painting scraps on plastic front bumper

[MtnMarty]

Can I just use touch up paint and cover over a few scraps on the plastic front bumper? Don't know how they got there, but there they are....

[MtnMarty]

Of course that should be scrapes in the title, not scraps...It's not THAT bad.

[fotomoto]

Are the scrapes through the paint to the black plastic beneath or is it swapped paint?  If it's the latter, you can usually buff it out.  Yes, you can use a touch up bottle of minor scrapes.  A pic would help too.

[MtnMarty]

Are the scrapes through the paint to the black plastic beneath or is it swapped paint?  If it's the latter, you can usually buff it out.  Yes, you can use a touch up bottle of minor scrapes.  A pic would help too.

I just noticed this today and haven't had time to check it out completely. I'll report back.

[jmckinley]

Now that we're talking about this, I am amazed at how thin the paint is on this car.  It seems to chip easily and the holes are really shallow, as if the paint is very very thin compared to anything I've ever owned.

 

Paint thickness is a big deal regarding weight.  Keep in mind that paint on a bicycle is at least two pounds.  On a full body paint motorhome, it is several hundred pounds.  My guess is thickness is minimized on this car to help save those last few ounces on an already portly car. 

[MtnMarty]

I just looked more closely at the damage. It consists of about 8 parallel lines in the Ruby Red color each about 6 inches long separated by about an inch each. the underlying red color is still visible in each scratch, but it is of a duller color. No black shows through.

 

So my question is, how do I do the buffing. I've never done this before. Also, do I also use touch up paint. I'm assuming I get the exact Ruby Red at the dealer. Would really appreciate help on this. Thanks.

[fotomoto]

OK, it doesn't sound toooooo bad.   When it hasn't gone all the way through, you want to progress from least to most in terms of treatment strength.  

 

First wash it real good with soap and water.   Next, use a scratch remover product.  I like the turtle wax brand soft paste that comes in a squeeze bottle; I've also had excellent results Meguiars Scratch X.   Follow the directions and use a lot of elbow grease.   When you polish it out, the friction from the towel and the dried product will create heat that actually melts the paint/clear coat to blend back into the damage area.   Don't be afraid to try a couple more applications.   

 

If that doesn't do the trick you can try a rubbing compound which is more abrasive (same technique) and then the scratch remover on top of it.  You'll need a new wax coat too after all this is done.   If you still need to apply some touch up paint for your tri-coat red, the Ford product matches very well.   It cost me $12 from my local dealer.  They didn't have it in stock but got it within a couple of days.  Use some isopropyl alcohol or wax/grease remover in the remaining deep scratches before applying the paint for a better bond.  A couple of light coats is always better than one heavy one.  Don't get in a rush.

 

Good Luck!

Edited December 8, 2013 by fotomoto

[MtnMarty]

OK, it doesn't sound toooooo bad.   When it hasn't gone all the way through, you want to progress from least to most in terms of treatment strength.  

 

First wash it real good with soap and water.   Next, use a scratch remover product.  I like the turtle wax brand soft paste that comes in a squeeze bottle; I've also had excellent results Meguiars Scratch X.   Follow the directions and use a lot of elbow grease.   When you polish it out, the friction from the towel and the dried product will create heat that actually melts the paint/clear coat to blend back into the damage area.   Don't be afraid to try a couple more applications.   

 

If that doesn't do the trick you can try a rubbing compound which is more abrasive (same technique) and then the scratch remover on top of it.  You'll need a new wax coat too after all this is done.   If you still need to apply some touch up paint for your tri-coat red, the Ford product matches very well.   It cost me $12 from my local dealer.  They didn't have it in stock but got it within a couple of days.  Use some isopropyl alcohol or wax/grease remover in the remaining deep scratches before applying the paint for a better bond.  A couple of light coats is always better than one heavy one.  Don't get in a rush.

 

Good Luck!

 

Thanks fotomoto. I will visit my auto parts store this afternoon on a gray, drizzly cold day. Nothing better to do. 

[MtnMarty]

OK, it doesn't sound toooooo bad.   When it hasn't gone all the way through, you want to progress from least to most in terms of treatment strength.  

 

First wash it real good with soap and water.   Next, use a scratch remover product.  I like the turtle wax brand soft paste that comes in a squeeze bottle; I've also had excellent results Meguiars Scratch X.   Follow the directions and use a lot of elbow grease.   When you polish it out, the friction from the towel and the dried product will create heat that actually melts the paint/clear coat to blend back into the damage area.   Don't be afraid to try a couple more applications.   

 

If that doesn't do the trick you can try a rubbing compound which is more abrasive (same technique) and then the scratch remover on top of it.  You'll need a new wax coat too after all this is done.   If you still need to apply some touch up paint for your tri-coat red, the Ford product matches very well.   It cost me $12 from my local dealer.  They didn't have it in stock but got it within a couple of days.  Use some isopropyl alcohol or wax/grease remover in the remaining deep scratches before applying the paint for a better bond.  A couple of light coats is always better than one heavy one.  Don't get in a rush.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

Finally got around to picking up a tube of Meguiars Scratch X and used it today. The scratches are basically gone with only about 5 minutes of work. So, thanks much fotomoto.