[Road Boss]

I scraped the paint on my door of my new truck and I want to know what would be the best course of action to fix it? Do I just get some touch up paint and apply it? Or do I take it to a paint shop and let them fix it? I am just asking cause I don't want the it to start rusting.

 

[FirstDiesel]

My answer would be it depends.


1. It depends on how bad it really is. You can only do so much with touchup paint.


2.. It depends on how good you are with doing touchup work. Me I suck so I wouldn't do it myself.


3. It depends on how fussy you are about a new truck.


4. It dependsd on if you have a body shop you trust.


5. It depends if you have the money to spend.

 

[Victory Red]

Once again I'll say how bad is it?


If it's a bad scratch, have a body shop do it.


Touch up paint is good only for small scratches. It doesn't have the clear coat like automotive paint does. It'll be dull and flat. If you do fix it yourself. Use several light coats, not 1 or 2 heavy ones. Allow at least 3 hours between each light coat. Buff with a good quality wax later on.

 

[Road Boss]

It is pretty bad! I can just kick myself for doing it. I have the money and I would rather goto a shop. Thanks for the replies.

 

[dmaxalliTech]

What color is it? Some are easier to hide then others, but if you have the funds, get it professionally repaired for best results..

 

[Victory Red]

Yeah, I know the feeling. Although I'm lucky enough to have a friend that owns a body shop. Problem is that he hates working on red vehicles. That just happens to be the color I bought off the lot. Although he gave me a sweet deal on rustproofing $200.

 

[Road Boss]

My truck is white.

 

[dmaxalliTech]

white repairs easier then most, but I still vote for the professional approach if your budget allows.

 

[JMPDMax]

Boy, do I know the feeling....


I had 5000 miles on the truck when a piece of sheet metal flew up and put a couple big gouges in the paint on the passenger side front door. Thought about the touch-up route, but they were just too big...


Anyway, the dealer's body shop did the work in 2 days. The blended in the paint in the area and put a new clear coat on the entire door. Looks good now, a lot better than I could have done my self with the touch up stuff.


Let the pros do it...., but if you do decide to do it yourself, GM offers a scratch cover kit for about $20 that includes clearcoat, sanding block, polish, etc. It's available at the parts counter and works great for small stuff...


Later....

 

[DMAX2DAMAX]

Once again I'll say how bad is it?


If it's a bad scratch, have a body shop do it.


Touch up paint is good only for small scratches. It doesn't have the clear coat like automotive paint does. It'll be dull and flat. If you do fix it yourself. Use several light coats, not 1 or 2 heavy ones. Allow at least 3 hours between each light coat. Buff with a good quality wax later on.

Road Boss,


I would try Victory Reds approach first with one minor addition that has worked for me on more than one occasion. If it doesn't satisfy you, then you can get it done professionally.


Before his last step, "buff with a good quality wax..." you'll want to take Ivory liquid in warm water and sand the touched up paint with 1000 or 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper to remove any irregularities. They are what makes the touch up so noticeable. Be sure to sand very lightly and only in one direction, straight line, back & forth only. Then you buff the light sanding marks out with rubbing compound and then you wax.


This is one of the ways the pro's remove orange peel to give that 10' deep look to the custom show quality paint jobs so it's OK to do it. One caution, if your scratch is near an edge or crease, put masking tape on the edge or crease to avoid sanding through the paint.


I had someone spray oven cleaner on my wife's brand new white van rear-hatch and it took the paint off down to the metal. This was my worse case for using this method and it turned out perfect.


Of course if you aren't comfortable with doing that, that's okay. We all need to know and live within our limits. But I still think it won't cost you anymore to have it done if it doesn't turn out as good as you want, but it will be a whole lot less if it does and white is the best color to attempt it with.


LOL!


2DAMAX

 

[Road Boss]

Thanks, I don't think that I can fix it myself because of where it is at. I gonna get a price and get it done by a pro.

 

[the ponz]

There is a paint additive available at most home improvement stores called "Penetrol". This is added to latex of oil paint and allows the paint to flow after it is applied with a brush or roller.


My father-in-law is a painter by trade and educated me to the super results that Penetrol provides when applied to bare or painted metal. It will never ever rust. I have been using it for the past 15 years to cover small scratches in metal on everything from vehicles to swingsets to chain link fence posts and hardware. It also gives plastic (especially black or red) that wet shiny look for years and years.


It is clear as water and once it dries (24 hours) it cannot be noticed.


The day I bought my 2001 Duramax, I scratched the rear fender before I ever left the dealer's lot. When I got home, I dipped my finger in the Penetrol and went over the scratched area. No rust or oxidation of any kind to date, and I am confident that scratch never will rust.


ponzEdited by: the ponz

 

[Road Boss]

I took it to the dealer and they said it wasn't that bad and I could use some touch up paint. I will give that Penetrol a try. I hope the have a white to match my truck.

 

[Road Boss]

There is a paint additive available at most home improvement stores called "Penetrol". This is added to latex of oil paint and allows the paint to flow after it is applied with a brush or roller.


My father-in-law is a painter by trade and educated me to the super results that Penetrol provides when applied to bare or painted metal. It will never ever rust. I have been using it for the past 15 years to cover small scratches in metal on everything from vehicles to swingsets to chain link fence posts and hardware. It also gives plastic (especially black or red) that wet shiny look for years and years.


It is clear as water and once it dries (24 hours) it cannot be noticed.


The day I bought my 2001 Duramax, I scratched the rear fender before I ever left the dealer's lot. When I got home, I dipped my finger in the Penetrol and went over the scratched area. No rust or oxidation of any kind to date, and I am confident that scratch never will rust.


ponz

So, this Penetrol comes in different colors? I am trying to look for this paint to give alittle touch up. I couldn't find it at Sears.

 

[FirstDiesel]

Penetrol is a clear liquid that is added to paint. I've never heard of anyone using it in car paint though.





http://www.floodco.com/Products/penetrol.cfmEdited by: FirstDiesel

 

[the ponz]

Road Boss


As FirstDiesel said, Penetrol is a clear liquid that is marketed as a paint, as in house paint, additive which is designed to reduce appearance of brush strokes. I have also been told that helps the paint stick better, (whatever that means).


I have used it to touch up scratches that have penetrated exposing bare metal on my vehicles for many years. I have also used it on painted surfaces, such as my kids swing set, as well as non painted metal, like chain link fence posts and hardware to keep it all from rusting. Works great. I have also applied it to plastic surfaces, such as fan shrouds and black fender flares, windshield wipers (the arms, not the blades), and the plastic steps on the rear bumber and running boards; makes the plastic shine like it's always wet.


But no, it does not come in colors. I simply use it to protect the metal from rusting.


ponzEdited by: the ponz

 

[Road Boss]

Thank you!

 

[Road Boss]

I bought some touch up paint today at the GMC parts dept. and they gave me the Olympic white paint. It that the paint used on the 2003 Sierra's? I couldn't find the pait code on the truck (I don't think I was looking at the right spot).

 

[FirstDiesel]

I'm not sure on the trucks but on all my other GM vehicles it's on the sticker in the glovebox. Usually the last 2 codes are the paint and the interior color codes.