How much further can I take this scratch repair?

allenk4

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2008 Porsche 911 4S

The touch-up was done by the owner.

Here is what it looked like after wash & clay, but prior to any polishing.




After several passes with M105 and an Orange CCS Pad.



I have Unigrit 2000 papers, but that makes me nervous.

Should I stop here?

If I go any further, I will definitely need to speak with the owner regarding the risks.
 
Wow i would not touch that maybe a good touch up job that looks deep
 
Is the touch up paint higher than the surrounding paint?
 
Looks like not many are willing to advise on this one. The important thing here is not to try to sand the scratch down, but to fill it with black paint very carefully and then very meticulously sand down just the fill and not the paint around the fill. The client already has paint around the fill that should be carefully removed before even beginning a successful repair.

I use a hobby shop fiberglass sanding pen to sand scratch repairs when I do them (which is rarely) then use 3000 grit Trizact as a last sanding step to even things out, followed by a fingertip in a cotton towel to compound then a DA finishing polish over the entire area. It's a labor of love is what I tell my clients because it can involve hours of work on each scratch with possibly less than perfect results.

Good luck either way you go with it. Forum member Richy has posted some incredible scratch repairs. Have you looked at those threads?
 
Looks like not many are willing to advise on this one. The important thing here is not to try to sand the scratch down, but to fill it with black paint very carefully and then very meticulously sand down just the fill and not the paint around the fill. The client already has paint around the fill that should be carefully removed before even beginning a successful repair.

I use a hobby shop fiberglass sanding pen to sand scratch repairs when I do them (which is rarely) then use 3000 grit Trizact as a last sanding step to even things out, followed by a fingertip in a cotton towel to compound then a DA finishing polish over the entire area. It's a labor of love is what I tell my clients because it can involve hours of work on each scratch with possibly less than perfect results.

Good luck either way you go with it. Forum member Richy has posted some incredible scratch repairs. Have you looked at those threads?

What grit is that sanding pen? Do they have different grits?
 
Most of my local bodyshop supply stores carry them for about $10. They usually call them chip pens.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online
 
Most of my local bodyshop supply stores carry them for about $10. They usually call them chip pens.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online

$6.25 and free shipping. Oh, and no time and gas.:dblthumb2:
 
Thanks Dave, just ordered it.:props:
You're welcome Ron.
Most of my local bodyshop supply stores carry them for about $10. They usually call them chip pens.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online

Yeah, I see them at my local body shop supply houses too and some are the 3M ones that are a bit larger in diameter. Still very handy to have. I was turned onto the hobby shop ones by another forum member and they have a smaller diameter tip.

I think any detailer doing chip or scratch repair should have a few of both.
 
I have seen the large ones also, mine is about the size of a standard ball point pen. It also wears away like the unigrit sanding blocks. I have a few different grits, I think 800 is the most coarse I have, and 2000 is the finest. I haven't really used them much, because I don't do many chip or scratch repairs anymore.

They are great tools to have around though, and everyone should ha e at least one!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using AG Online
 
I would say you could work this for a good while. You haven't even leveled his excess touch up paint. Everyone thinks this has to be a quick repair. I've worked 1.5 hours on scratches like this but remove them in the 95% range. I don't concentrate on the one spot but more on the surrounding area and cut it all down real slow and keep cooling it with a wet rag. Here a photo of a Pearl White Caddy I did that was also dented. I had the waves taken out of the 1/4 panel and then went to work on the scratch. It was fairly deep and long.
 
For you guys that are good at touch up,

Is there a way to get the paint closer to level before you let it dry and have to start the sanding process to avoid excessive time sanding?

I've seen that AMMO NYC video, and using wax to keep it off the surrounding paint is a nice little trick, but can you level the paint in the scratch with a credit card or small plastic squeegee?
 
That's along the lines of what I was wondering. Does it produce a good result for you? Do you find the paint shrinks up too much and you have to do multiple coats? Does it help cut down the number of sanding steps for you?
 
Are you doing a full correction? If so post pics when done

A full correction was done. As were some terrible pictures...apologies in advance.



We are revisiting the scratch.

1st time polishing Porsche paint. I found it very soft as others have described. My Sonus Wunder towels were causing some marring when removing compound, switched to some 600GSM.

The water spots and rids fought my initial attempt with FLEX 3401, Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover (WGTSR) and an Orange CCS Pad. Ended up using M105 on an Orange CCS, followed by WGTSR on a White CCS, followed by Wolfgang Finishing Glaze (WGFG) on a Blue CCS Pad.



Hazy after M105



Left is after WGFG. Right is after WGTSR



The slats on the engine cowl were difficult to tape off and hard to polish without the housing of the buffer hitting the slat above. I ended up using a 3" Meguiar's Cutting Microfiber on an old Porter Cable 7424 with an extension that works with a backing plate for a rotary. I have now read in the Forum that you can just tape one...polish one...tape one...polish one. This strategy allows you to effectively protect the back lip of the slat above when polishing the one below it.

After M105



After WGTSR



The inner barrel on these wheels is huge! Sonax Fe and a small Daytona brush knocked it out. The Recessed Lug Nut Cleaner works, but is a pain in the neck. The foam continually gets pushed up on the holder and has to be put back in place by hand. I would not buy this product again.





I finally found something to use my 1/8" 3M tape for. I also used it around the sunroof, but I think it would have been easier to just tape it twice.



Since this I have purchased some cheapie wheel covers from Harbor Freight. I would suggest to everyone that they are a great tool and a time saver.



Exhaust was cleaned up with 0000 Steel Wool, Optimum Metal Polish (shake really well) and a microfiber cloth...shoe shine style.





Beading shot after polishing, before LSP. That WGFG seems to have a lot of oils in it. You can work it endlessly, but is can be difficult to wipe off. I used Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant, so I did not do and IPA or Eraser wipedown.



Tires wearing two coats of Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel. Diluted 1:1 and applied with sprayer. I now prefer using it straight.



Maybe I am an "AssMan"

 
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