Help me with this paint blemish, please...

[MnRiverman]

Well as I put in a thread the other day, I debadged my car and managed to let the "A" scratch the paint when I was pulling it off (it has very sharp edges, something I didn`t pay attention to).



Well there is a chip/scratch on the left, but on the right (the other leg of the "A"), what I thought was a chip surely isn`t.



This didn`t remove with FI-II, SMR, or anything I tried, but it doesn`t look like a scratch and I can`t feel it with my fingernail.



What is it?????



http://home.earthlink.net/~adg44/Audi/Debadging%20Marks.jpg



It is a lighter color than the car also, so you see it all the time. I wish I had left the badge on the car - I may break down and go to Audi and buy another A4 badge.



Thanks,



- Anthony

[Jngrbrdman]

Have you tried using something like ScratchX by hand directly on those spots? If that doesn`t work and using a machine doesn`t work, then break out the sand paper because that`s the only way its coming out.

[MnRiverman]

I did FI-II and SMR with my PC and it didn`t touch that spot, so I assume neither would scratch-x by hand?



Shouldn`t I use touch up paint first and then sandpaper to smooth it out?



Another A4 badge is looking really good right now. :p

[Accumulator]

adg44 - No no, please don`t rebadge it!! Heh heh, sorry, but I`m just SO into debadged Audis, been doing it to mine forever :D Note that you may very well see the problem even AFTER you replace the badge as it appears to be BESIDE where the A4 was. But yeah, it wouldn`t be so noticeable.



Before doing anything drastic, look at it under magnification. An illuminated magnifier (Radio Shack sells a good 30X one pretty cheap) will give you a much better idea what you`re dealing with. This is a good tool for a car nut to have around in any case. Another one that works well for me (for all sorts of stuff) is a magnifier with a fluorescent ring-light, but that`s more of a workbench/tool cart-mounted thing.



*I* would/will be surprised if you have to resort to touch up paint (well, maybe some clear, but probably not the color). Audi`s touch up paint set (one bottle each of silver and clear) isn`t that bad, but the clear is pretty thick and dries quite quickly. The silver matches surprisingly well, in case you do have to use it.



BTW, *I* find that Audi uses a *VERY* hard clear these days. You`re probably gonna need something stronger than the FI-II for the (left side) scratch anyhow. Even most RC`s will barely be strong enough. I would NOT, however, resort to wetsanding unless you`ve done it before. If you DO decide to sand it, read ALL the posts here about it, and use 3000 grit or even finer. Go VERY VERY slow and easy...remember that it`s an irrevocable process. Another good reason to be able to look at it with better-than-human-eye vision.

[MnRiverman]

Yeah I know, I really like the debadged look too. I did it with my past three cars. Never had this problem though.



The blemishes are exactly at the bottom legs of the "A". It is a very wide A, that`s why.



I don`t mind the chip as it`s not very noticeable, but that damn mark on the right is really pissing me off! :p



I don`t want to wetsand also and if it doesn`t come out with any compounds then I will rebadge... whether it be an A4 badge or something else.

[MnRiverman]

Well I went out and tried some Scratch-x and that didn`t work either.



It`s funny because you can barely see the chip/scratch, but this damn whatever it is on the right shows up all the time. When you look directly at it, it comes off as a very light silver/white color. When you look at an angle, it`s black/grey.



Is this the metalic coating showing? Maybe it was there from the factory and I didn`t see it before because it was under the badge - could that be possible? Maybe something from the adhesive caused this blemish to occur?



I test fitted the A again and sure enough it covers it up....



Maybe I`ll just use the front of a RS6 badge... you know the two colors. Could turn out to be kinda cool.



Who knows...

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by adg44

... this damn whatever it is on the right shows up all the time. When you look directly at it, it comes off as a very light silver/white color. When you look at an angle, it`s black/grey.



Is this the metalic coating showing? Maybe it was there from the factory and I didn`t see it before because it was under the badge - could that be possible? Maybe something from the adhesive caused this blemish to occur?...



Sounds to me like a flaw in the color coat. I`d bet that it`s still covered with clear, but the silver and its metallic stuff is messed up somehow. Having owned, let`s see, 7-8 silver Audis (with others in the family), I can say for certain that their paint is NOT always perfect.



If you`re gonna rebadge, I like the idea of doing something different from the normal A4. Give it some thought though, I don`t think you wanna do it over and over.

[Bill D]

I strongly considered debadging my new A4 but decided against it. I`m sure I won`t run into any more potential trouble than adg44 has, just decided I`ll leave it alone. I know what you mean about the Scratch X,at best it only brightened the paint a little around the slightest scratches I have. I`m looking into something to tackle the tough Audi clear. Just got DACP, didn`t try it yet. I have an assortment of other paint products. Actually will be posting a pic of all of my chemicals with my A4 later this week if weather permits.

[MnRiverman]

I think I`m going to get one of the Euro S badges and just rock the red insignia and the S - I saw a picture of something similar to that and it looks pretty nice.



You know someone could say this is fate - I scratched my GTI three years ago when I was debadging in IN EXACTLY THE SAME PLACE!



Maybe it`s a sign of the cars I own and love. :D



Hey, it gives it more character, so neeEener!

[MnRiverman]

Originally posted by Accumulator

Sounds to me like a flaw in the color coat. I`d bet that it`s still covered with clear, but the silver and its metallic stuff is messed up somehow. Having owned, let`s see, 7-8 silver Audis (with others in the family), I can say for certain that their paint is NOT always perfect.







I know exactly what you mean - my GTI had a blemish on the hood where it was a little lighter in one area.



Overall though I love VW paint and have rarely had a problem.



I wouldn`t be surprised if this blemish was there before and I just couldn`t see it because it was covered by the badge.



Maybe I`ll pull a rice move and get an MTM badge even though I don`t have anything from them yet. :p



Although it`s not really rice as MTM is pretty much to Audi like AMG is to Mercedes... so....



Eh.

[Accumulator]

adg44- Yeah, I`ll have to :nono about using a badge advertising products you`re not running ;) . BTW, MTM stuff IS pretty good, why not just get something of theirs and badge away.



Sounds like you need to refine your badge-removal technique. I`ve debadged I don`t know HOW many cars, and I don`t recall having had a problem with marring. Not intended as a slam...just don`t want you to give up on the debadged (modern equivalent of "nosed and decked") look. I still prefer the heat/solvent/waxed dental floss method.



And yeah, it`s funny about the "giving it character" bit; I left the stone chips in my XJS`s hood (happened August, `86) and now, years later, I think of THEM as "character"/patina. Hey, some of the most valuable, historic cars in the world have stone chips and other cosmetic flaws.

[MnRiverman]

Actually that`s exactly how I debadged....



Only the A gave me problems though because the edges are razor sharp, so when I got through the adhesive with the floss, I used my fingers to pull the badge off and the bottom caught and scraped.



Just bad luck.



I think I`ll just get a Tenzo R sticker and cover that bad boy up. :p

[Accumulator]

Originally posted by adg44

Actually that`s exactly how I debadged.... Just bad luck.



Yeah, these things happen sometimes.






I think I`ll just get a Tenzo R sticker and cover that bad boy up. :p



LOL

[Jesstzn]

Tony .. you know me .. I had a mar that looked just like that from a kid and a toy car on my door. Scratch-X ( Same as #9) didn`t touch it .. nor did 3M Swirl remover but Menzerna Intensive polish did. And in quik order too. I followed with their Final Polish but any polish would have done instead of final even 3M swirl remover on a buffer.