Scratch! !

[rquintero]

Jeez I'm p*ssed! Found a deep (primer showing) weird scratch just before the passenger rear wheel-well (top, so not a door ding). Looks like a cat scratch (about 4 lines going down about 1/2"), although this could not have been an animal (noun, not adjective).

Wasn't there last week when I last washed it. My car has only been home or in my reserved parking place at the office since. There is no walking traffic or remote possibility of door dings in either. It looks like someone dropped something, although nothing is bent - yet the scratch is too deep to be a resting object.

Can't remember pissing off anyone wearing a large diamond ring recently either.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Since this is not something that can be buffed, I remember someone (was it nsxtasy?) talking about a method of applying touch-up paint with a toothpick... a brush won't do in this case, so does anyone have more details about non-brush application alternatives?

Thanks in advance,

Ralph

 

[nsxman]

rq:

Check out:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Troubleshooting/painttouchup.htm

I have used a paper clip, with the end sanded to smooth it, as a "paintbrush." Now, I have a thin wire awl that is easier to grip. The idea is to lay the paint in the scratch so that flows evenly to the sides. Since your scratch has penetrated to the primer, you'll have to lay a number of coats to bring the level up to the surrounding paint.

The key to making an invisible scratch repair is to get the paint to flow inside the scratch. However, achieving this using the Acura touchup paint is a challenge. I have found that I need to thin the paint. I use Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or acetone.

It's a guess but maybe 7-10 drops of paint to 1 drop of thinner.

After 2-3 coats inside the scratch, you should have (if your good) a raised line with smooth borders above the surrounding surface. It's difficult to recommend this to a novice, nevertheless, the next step is to sand the scratch. I have a small wood sanding block I made out of a 2x2 on which I glued a piece of felt. I start by sanding the scratch with 1000 grit wet or dry sandpaper, then move to 1500, and finally 2000 grit. When I am done, the line is now flat and the area around the line has been lightly sanded. I buff out the sanding marks with a variable speed buffer using a foam pad.

This is a skill that requires practice. I am sure you can fill the scratch adequately. Use care in proceeding further.

I recall a 5 year old, scratchless, pristine, powder blue 944. After a visit to a friend's home, I discovered a 3 foot long scratch in the body, obvious vandalism. Ouch. I learned from that experience how to use touchup paint (I had no choice, this was a repaint job to fix), and to accept the fact that there are jerks out there that will destroy beauty.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[rquintero]

*Thanks* nsxman for the great detail!

The sandpaper part scares me - the Y2K silver is one of those less-than-straightforward colors, looks different depending on where the sun hits it (my kids calls it "sparkles paint"). Would hate to "even it out" into an even bigger blemish.

But maybe just following phase I of your advice I can take the edge of the sore...

 

[ScienceofSpeed]

I wouldn't do any touch up's to the car myself, especially for a more difficult color like yours. If you don't want to do it yourself, you may want to look up one of those places (here in WA they are called AeroColors, Inc.) that airbrush scratches. I've been very impressed with their work.

------------------
Chris Willson
www.ScienceofSpeed.com
www.NSXClassifieds.com

 

[NotFast]

Has anyone here tried this product: http://www.langka.com/
? Maybe this would help out with your scratch...

This was recommended to me for "leveling out" touch up paint when working on scratches. A friend bought a bottle of it yet, but I don't think he's actually used it yet (too cold here in the Midwest).

 

[Huy]

Langka is garbage. I bought the stuff, tried it out, but it's no miracle worker. It certainly does NOT leave a globless touch up as promised. I had to go over my surface for at least 5 mins in a back and forth motion. Stick to what NSXMAN had prescribed...it's the much better way of doing touchups.

If you want to level-out paint blobs, there are so many other things that you can buy, instead of paying $20 for a tiny little bottle with a credit-card sized piece of plastic. Langka belongs in the dumpster.

Huy

 

[rquintero]

Thanks for all the advice.

Chris, it didn't even occur to me to look for a shop that does this work, lets see what I find in my area. Failing that I'll follow nsxman's procedure (sans the sanding part).

Ralph