hiqh quality detailer for scratch repair near Pittsburgh, PA

[g34343greg]

Hi everyone,

sorry, i know this probably isn`t the right place for this, but the Northeast forum is dead.

anyways, some lovely person gave me a nice, 3" long scratch on the lower part of the door on my blue Chevy SS.

What would a GOOD detailer charge to fix one scratch?
How do I go about finding a high-quality detailer? searching google just yields lot of the shady window tint/custom wheel shops that I will not be going to.

Normally I like to detail as a hobby, but putting sandpaper to my new car to level the touch up paint is freaking me out

thanks!

[tom p.]

Are you able to share a picture of the damage?

[g34343greg]

straight scratch, through to the primer, but not to metal

[Poorboy]

since it`s your baby I`d seek a paint shop .. you will always know it`s there

[Accumulator]

Normally I like to detail as a hobby, but putting sandpaper to my new car to level the touch up paint is freaking me out

Sorry to hear about the vandalism, glad to hear you`re leery of wetsanding.

Is that a metallic or not? Sorry, can`t tell from the pic.

Either way I guess, I`d suggest that you DIY that, just don`t wetsand to level it. Try leveling it with Langka`s Blob Eliminator or use DrColorchips (if you go that route I`d suggest an alternative to their Official How-to Instructions). Those products use chemical/solvent leveling and the worst that can happen is that you might "solvent away" the entire touchup and have to start over. Really no downside other than risking the waste of a little $ and time.

Yes indeed, some painters can fix stuff like that so well you just can`t imagine...but most can`t and I`d rather trust myself, at least as a first try.

[tom p.]

Yeah, I also thought about Dr Colorchip with their tiny squeegee for application. You have to have patience and it may require several sessions over several days. Some nice videos on youtube channel with Mike Phillips.

Alternate: the car dealerships have re-conditioning guys that air brush this kind of scratch. These guys kinda fly below the radar so they are not easy to locate. Regardless, they can work magic...at least the experienced guys can.

I don`t know that I`d ever break the paint on a brand new car for something like that, but I can`t really tell how bad it is since the picture quality and scale of damage aren`t ascertainable.

[Dan]

I agree on the DIY approach with something like Lanka. It is very reversible if you don`t like the results. Factory paint is largely unaffected by the simple solvents required for removing touchup paint.

[Accumulator]

Yeah, I also thought about Dr Colorchip with their tiny squeegee for application...

I utterly despise their Official How To Method! Applying their paint via tiny brushes worked infinitely better for me (results-wise if not time-wise).

You have to have patience and it may require several sessions over several days.

Also takes a decent knowledge base and mindset Pretty simple stuff though...easy enough to get a handle on.

Alternate: the car dealerships have re-conditioning guys that air brush this kind of scratch. These guys kinda fly below the radar so they are not easy to locate. Regardless, they can work magic...at least the experienced guys can...

Yeah, the (rare, at least in my area) guys who are truly GREAT at that really can work miracles.

I don`t know that I`d ever break the paint on a brand new car for something like that...

I bet it`ll be just fine after a touchup even if it doesn`t turn out perfect. IME this kind of thing always seems Truly Awful when it`s fresh but once it`s been lived with for a while, well...not so much.

[Mike lambert]

Pm me, I’ll give you a name