Fixing Up Your Car

Every vehicle is bound to suffer from chipped or scratched paint after a number of years. While it is always best to visit an auto body shop to repair major damage, you can repair minor paint imperfections on your own if you have the know-how. Here is a step-by-step guide for touching up scratched paint on your vehicle.

Choosing the Right Paint

If your paint repair job is noticeable compared to the rest of your vehicle's paint, it defeats the purpose of hiding the damage in the first place. Because of this, it is vital that you find a paint color that exactly matches the color of your vehicle's existing paint. Auto paint is classified by very specific color codes, and every vehicle will have its color code listed somewhere inside the vehicle.

For many vehicles, the color code will be located on a tag inside the door jam. If you don't see the tag here, you can check in the glove box, inside the trunk deck lid, or even inside one of your vehicle's wheel housings. If you still cannot find the color code, many auto repair shops sell touch-up paint and will help you find the correct color for your vehicle.

Wash the Damaged Area

When you have selected the correct paint color for your vehicle, it is necessary to prep the damaged area before you apply the paint. Wash down the area with soap and water to remove any dirt that has worked itself into the scratch over time. You can then clean the damaged area with wax and grease remover to make sure there are no remaining contaminants that could prevent the paint from adhering correctly or cause discoloration.

Sand and Use Primer if Necessary

Depending on the depth of the scratch or chip, your repair job may require additional preparation. If you can still see color inside the scratch or chip, it is likely that just the clear coat or base paint coat is affected. For these types of shallow surface damage, you can simply apply the touch-up paint after you have washed it in most cases.

Deeper chips and scratches will expose the bare metal of your vehicle, exposing it to rust. You will first need to sand the damaged area. Use 220 grit sandpaper and try to target just the damaged area as closely as possible so that you do not do damage to the paint around the scratch. This roughs up the metal and makes it easier for the new paint and primer to adhere to the surface of your vehicle. You can then use a small brush to apply a coat of rust-arresting primer.

Apply the New Paint

After you have washed the damaged paint and sanded and primed it if necessary, you are ready to apply touch-up paint. Depending on the type of paint you buy, the bottle may have a pen-like applicator tip. You can simply shake these bottles up and run the tip of the bottle along the scratch or chip.

If your paint doesn't have an applicator, use a small brush to smoothly and evenly fill the damage with paint. Don't add a layer that is thicker than the surrounding area, as this will create a noticeable bump. For larger chips, you should start at the edges of the damage and work inward to prevent the paint from bubbling when it dries.

While you shouldn't expect to achieve professional results for major auto body damage at home, repairing minor paint damage is not difficult if you follow a simple, step-by-step process. Use these tips to keep your vehicle looking like new for as long as possible. Or to find an auto body shop near you to touch up the paint job for you, you can learn more over at this website.