While keeping your company's delivery vehicles looking clean and professional should always be a priority for your business, so is watching your bottom line. One way that you can keep your automotive insurance claims to a minimum is to make small auto paint scratch repairs yourself. Even a small hairline scratch in vehicle paint can lead to rust and future body damage, so they need to be quickly repaired to seal the metal under a layer of protective paint. Larger problems should be addressed by a professional at a company like Westside Fender/Body & Refinishing.
DIY Automotive Scratch Repair Kits
The dealership where you purchased your delivery vehicles can supply you with a kit that contains matching paint from the same lot used to paint your cars in the factory.
Inside of the kit you will find the following materials:
Using simple techniques you can fix the scratches on your delivery vehicles and no one will ever be able to see that the paint was repaired.
Automotive Paint Sanding Technique
Scratches in automotive paint need to be sanded in order for the new paint to blend in and adhere to the old paint.
The sanding stick is designed to be wet with a couple drops of water and then used to evenly sand the sides of the scratch. Sand carefully and try to rough the surface without using too much pressure. Using excessive pressure will damage the underlying metal and flake off the paint around the scratched area. When you are finished sanding, then you need to clean the area well using the tacky cloth. Skipping this step will leave dust in the new paint and the dust will form unsightly lumps under the paint.
Automotive Paint Application Technique
The matching paint you get from your automotive dealership will come in a small bottle with its own brush, similar to finger polish. Shake the bottle well to mix the paint, and then wipe off the brush well before you start to apply paint. Apply a thin layer of paint directly to the center of the scratched area. If the paint overflows a bit onto the surrounding area, that is fine because you will need to sand it down before applying clear coat. You may need to apply two coats of paint, allowing the first layer to dry well before applying the second.
Clear Coat Application Technique
To finish the paint scratch repairs on your delivery vehicles, sand down the paint using a bit of water on the wet-dry sandpaper. When the area is completely flat, then use the tacky cloth again to clean off any paint dust.
Hold the can of clear coat a few inches from the surface of the paint and spray it on using quick, short strokes. Do not overapply the clear coat layer.
Share21 January 2016
When I graduated from college, I was able to purchase my first car. After much searching for the perfect vehicle, I selected a white sedan. This car has always been special to me because I earned the money to pay for it by myself. I even still own it. However, because it’s 13 years old now, it really needs to be painted. Instead of hiring someone to repaint it white, I’m considering trying something different. I would like to have a professional paint it either black or silver. On this blog, you will discover how to give an older vehicle a new look by hiring someone to paint it a different color.
