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HELP! Paint Scratch!! How much will it cost me? (Or can I do it myself?)

Discussion in 'Newbie Forum' started by momscar, Jul 25, 2010.

  1. momscar

    momscar New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
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    OH DEAR!! I borrowed my mom's car this afternoon and as I was pulling out of the drive way I scraped the side along the stone wall!!

    I went through the car wash to get rid of the stone and dirt hoping that I had more of the wall on my car than car left on the wall but unfortunately it's only made it more obvious and looks a lot worse so it has confirmed my worst fears - that I went right through the paint!!

    I'll tell her as soon as she gets home tonight (don't worry, she knows I borrowed the car!) but I wanted to be armed with the cost of repairs (which I will pay) so that she knows I'm taking it seriously.

    THE DETAILS:
    The car is a light blue Toyota Prius (not sure what year but she bought it 2nd hand about 3-4 yrs ago). The scratches stretch for about 1ft and for a few cm you can actually see the silver beneath the paintwork, the rest is just white where it's obviously gone through the top coat.

    How much can I estimate this will cost? And how quickly (and where?) can I get it done?

    Is it at all possible for me to do it myself (or to order the supplies and get a mechanic friend to do it for me as a favour?)

    Thank you in advance for your help!
     
    #1 momscar, Jul 25, 2010
  2. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Location:
    North Yorkshire, UK
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    I always always always get such damage repaired by a professional body shop with a good reliable reputation. Unless you know what you're doing you will make a complete mess of it yourself - not a problem on a 10 year old wreck but different matter on a new car.

    I'd get a quote before informing the insurance company, but I don't know how you have to play regarding the insurance in the USA.
     
    #2 GrumpyCabbie, Jul 25, 2010
  3. Villain

    Villain New Member

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    Definitely get an estimate from a reputable professional shop. I wouldn't recommend a place like MAACO...but rather a real body/collision shop.

    Most likely the entire panel will have to be repainted. Just last week I had a large scrape on the bumper of my Honda Pilot repainted (yes, my other car is a gas guzzler!). The whole bumper had to be removed and repainted, and it cost about $430 (all paint and labor). If you have any dents or dings on the panel, those will either have to be repaired, or you might need the whole panel replaced. That would all cost more.
     
    #3 Villain, Jul 25, 2010
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