has anyone tried......

D

derrickm

New member
My car just got a nasty ding on my hood!!! :eek: I'm about to cry!!! All the attention and care I have given it....and now this!!! What can I do??? This is the first damage since I've gotten the car....it's been almost 9K miles with no dings! Until now!!!



PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.......tell me everything I need to buy and step by step how to fix it!!! I know that I'm going to need to buy some touch up paint from the dealer...but what else? In my current arsenal, I have....3M Imperial Hand Glaze, Eagle One Scratch Remover, Pinnacle Paint Cleansing Lotion, Klasse AIO and SG and Blitx wax.



Holy s##t!!!! This is horrible!!! Keep in mind also, I've never repaired any kind of scratches or dings before. Pray for me!!!



If you look at the picture....you can see that it's down to the metal...at least I think it's to the metal...it looks more white than it does silver. But, the white/silver part measures about 1/4 inch from top to bottom. If you look to the left of that mark, there is also a little scratch that measures about 1/2 from top to bottom.



PLEASE tell me it's fixable:( :( :( :( :(
 
Derrickm,



I reacted the same way when I found two paint chips on the front of my month old GS.



If you look under the "how-to's" on this site, I recall there being an extensive article on repairing such chips... it proved very helpful in fixing the chips for me... I'm sure it will work for you too.



Sorry to hear about it though... :( Good luck!
 
What caused this? Why won't insurance pay for a repaint of the hood?



Looks kind of like it was caused by a flying object with a flat right side and a protruding right side. If it was a flying object, that's a heck of a gouge.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by puterbum [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>What caused this? Why won't insurance pay for a repaint of the hood?

Looks kind of like it was caused by a flying object with a flat right side and a protruding right side. If it was a flying object, that's a heck of a gouge. [/b]</blockquote>
It happened driving home from work today (about 50 miles). I never saw or heard anything hit me?? All I drive on coming home is country back roads. Lots of big trucks and stuff like that. There's no telling what it was.

Is this worth trying to fix myself? Or should I take it to a body shop?
 
Derrick - it will be virtually impossible to repair that yourself and end up with a result you'll be happy with. You would succeed in hiding it from MOST eyes, but not from your own. The only way to really fix it right is to repaint the hood.
 
the entire hood......no one could color match a fix me up like that. For a temp fix you could have it filled in, sanded, and touched up...that should run you about 50-100 bucks tops, but you will still see it up close.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by DETAILKING [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>the entire hood......no one could color match a fix me up like that. For a temp fix you could have it filled in, sanded, and touched up...that should run you about 50-100 bucks tops, but you will still see it up close. [/b]</blockquote>
If I did have it filled in, sanded and touched up.......should I even attempt this myself using the "how-to" directions on this site? Or should I take it to a body shop?

I can probably afford the 50-100 bucks to have it done, but there's no way I could pay to get the entire hood re-painted. Remember, I drive a VW Jetta because I can't afford a Porsche or a BMW or an Audi. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to, but not yet. When I can afford one of the finer German autos.....I'll be able to afford to get the entire hood painted when it gets dinged.

Know what I mean??;)

Remember everyone......the ding is only about 1/2 inch....the picture I took makes it look a lot worse than it actually is.
 
:( that pic is very enlarged so im assuming like u said its about 1/2"....so when i had a similar thingy on my old car that was in great shape i just went to a reputable guy and had it done....like others have said...if u want it totally unoticeable even to your eyes...then u have to get the whole hood done....but if u want it done very nicely...and maybe when your polishing youll look and see it and get depressed....then go with the touch up.....but....from a good shop....IMHO...i wouldnt do it myself...only because i dont have nearly half the skilll it would take to wet sand...paint...match...etc...that kinda deep damage....so know your limitations and do what u can afford...just to get it covered before all kinds of crap goes in there..:up ....again...nothing anyone's gonna say is gonna make u feel better...get it covered...ASAP with a sealant...wax..whatever til you can get the car in there....

ps...go to a reputable place....I-CAR has a search thingy to find the closest gold class place to you....

http://209.103.220.181/gold_class/FMPro?-db=goldclass.fp5&-lay=Gold%20Class&-format=search_public.htm&-view
 
Have you ever done wet sanding before? If not, since your car is new you might want to have someone do it for you. If you sand to much, you will go right through the clear and then you WILL have to get the hood repainted because the clear will fail. If you are uncomfortable doing it yourself, get a pro to do it.
 
I've pretty much decided that I'm not going to do it myself....like you guys said....I don't think I would feel comfortable doing it.



My next question....when I take it to get it fixed....what kind of questions should I ask the body shop? Are there some things I should tell them NOT to do?



I live in a small town with only a handful of body shops (a bunch of "good 'ol boys") I don't want anybody doing any further damage to the rest of the hood. Maybe I should tell them not to worry about polishing it, that I'll do that myself? I just want them to be careful I guess.....Maybe I'm just worrying too much.....
 
Or.....you can try to do it yourself, and if you are unhappy or really mess up, then you can have it repainted. I tried a repair of a scratch on the top of a mirror. Man, did I mess it up!! Luckily, someone smashed into the side of the car and I had it repainted with the rest of the mess.....:rolleyes:



H
 
is by the work thr=ey've done in the past....unless they are "certified' by a repitable outfit...like that I-CAR place...is there anybody...a friend who had some work done that you thought was good quality..??....just let them know...by the way you speak(in Autopian)...that u know what the heck ur talkin about.....you dont want them to detail the whole car after they finish the hood part...just get it in writing...that you want the scratch /damage repaired and thats it...im pretty sure they all get their paint from the same places(to match).its what they do before and after they put the paint on that matters.....then specify exactly what u want done...and hopefully....they do it the way you want....good luck dood...think postive...i know thats easy for me to say...but...:) ...did u do a search of the icar site to see how far the nearest one is??......



bigboy....that sentence...luckily someone smashed into the side of the car....:) never thought you'd be saying that right....;)
 
Why don't you wait until the winter is over to get it re-painted. There are alot of rocks and crap in the snow which is going to be spit up upon our car through the sevral months of snow.



I'd just wait, it'd piss me off to fix it and next spring see more.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by joed1228 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Why don't you wait until the winter is over to get it re-painted. There are alot of rocks and crap in the snow which is going to be spit up upon our car through the sevral months of snow.

I'd just wait, it'd piss me off to fix it and next spring see more. [/b]</blockquote>
I don't have to worry about that here in NC. It only snows here once in a blue moon.
 
Ohhh, arn't you the lucky one.



Well in that case, hopefully your paint is new, there has been a post about certian shops that have a speical consumer rating, somone who sees this post from me will remember what it's called, I think it's like Gold Star or something. It just states that the shop is less likley to screw up.



If your paint is new, in good shape and dark, it should be alot easier for them.



The best thing you can do from what I have found is ask questions, about what they will do, the products, the effect and stuff like that. The shop can see that your really into your car and since it is such a small task they will more than likley take thier time and do it better than the norm. I did it and man, my car came out much better than expected.
 
but theres a bunch in SC...GA...and alabama....use the thread i posted further up....about the I-CAR....thats the gold class i was talking about...and the one the joed is talking about....i posted it already....use their business directory search with you r zip code etcc and they'll tell you the closest one.............this way u know they will do it right............as far as waiting til next spring....you have to today.now.....:) get that sucker covered with something....any wax...sealant.whatever to protect it from moisture getting in...then you can wait to find a good placeHTH
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by FLONI [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>but theres a bunch in SC...GA...and alabama....use the thread i posted further up....about the I-CAR....thats the gold class i was talking about...and the one the joed is talking about....i posted it already....use their business directory search with you r zip code etcc and they'll tell you the closest one.............this way u know they will do it right............as far as waiting til next spring....you have to today.now.....:) get that sucker covered with something....any wax...sealant.whatever to protect it from moisture getting in...then you can wait to find a good placeHTH [/b]</blockquote>
I did a search of nearby cities (Raleigh, Fayetteville) which are about an hour drive to either one and they both listed quite a few people. I'll make sure I go to one of those.

Thanks for your help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top