Hi everyone! I'm looking for some advice on how to treat a scratch on my Prius. My wife scraped a pole while backing into a space and it scratched some of the paint off of the right rear fender so that there's some metal exposed. We're not too concerned with the aesthetics of the scar, but we don't want to have bigger problems down the road like rust. Cost is a concern, so we would appreciate opinions on alternatives to taking it to a body shop to be repainted, and whether those alternatives are a good idea or not. Thanks in advance!
Ouch!! I feel your pain. Barbara "loves" to scape up her car that way. I'd suggest looking over http://www.paintscratch.com/ for spray cans of undercoat, paint, and clearcoat. If the scratches are deep, they have a lacquer body filler. Although it is best to do a whole panel, I have had very good results doing just the corner of a bumper with their stuff on a 1998 Metallic Red Ford Taurus. The have rubberized undercoat for flexible bumpers and kits with the sandpaper and rubbing compound you need to do a good job. Just follow their directions and mask off what you don't want to paint with masking tape and newspaper. Feather the edges with the sandpaper and move out slightly with each coat. You probably need to end up about 1.5 to 2" out from the damage. My father used to paint cars for a hobby, so I knew how to approach this - but I am sure you can do this as well. Should be able to get by for $50 to $75 in material and end up with a very nice job. Email if you have detailed questions. - Tom
Ouch.........I'd go to an auto parts store and get a spray can of clear coat, or ask them what they'd recommend. A clear spray on enamel should protect the metal until you collect enough of these scrapes that it would pay to take it in to a body shop......... I guess you could dab on some clear enamel (perhaps nail polish), with a little brush, but the finish might not be too smooth. Good luck!
Toyota Dealers sell vials of touch up paint but you might want to go to a shop for a scrape like that.
I had similar on my first, a driftwood. Dealer ran a toolbox or something into it. They sent to a body shop, said cost was about $150. Looked like new. Anything not done by a pro will look like it as well. You are right, need to protect the metal. Even if $300 I would do it with a pro.
I believe it looks worse than it really is. Try some fine rubbing compound on the area and it will look much better. There are several kinds of touchup paint that will hide most of the damage. The problem is you will always notice it even if others don't. I has a similar scrape on my right front fender so I speak from experience.
I might be wrong, but it doesn't look like there is metal visible. It looks like paint from the pole she scratched. Try some scratch removing polish.
Use a sponge and some warm water to get the white stuff off. Get a Toyota touch-up paint pen with paint on one side and clearcoat on the other side. It'll depend on the metal as to whether it'll rust or not. I've had a few dents/scratches on the Camry in which metal was exposed. Out of all the perhaps 5 exposed metal bits, only 1 rusted - the one at the tip of the trunk lid. The ones on the bumper (plastic) and hood (aluminium) didn't rust.
Hmm... okay, so I definitely shouldn't leave it alone because of rust, right? I'm leaning towards just taking it to a body shop, especially if it'll be $300 or under. I'm not sure I'm comfortable doing my own sanding and stuff... don't want to do any irreparable damage! Thanks guys! I love this website.
Or get 20 vials of paint. I got one for a scratch my daughter did on day 2 of our ownership...but it was covered with 2 drops.
I'd take it to a detailer with a high powered buffer and get rid of everything thats not scratching down to the primer or exposed metal and see what you're left with. It will look much better. The detailer may even be able to do some artful touchup and see how it looks. Thats the worst panel on the car to get any damage to because in order to repaint that section properly they need to paint the whole panel and the whole peice above the side doors all the way down to the base of the windshield because its all connected. Now, some places will color coat just that area and then clear the whole peice or they'll try and blend the clear, but on that color its not going to look right unless its done right. My guess to repaint that whole peice properly with a shop with computerized paint matching? $1000. Personally I'd see what the detailer would do first.
