Professional Detailer or Body Shop?

[trojanone1]

I have a couple deep scratches on my truck that I would like fixed. All are about 1/2" long by 1/16" - 1/8" wide. I bought some Duplicolor touch up paint, but it looks awful. My truck is my first "new" vehicle I have purchased so it is my pride and joy. My question is for scratches, can a professional detailer (not me, someone who does this for a living) fix scratches down to the primer or is this more of a body shop's expertise?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rival]

post pics

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

question is for scratches, can a professional detailer (not me, someone who does this for a living) fix scratches down to the primer or is this more of a body shop's expertise?

Thanks in advance.

If your idea of fixed means that you won't be able to tell there were scratches after the touch-up paint then you need to go to a body shop.

Read through my article here, it's loaded with information.

How to use the Dr. ColorChip Paint Chip Repair Systems

 

[trojanone1]

post pics

I will load up some when I get off work. I already have touch up paint on the scratches, but for some reason the color is off. It is Duplicolor so that might be why?

If your idea of fixed means that you won't be able to tell there were scratches after the touch-up paint then you need to go to a body shop.

Read through my article here, it's loaded with information.

How to use the Dr. ColorChip Paint Chip Repair Systems

I appreciate the link. I have searched and read reviews for Dr. Colorchip, but don't remember reading your review on it for some reason. To quote you in that link you sent me: "Keep it real. After using this system the owner can stand back about 5' from the car and not see the previously unsightly rock chips and that's what it's all about." In the back of my mind, I know that only a body shop can restore the scratch/chip to factory, but if I cant see it from 5' away, then that would be good enough for me.

 

[trojanone1]

View attachment 51716

Camera phone kind of sucks, but this one was on the truck when I bought it about 6 months ago. I touched it up last spring with about 2-3 coats of paint, waited about a week and used Meguiars UC and UP on it.

View attachment 51717

This one I did last night backing into a bicycle in my garage. I wasn't too happy. Haven't used compound or polish on it yet.


The photos aren't the best; the scratches look better than they are, but I don't know if it is worth it to try to make them look better. I never did sand them down or build up a blob that could be sanded down.

 

[AJS]

I bought touchup paint/clear for my 06 Mustang for a couple of deep scratches and rock chips. Having never touched them up before, I can say the results are pretty good.