Hi,

 

I have 2 months old Skoda Octavia in black magic color. After just 2 weeks someone scratched my front bumper (what happened in my garage shared by several neighbors). The paint is damaged at 3 places, the scratches are small (like 2mm, 3mm and maybe 5mm). Also clearcoat is scratched along a few centimeters.  I visited a local dealer to ask if the scratches could be fixed easily, but got information that whole bumper must be repainted and the best option is to use a touch-up paint. Therefore I ordered the touch-up paint and got it yesterday. 

I am curios if anyone has suggestion how to apply the touch-up paint? What do I need to take care of the most? Can the damage really be fixed properly, or could I make it worse by using the applicator incorrectly?  Should I buy a car polish to polish the area after fixing the scratches? if anyone has experience with this applicators, any suggestions are welcome. 

Get a mobile car paint repair firm to do a quote. I have got some on mine where some stupid woman put a shopping trolley into my boot, although I took out a paint damage insurance when I bought the car.

Brush on touch-up is never very successful. You can paint your scratches but the 'repair' lines always remain obvious, more so on a metallic finish. On a new car I'd get it done professionally. A reputable mobile paint repair guy won't be cheap, but still much less than a repair shop.

8 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

Get a mobile car paint repair firm to do a quote. I have got some on mine where some stupid woman put a shopping trolley into my boot, although I took out a paint damage insurance when I bought the car.

I have casco insurance but I don't want to use it for such small repair (150 EUR is deductible). I will try to contact few local car paint shops to see if someone can fix this easily, without deattaching the bumper. But when it comes to unofficial repair shops there is always concern about the matching correct color hue. This Skoda dealer I have visited should be one of the best paint shops in my country (it was private car paint shop previously and those guys were so good so Skoda acquired them). I just didn't have time to leave my new car in the shop for a few days. If I don't fins some reliable paint shop or don't try to fix it with the touch-up pant I'll probably wait for the next summer and then will go to the official shop. The scratch is not so visible, it looks more like a dirt, but it bothers me  

Touching up is always going to be tough on a dark metallic.

Whatever you do, don't use the wallpaper paste brush in the touch-up bottle.

Get a decent very small brush and do it in thin coats along the scratch.

If you're doing it outside, it might be worth putting a good layer of a hard wax like Turtlewax on it and leaving it a few months until it's warmer and dryer.

 

If you want the best result you can get, pay a professional to do it.

 

Also note that you can do the job and get it perfect one way or another, and still end up with one of your simian neighbours repeating the damage.

So it might be worth setting up some sort of protection/security to try and stop the problem being repeated, or at least allow you to identify the culprit.

Edited 13 October, 20241 yr by EnterName

To disguise the scratches until going for a final repair try Colour Magic Jet Black polish.

https://www.turtlewax.co.uk/products/color-magic-black-500ml?variant=21552375595097

I’m no fan of mobile repair. Nobody will be able to convince me that spraying some paint on a quickly prepared area, rapidly cured, all whilst outside in a non-dust free environment will produce a good result. 
 

I’d genuinely be tempted to leave that. Then, around the 1 year old mark get it and any other inevitable mark sorted. Black is a colour I avoid at all costs now. Keeping it looking good is so difficult. 

8 hours ago, SC03OTT said:

I’m no fan of mobile repair. Nobody will be able to convince me that spraying some paint on a quickly prepared area, rapidly cured, all whilst outside in a non-dust free environment will produce a good result. 

 

Are you speaking from experience? Finding a 'reputable' repairer of any kind is the key. I've had perfect results from mobiles on two occasions on two different cars, both repairs done in my own garage, both truly professional jobs. In years past I've twice had terrible results from panel shops attempting to match paint after minor accidents involving my company cars, so much so that I rejected the job each time an scolded my insurer for sending me to them. I've never been happy with brush on touch-up. Conclusion based on my experience is that mobile touch up can be a worthy option.

12 minutes ago, SouthernComfort said:

 

Are you speaking from experience? Finding a 'reputable' repairer of any kind is the key. I've had perfect results from mobiles on two occasions on two different cars, both repairs done in my own garage, both truly professional jobs. In years past I've twice had terrible results from panel shops attempting to match paint after minor accidents involving my company cars, so much so that I rejected the job each time an scolded my insurer for sending me to them. I've never been happy with brush on touch-up. Conclusion based on my experience is that mobile touch up can be a worthy option.

Yes. I have seen with my own eyes the results. I wouldn’t be happy with a SMART repair done on my drive. 
 

I agree however, that bad work can come from body shops as well. I had a repair done to a car I had years ago. Metallic silver Clio. I can only assume the guy who did it, completed the work in the dark. But I was young and didn't say anything.
 

It will ultimately depend on each person. There are folk out there who think the £5 hand wash is “perfect”, for example. Hard pass for me.  

1 hour ago, SC03OTT said:

Yes. I have seen with my own eyes the results. I wouldn’t be happy with a SMART repair done on my drive. 
 

I agree however, that bad work can come from body shops as well. I had a repair done to a car I had years ago. Metallic silver Clio. I can only assume the guy who did it, completed the work in the dark. But I was young and didn't say anything.
 

It will ultimately depend on each person. There are folk out there who think the £5 hand wash is “perfect”, for example. Hard pass for me.  

 

I think we're in furious agreement really (including the car washing, no third party or machine gets to wash mine!)

 

For the paint repairs I chose recommended on-site independents, I haven't used the franchises. I'd also never have a paint repair done outdoors, in fact one of the guys I used will only work in properly enclosed spaces, even then he insisted on taping up the garage door edges once inside my garage!

Edited 13 October, 20241 yr by SouthernComfort
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