Expedition Leather

[Bobby G]

I thought I would do a photo shoot of scratch repair after the scratch or chip has been filled with paint. This is a process that MUST be done with care and knowledge. Here`s the link:



Scratch Repair (http://www.gotopia.net/)





:)

db

[Neeraj]

Thanks a bunch.



I have a chip that I repaired with touch up paint. I did an ok job, but it is kind of bumpy. I was scared to try to sand it smooth and ruin the paint, and I would have died had I gotten the result you did before applying the 3m.



Since yours came out great, I`m going to do it.



I`m going to follow your instructions. Hopefully I`ll get the same result.



Brian

[vdubrick]

Hi David,



how deep was that scratch ? Was it deep enough to be felt by fingernail ?



Deckard

[imported_doug]

Thanks very much for going to the trouble to document your work so carefully. It really helps and is much appreciated.



/GH

[YoSteve]

DB, good deal, does gotopia have any other pages? paint chips perhaps? I can tolerate my small scratches (silver car), but chips lead to rust. I`ve read various directions to help but pics make the difference. :)

[Bobby G]

YoSteve,



I have a few pics showing chip repair, but they are not great. If you read the instructions in my book you will get the idea. It`s not hard, it just takes time. The most important steps are proper prep work and to apply several thin coats of touch-up, not one thick coat.



Deckard,



I don`t know how deep the scratch was, the touch-up repair was done by someone else. However, but the looks of it, it was down to the primer ot the metal.



The car actually has a dozen or more touch-ups that I need to level and rebuff. The hood and front have a lot of stone chip damage that is too small to touch up in the conventional way. I plan to use an airbrush to fix the front. I will document my steps.



db

[Glozz]

David,



Perhaps you could place a link to these pictures for anyone attempting to do a sanding repair. A picture is worth a 1000 words.



Thanks again for the lesson!!!!!

[Bobby G]

The photos are for my book (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/accgtd.html (`http://www.autopia-carcare.com/accgtd.html`)), which will continue to develop for some time to come. I may put some of the advanced material on www.autopia-carport.com.

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

i must have read a thousand threads relating to this topic....but none of them made it so clear as to wht you were doing....when i saw that paint....before you polished it i was freaking out....thats the kind of result that all of us fear IMOH...but you showed that less is more.....thanks alot buddy.........

[Bobby G]

FLONI... no problem. I know it seems terrible to take sandpaper to what looks like an okay finish, but it really is not all that aggressive. There was a time when I would paint my cars with 10-15 coats of lacquer and color sand each coat, including the final coat. With each layer the paint became more and more perfect... like glass.

The first time I color sanded a complete factory paint job was when my 1995 993 got stained with battery acid. It when everywhere. When I finished, the car`s paint looked better than the factory finish. In fact, the service manager could not believe it and took this picture: http://store1.yimg.com/I/autopia_1650_1052950 (`http://store1.yimg.com/I/autopia_1650_1052950`)

I`m playing with video clips now to see if it makes demonstrating procedures any better. My fear is that too many people won`t have the bandwidth to view the videos.

db

[YoSteve]

wow DB, that pic looks like a close up of a car enthusiast`s Christmas tree (the ornaments look so shiny and lifelike :D ) Doesn`t look much like a toy soldier though ;)

[Bluedog]

wow DB, amazing job of what u done there. great pics help ALOT too.



thing is this process is probably too advanced for me and for alot of people here honestly. it looks simnple with the number of steps and products used. but seriously its 90% techinique here. i really cant gamble my paint like what u did after that horrifying look of the second wet sanding. if i screw up, i know ill be sad for life every time i look at the permanant scars. :(



but u did an awesome job though, but there should be real emphasize on how dangerous this process may be for those who r reading this and are convinced that its super easy according to the pics u provided.



by the way, where do u get that exact kind of sand paper you used?

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

amazing......everybody should have some battery acid on their car...lol.if that`s the result....that yellow is gorgeous....i think that Porsche place is so clean....figures a guy with his own "sanctuary" would go to mechanics like that........lol....by the way.....i noticed on your porsche and the one on the lift....whats with that little black pastic?..bumper type thing....next to your drivers side directional...a little bumper?......



i dont know if you still have "junkyards" by where you live....but i do....i know the guy and there are lots of late model cars in there...all beat up....i`m going to ask him if i can try out your technique on a clean section of one of his cars.....i figure....i`ll put a lttle scratch on it....then try your technique....best to experiment on a junker than my baby......again...i dont know if "dangerous" is the right word.....but the only way to get to know what the heck your doin is yo do it.....



the video clips would be such a great addition to your book....i fortunately have a cable modem but i know what you mean about the clips...when i had dial up no clip was watchable...to choppy and the sound was often incoherent...

[Bluedog]

well ive finally convinced myself to try to do what u did on a tiny section of my front side bumper. im going to be using the 3M rubbing compund. the question is, is there really a difference between the liquid form and the paste form for the 3M rubbing compund? for some reason i feel the idea of paste in this situation would be better. but my local store only carries the liquid version.

[BillNorth]

I just wanted to say thanks. The time and attention to detail you put into that tutorial is very much appreciated.



As for getting battery acid on the finish of your car, had it been me, I probably would have passed out, and never woken up. The yellow is stunning.