How to Remove Car Paint Scratches

Urban living particularly can take its toll on your ride, not least in terms of that spanking candy finish it leaves the paint-shop with. Any number of things can quickly reduce it into looking like- well, every other car parked in the street. And it ain’t so cheap getting it professionally fixed.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting it done yourself.

For starters, there are four layers to your car’s skin: clear coat, base or colour paint, primer and the metal underneath.

Before you begin forking out cash, first work out what sort of scratch you're dealing with. If it appears thin and white, it in all likelihood hasn't penetrated through the top clear coat. If it is body-coloured or right through to the bone, you've got a more tricky situation on your hands.

Unlike the original factory paint, which is a ‘protected enamel’, the paint you're going to be applying, be it primer, colour or clear, is a ‘lacquer’. Allow lacquers to dry at least overnight before you add another coat. If you need multiple coats to build up the paint film to full thickness for a repair, one coat a day is best.

Of course, be safe. The amounts of solvents used are small, but work in a well-ventilated area and be sure to degrease the area you’re working before you begin.

Be sure you are working in prime, stable and fully ventilated temperature and humidity conditions, where possible; this can still mean outside, if you are in a shaded area like a carport, on a good day, as this is paramount for a good finish. Bear in mind, manufacturers and professionals spray in a fully controlled environment and then use ovens to bake the paint for optimum results. And protective gear, people.

Minor scratches, ones that don't go through the clear coat into the underlying base colour -or beyond- can very often simply be polished out with a proprietary compound. Of course, this works by removing some of the clear coat, so try to keep your efforts as localized as possible.

Clean the surface and apply protection to the surrounds by masking up with tape and paper. Apply a small amount of polishing compound to the pad or use a micro-fibre cloth.

It’s another exercise in patience and taking it easy. No sudden moves. Don’t be impatient to get it done, or you’ll work too deep, too fast. Polish a small area. After about 30 strokes, wipe it dry with a clean cloth and check regularly to see if the scratch is still visible 

Once cleared, be sure to clean the panel afterwards to remove any remaining compound. Nice one.

Have a cup of tea.

For a base coat or primer scratch, you'll need to get hold of some matching paint. In all likelihood, somewhere on your car, there’ll be a factory-paint code, most likely on a sticker or metal plaque under the bonnet or on the doorsill. This will help in finding a spray-paint match. If you cant for any reason find a manufacturer’s match, it’s possible to get a colour custom mixed, for a price.. take in a mirror or petrol lid to help.

After cleaning (and masking), be sure to put down a lick of primer to aid adhesion of base paint and prevent later corrosion. Simply fill the scratch, remove any overspill and allow to dry, at least overnight.

With a soft block of rubber or sponge, using an 800grit wet and dry, smooth the surface until nothing of the primer coat stands proud. Again, work slowly, regularly wiping and checking your progress.

Easy does it.

Once dry, you can apply the base colour with light passes. Don’t attempt to get too much paint on all at once. Spray and allow to dry thoroughly following user instructions and guidelines before laying down another coat.

A final compounding should restore the finish's shiny factory gloss. As a tip, don't wax the area for about four weeks to allow any solvents to escape. Without an oven, paint takes a long time to dry completely.

If you've had to sand through the clear coat or repaired a deeper scratch, you'll need re-do the clear coat. Ordinary clear enamel won't work—it needs to be automotive clear coat paint, intended specifically for localised repairs.

Clean the surface with solvent to remove grease. Cut a hole in a piece of paper about the size of a 20p piece for smaller areas to avoid over-spraying and again mask the surrounds.

Holding the paper a couple of inches from the panel, spray a light coat through the hole. If the paper sags or shines, you've sprayed too much. Let this dry. 

Have a cup of tea.

Using 800grit wet-n-dry on a block, remove any excess. This step is necessary to level the clear coat in the scratch, and also to keep the affected area from getting increasingly large as you add subsequent coats. It’s a process of building up coats, allowing them to dry, sanding them down and reapplying. Repeat with at least two coats, allowing a day or so between coats.

Be thankful it was only a scratch you were dealing with… in Rome, There isn’t a car without a dent on every panel.

And you’d be drinking coffee.