Scratch Advice - delay before repair

**Furd** · 05-06-2009, 01:54 PM

Hello all - noobie here, but a lurker for some time. I searched a bit, but I couldn`t find an answer to part of the question.

I have a new Audi with the Phantom Black Pearl Effect. I have a wonderful scratch, about 6 inches long, on the right fender, extending from the wheel well to the passenger door. Its through the clear coat, it appears, but not down to the metal. I have read some of the articles on this site that make such a repair seem easy. I`m handy with the PC, but the thought of me taking sandpaper to the paint gives me pause.

In any event, whoever does it, its going to be at least several weeks (if not more) before it gets repaired. What should I do to it in the meantime? Wax over it/seal it? (I put a couple coats of Z-2 on the car before the scratch). Leave it alone? Does it matter?

TIA

**Accumulator** · 05-06-2009, 06:51 PM

Furd- Welcome to Autopia!

Sorry to hear about the scratch. Hope the shop doing the repair is good with pearls, those paints are a *real* challenge to spot-in.

Anyhow...to make it less obvious you could try Meguiar`s M105 or their Ultimate Compound. Then something like Meguiar`s M205 or their Swirl-X. I`ve corrected Audi clear by hand with M105 and while it did take a while it turned out fine. But milder stuff would be, IME, pretty much a waste of time. Yeah...I did correct Audi clear by hand before M105 came out, but I honestly don`t imagine anybody else putting in that kind of time and effort and there`s no reason to since you can just use the Meguiar`s stuff.

Once you get the edges of the scratch rounded off as per the above advice, go ahead and wax/Zaino it. Then try not to let your eyes be drawn to it every time you`re around the car

**Furd** · 05-07-2009, 06:28 AM

Thank you Accumulator. I`m going to give it a go as you suggested.

With regard to the latter, at least its on the passenger side, so I`m not tempted to look at it every time I get in or out of the car.

**tresola** · 05-07-2009, 08:39 AM

I also have two pearl vehicles, although both of mine are white. One thing I learned while poking around online about scratches on a pearl coat is that pearls use a basic base color coat, then the pearl is applied over it. I plan on trying to do a few touchups this weekend on my Solara using Toyota basic white, then applying the pearl over it.

If yours is just a hairline scratch, it should respond pretty well to rubbed in compound, then a few dabs of paint using a small brush to fix it.

If I`m successful at fixing mine this weekend, I`ll post some pics and a narrative of what I did for you, in hopes it might get your problem solved w/o a bodyshop.

**Furd** · 05-07-2009, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Accumulator

Furd- Welcome to Autopia!

Sorry to hear about the scratch. Hope the shop doing the repair is good with pearls, those paints are a *real* challenge to spot-in.

Anyhow...to make it less obvious you could try Meguiar`s M105 or their Ultimate Compound. Then something like Meguiar`s M205 or their Swirl-X. I`ve corrected Audi clear by hand with M105 and while it did take a while it turned out fine. But milder stuff would be, IME, pretty much a waste of time. Yeah...I did correct Audi clear by hand before M105 came out, but I honestly don`t imagine anybody else putting in that kind of time and effort and there`s no reason to since you can just use the Meguiar`s stuff.

Once you get the edges of the scratch rounded off as per the above advice, go ahead and wax/Zaino it. Then try not to let your eyes be drawn to it every time you`re around the car

There is a pretty significant difference in price between the M105/205 combo and the Ultimate/Swirl-X. Is it worth it?

**Accumulator** · 05-07-2009, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Furd

There is a pretty significant difference in price between the M105/205 combo and the Ultimate/Swirl-X. Is it worth it?

Not having used the consumer-line stuff, I just don`t know

But I`d think that some of the price diff has to do with the sizes involved (small tube vs. big bottle).

**Furd** · 05-08-2009, 07:10 AM

Thanks fellas. I`ve ordered some M105/205. I`ll roll up the sleeves as soon as it gets here. I also ordered some touch up paint from Paintscratch.

A couple more questions: 1) machine or hand?; 2) what color pad?

**imported_nickc0844** · 05-08-2009, 12:09 PM

...and lord forbid you do need paint, a buddy of mine on here turned me onto Auto Visuals. I`ve purchased 4 pens from them now, and can`t believe how well they can match metallic content...not to much, not too little.

**Furd** · 05-08-2009, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by nickc0844

...and lord forbid you do need paint, a buddy of mine on here turned me onto Auto Visuals. I`ve purchased 4 pens from them now, and can`t believe how well they can match metallic content...not to much, not too little.

I ordered some from PaintScratch. And I ordered some M105/205.

Let the fun begin.

Thanks again to all.