer and expect to spend some good time working on it.

[benvegas]

Scratch the machine buffing, forgot it is a plastic bumper painted. Polish by hand not machine.

[David Fermani]

If you have a rotary buffer it should look much better if not completely disappear. Just because it`s plastic doesn`t mean you can`t high speed polish it. Just don`t let it get real hot and you`ll be totally fine. If you`re in Florida I`ll do it for free. It should only take 10-15 minutes from start to finish.

[flh3]

Unless the clearcoat is like 1/8mm thick, I don`t think it got past it. My fingernail passes right over it but you can still barely feel it. In the top picture, on the left where it looks thicker, that`s just a bit deeper than the rest.



I don`t have a rotary buffer and I`m actually quite hesitant to use one myself on my truck, being as I`ve never used one before. :nervous:



I am in Florida, thank you for the offer. However, I`m about 250 miles away from Lake Worth. :sadpace:

[MorBid]

I`ll tell you what, if you work a plastic part with a rotary you better be careful. It don`t take much to heat that stuff up and you`ll end up while something worse than a scratch.



Trust me on this.



Morbid