The ultimate touchup
 

So ever since I bought the car there's been a deep scratch down to the metal on the trunk.
and the longer i had the car the more annoyed i got with it. so tonight I figured I'd try and get rid of it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1002091848.jpg

So i took some of my black touchup paint. filled the scratch. let it dry.
sanded off the excess with 1500 grit. I noticed the scratch wasnt completely filled so i gave it another blob of touchup paint.
(when the paint dries it shrinks in)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1002091905.jpg

Then took 1500 to it again and leveled it out flat with the trunk.
Then took some rubbing compound and spot finish to get the 1500 scratches out and there ya go.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1002091920.jpg

cool, I need to try this. I got about 3 or 4 of those on my car

any clear coat left?

I'm sure there's still a fair bit. the more sanding i was doing the more i was getting worried though lol. I didn't wanna burn through. But... I've worked with quite a few cars and to go through the clear coat with 1500 would take quite a while.

About how much pressure are you using, and how do you know when to stop sanding?

not that much pressure at all. basically just the weight of my hand. I also cut the sandpaper into small pieces and just used one finger. (so it was more precise)

I kept sanding till the paint was exactly level with the body line and there was so excess paint around the scratch.

Okay thanks, i may give it a shot.

Hmm, great info. Thanks!

awesome job! I have a few scratches I eventually need to touch up as well.

Did you just use your finger on the paper or some soft of block to make sure it was level?

just my finger. I wanted it to be precise. and not rub down a bunch of clearcoat that i didnt have to. so i used a finger and tried to sand just the paint.

as for making sure it was level I just kept going till it was level lol. as simple as that. You'll know when its flush.

Then took some rubbing compound and spot finish to get the 1500 scratches out and there ya go.

what rubbing compound an whats this spot finish you speak of sorry if newbie question

you should make a video of this.

If i had another deep scratch i would make a video lol. I'll take a look around my car to see if i have anything thats touch up-able. Maybe even just do a rock chip so you get the idea.

Rubbing compound and spot finish: They're just polishes. Rubbing compound is a gritty polish that'll take out the 1500 scratches. The spot finish is just a lighter polish that will remove the fine marks left from the rubbing compound.

hmm...maybe i'll try this on the massive scratches on my car

Do you touch up the clear coat after the base coat was sanded down?

Looks good.

When you wash the car, nothing really washes out, right? Like you won't have to keep applying the rubbing compound and polish each time? If you can't even tell where was a scratch there after everything is said and done and especially after you wash the car, I may also have to look into this. I'm just a little hesitant about sanding down my clear coat...:scared:

I didnt put any clear on. just the paint.
and no. polish doesnt wash away, thats how the clear will look for forever.

ya its pretty nerve racking lol. when you're rubbing in the polish and the shines not coming back for a while. But. as long as you use 1500 or higher, If for some reason the clear wont come back. worst case scenario is you just bring it to a detaling shop and they do a ten second polish and bring it back. It's not like your talking about having to repaint the whole panel.

and... I wouldnt say it's completely gone. If you look at it you can still see there was a scratch there. but.. definitely waaay better then before