Kids....Gotta love `em

[baker999]

I know I`m a rookie but I need some "professional" advice and not a bunch of newbies like me chiming in on this one.



I have three young girls and an 03 black Suburban. Let me tell you now that the two don`t mix. After I got home last night, my wife strategically hands my our baby and sits down to tell me the good news of the day. Apparently, my two oldest (5 and 3) were playing with rocks at a friends house. While waiting for mom to get in the car and leave, the oldest climbed in the back and shut the door. The two year old heard her sister get in and wanted in too so she proceeded to bang on the door to be let in. PROBLEM is, she still had a rock in her hand. How hard can a 3 year old hit you ask. Hard enough, with rock in hand, to take chips out of the paint and leave some very nice gashes. I was able to get the scuffs out and knock down many of the scratches (I`ll deal with them later). My question for you is what to do with the nicks in the paint. There are literally holes in the paint. It`s down to the metal. Please tell me I can repair these or I`m going to sacrifice my 3 year old to the detailing gods.



TIA

[jonw440]

Kids will be kids. Love them now as they will never be 3 and 5 again!

[Preachers Sheets]

You can fill in the chips with touch up paint and layer some clear.

[CharlesW]

You can do some touchup painting that will help, but you just as well budget for repainting the door. Find a really good painter and have as small a section as possible painted.

I once had an entire 1/4 panel painted because of a gouge in the paint that was less than 3/8" in size. The guys at the shop laughed at me, but the money was well spent. It was the only flaw in the paint of a two year old car and drove me nuts every time I looked at it.:nixweiss



Charles

[baker999]

I know I can get the touch up paint from a dealer. Where do I get the clearcote for touch up?

[Preachers Sheets]

The clear is usally in the touch up paint kit :-)

[2wheelsx2]

It depends on the kit. Some kits have a clear, and other`s don`t. I have used both, and they both look the same after you are done. You might want to click on the "Learn!" box up top to read DavidB`s article on touchups. Better yet, get the eBook. To make it look perfect, you`ll have to wetsand and compound.

[imported_rachelanne16]

Here is the definitive paint touchup how-to (http://www.autopia.ws/articles.php?articleId=27) (courtesy of this very site).

[baker999]

Thanks for the reference. I feel like such a turd. I just looked at this yesterday and didn`t remember seeing it. The stress of the situation must have created temporary memory loss. Sorry to bother you all with something I should have found?

[imported_rachelanne16]

On a positive note, black is supposed to be one of the easier colors to touchup. Still, be prepared to have to spend some time on it; layer, dry, layer, dry, wet sand, layer, etc. Don`t worry. One day, you both will look back on this and laugh ... or maybe not.

[meGrimlock]

Originally posted by ejant

Kids will be kids, think back when you were younger and all the mischief and mayhen that you may have caused.



Ha, I was just thinking about that. I remember when I was younger, I broke the hood ornament off of my grandfather`s `68 Mercedes. Funny thing, that very Mercedes is now sitting in my driveway - sans hood ornament (I have the replacement sitting in the center console, it will be placed on the car as the final repair to mark its re-christening).

[imported_phareous]

I think you need to teach her how to do touch up paint...and do it right with the sanding, multiple layers, etc. After doing some of those she`ll think twice about damaging the paint...I know I do anyway :)

[titus]

My six kids are all grown up and moved out. NOW my car is worthy of an Autopian. Back `then`, I cleaned the carpets with a rake! :D



Of course back then, I thought everybody`s (with kids) car was like that.:o

[Taxlady]

Volvo4me, who hasn`t posted here in ages, has her children detail the lower portions of cars. Saves a lot of bending. Kids are short, so it`s easy for them. :D

[LouisanaJeeper]

get a can of black rustoleum and spray on. No need to mask off the area just spray away :) Heck, even have the kids help spray the stuff on for an art project. Should be about $2 in materials.

Afterwards, slap on a coat of Turtle Wax`s Finest Wax and you will be good to go.

(Disclaimer: :) Joking, obviously)