Deep Scratch on Mercedes Black Bonnet

[redjules51]

A deep scratch about 125mm long. Apparently too deep for effective SMART repair. Complete bonnet respray quoted by two companies, 480 + 700. Does this seem a bit excessive or is it me?
Car is only valued around £1000 - £1500 and apart from scratch is in really good condition. Just spent over 2k in loads of mechanical work. 2008 car owned by me for 15 years.

[TrevorHill]

£480 to do the full bonnet and blend it into the wings doesn’t sound too unreasonable. If you can’t live with the scratch it’s just part of the joys of motoring. Trust me I’ve been there.

[Easternlight]

Get a touch up pencil, thin the paint a lot and buy the very smallest art bush you can get.
Run the thinned paint into the scratch several times.
It won't go away and it will bug YOU but nobody else will even notice it.

[redjules51]

Cheers people

[thebraketester]

Try and find a better bonnet from a breakers?

[shtu]

At that value - and especially if it's a solid colour - I'd be going for the touchup paint route.

Main mistake people make is blobbing a gallon of paint on in one go and leaving it at that. Do lots of thin coats and be ready to sand and polish the area once it's neatly filled.