Realistically...can I do this on my driveway at home?

[Prisoner 24601]

My brother says I won't be able to do it and it'll look a mess, but I think it looks quite achievable - what do you think?

https://youtu.be/cmxiaWLv4Rk?si=NkXlISWU6M9UgBfa - the 2nd method starts at 22.00 minute mark, which I am tempted to do.

see also:

https://youtu.be/3dhQc2SiPlU?si=-vAETP5MojhKQfpG

1) Apply the paint, scrape it in and scrape off excess.
2) Leave to dry for a few hrs
3) Light sand using 1-2 different grades of paper
4) Buy a polishing buff thing for my drill and work through the different compounds (cutting, polishing)

[Ed.Neumann]

I have done that a few times, the second option, it is actually dead easy.
I also use that Menzerna heavy cut compound, that will get out pretty heavy sanding with great results.

[Kwackersaki]

Yes, I’ve watched several of his videos and have had good results. Bit scary the first time when you start rubbing it down but then polishes up brilliantly.

Be careful though as some manufacturers have thinner paint/clearcoat.

[Ed.Neumann]

I ordered this last time....

https://www.menzerna.com/car-care/car-polish/produ...


To be honest, that gets you 95% there compared with buying their heavy cut 400 and then a finish polish.

[Prisoner 24601]

Thank you both. I haven't had a quote for the 2.5 metre long key'ing on my car, but I presume it will be several hundred pounds, possibly north of £1k, so I have little choice but to do it myself.

[steveo3002]

id be inclined to suggest a very neat touch in job and accpet it at that

its VERY VERY easy to sand through the clear and make it look even worse , dont go sanding on it like its a oak table lol

[swisstoni]

Prisoner 24601 said:

Thank you both. I haven't had a quote for the 2.5 metre long key'ing on my car, but I presume it will be several hundred pounds, possibly north of £1k, so I have little choice but to do it myself.

It's definitely worth a go yourself. Apart from saving money and aggravation, it's great to know that you can now fix paint problems.

I went from fixing a stone chip (which came out great after some initial worry about the bigger and bigger sanded area I was creating and whether it would ever polish back up to gloss)
to some quite bad scrapes using these simple methods. It just needs patience.

[J4CKO]

Find an old wing or door somewhere and have a practice on it first, get the feel for it before attacking your car ?

[steveo3002]

what colour is the car , dark ones have some chance of looking decent lighter silvers etc slim chance

you can get 2k rattle cans these days , depending where the damage is smooth it out and paint it

[Prisoner 24601]

steveo3002 said:

what colour is the car , dark ones have some chance of looking decent lighter silvers etc slim chance

you can get 2k rattle cans these days , depending where the damage is smooth it out and paint it

thanks Steveo - the colour is like a turquoise green. What is a 2k rattle can please? do you have a link?

[Prisoner 24601]

Prisoner 24601 said:

steveo3002 said:

what colour is the car , dark ones have some chance of looking decent lighter silvers etc slim chance

you can get 2k rattle cans these days , depending where the damage is smooth it out and paint it

thanks Steveo - the colour is like a turquoise green. What is a 2k rattle can please? do you have a link?

don't worry, i googled it and found it

[Wacky Racer]

It's ALWAYS worth having a go at stuff like this yourself, because if you make a mess of it, and end up taking it to a professional body shop, it won't cost any more than if you had not touched it.

How about ChipAway or someone similar locally to you.?

[DaveF-SkinnysAutos]

Have you got a photo of your damage? I'm a painter. There are a million bits of advice but it depends on if your cars metallic or a solid colour, where the damage is on a panel and what you expect the finish to be?

In theory you can make them a lot better, but not invisible without respraying.

You also need to be aware that you're not applying 2K clear so it won't have that same hardness and protection from UV etc, but if you simply want to make it look better than it does.

Paint needs to either bond to the surface mechanically or chemically, in this case its relying on a mechanical adhesion so its all in the prep, cleaning and scuffing.

Post a photo of what you are trying to make look better.

[Sheepshanks]

swisstoni said:

It's definitely worth a go yourself. Apart from saving money and aggravation, it's great to know that you can now fix paint problems.

I went from fixing a stone chip (which came out great after some initial worry about the bigger and bigger sanded area I was creating and whether it would ever polish back up to gloss)
to some quite bad scrapes using these simple methods. It just needs patience.

I've done chips with blobs of paint, letting it harden, then polishing off the excess with thin cloth soaked in Ultrasolve wrapped around a small piece of flexible plastic (credit card sized) so it follows the body contour.

Timing is tricky - can take days for the paint to harden. Too soon and you just wipe it all away, too long and it's too hard. For me it's worked best on metallic colours - sometimes the repair has been invisible. On flat colours the spot always seems to look slightly lighter - but you'd only see it if you knew where to look.

[swisstoni]

Sheepshanks said:

swisstoni said:

It's definitely worth a go yourself. Apart from saving money and aggravation, it's great to know that you can now fix paint problems.

I went from fixing a stone chip (which came out great after some initial worry about the bigger and bigger sanded area I was creating and whether it would ever polish back up to gloss)
to some quite bad scrapes using these simple methods. It just needs patience.

I've done chips with blobs of paint, letting it harden, then polishing off the excess with thin cloth soaked in Ultrasolve wrapped around a small piece of flexible plastic (credit card sized) so it follows the body contour.

Timing is tricky - can take days for the paint to harden. Too soon and you just wipe it all away, too long and it's too hard. For me it's worked best on metallic colours - sometimes the repair has been invisible. On flat colours the spot always seems to look slightly lighter - but you'd only see it if you knew where to look.

I've tried that kind of thing but I've always ended up wiping the paint out of the chip or scratch. It's a great method for fixing road rash if you can get the knack though.