treh1

Hello, unfortunately a bicycle fell on top of the fender of my 1958 Silver Blue Corvette. The handbrake dug into the surface and gouged it down into the fiberglass material. Lucky the fender is fiberglass because I would have had a sizable dent as well. Anyways, I'm trying to figure out the best way to touch-up this spot. I have a small amount of the original paint. Thanks for any suggestions! Tom



Right front fender





Close up of scratch with applied touch-up paint

DUB

Tom,
What are you expecting to achieve when touching this scratch up????

Meaning....are you expecting it NOT to be detected in any way...even if a guy like me looks at the car???

Honestly....if you plan on touching this up ONLY and adding some clear to seal it in and get it smooth....that is NOT a problem.

The problem is getting the metallic dispersal the EXACT SAME as when it was shot...regardless if you have the EXACT SAME PAINT...which is just about impossible when touching up with a brush. Trying to brush paint to match paint that was shot and atomized is REALLY HARD to do. I have done it successfully about twice in 30 years when dealing with metallic/pearl colors. And I honestly believe that was mostly just getting REALLY LUCKY. Solid colors are MUCH EASIER. Metallic/pearl colors...well....that is something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. And that is why the color will go darker.

IF you try this...you have to thin it out...use a brush with very few hairs. And hope for the best when testing it out.

And if that was not bad enough....if the paint job you have has clear on it. Keep in mind...the thickness of the clear CAN darken the color also. Keep in mind on how a swimming pool looks from the top floor of the hotel on a sunny day. The shallow end is a light blue...but the deep end is a darker blue...but yet...when they painted the pool...they used the light blue paint. SO..it has to do with how the light passes through the clear. AND YES...it can surprise you on how this can do this...especially to a person who has a trained eye and can pick up a color being off due to ONE extra coat of clear applied to a repair panel.

DUB

treh1

Hi DUB, thanks for the reply. I was hoping that a professional would be able to fill/spray/feather/blend the area without having to paint the entire front end. I don't know whether this is possible or not?

DUB

Actually applying color (paint) to the entire front end will not need to be done....due to the painter will blend out the color. ....BUT the PROBLEM is the clear coat...and that is when applying clear and the area it needs to be applied in... will be determined in the panel itself. IF there is no good spot to 'break' the clear on a body line.....then the front clip will be prepped and clear coated so you do not have a ghost line appear in time showing where the clear stopped. AND YES....this line will show up in time if you are looking for it.

This body design is not good for finding 'break' point. Even if you think of using the top fender stainless trim...it does not go all the way back to the door edge....so in the top hood surround area behind the fender stainless is where you would have a line. AND on top surfaces is NOT a good place to hide a break point in the clear.

I know it can be blended and blend the clear and would good for a while...but it WILL come back and let you know where you would easily see where the clear stopped.

AND not to *** misery to agony...the scratch in you fender/top hood surround is kinda close to the gap where the hood is. SO...when the painter is doing the blend...he needs to be careful...because if he applies some clear on the blended area and then applies two coats of clear over the rest of the panel. The hood can end up looking lighter due to the added clear on the surrounding paint have now 2 more coats ( if not more ) of clear on it.....and these added coats of clear can change the paint color under it and darken it visually....thus....making the hood lighter.

Like I wrote in my previous reply...but it is important. Yes ..this color change can happen ...the same way when you look at a swimming pool from high up on a sunny day and the shallow end is lighter than the deep end. The pool was painted all the same light blue color...and the water is CLEAR...but the way the light passes though the depth of the water...makes it look different....so ...clear is NO DIFFERENT...the more clear you apply will give depth and on metallic colors...can darken the color...and that is IF the clear that is being used is ACTUALLY CLEAR...and NOT have a light yellowish tint to it...which is possible.

And the LAST of the potential bad news...this repair may have to be re-visited in about a year....depending on its exposure to the sun and being able to cure...instead of being stuck in a garage all the time. With the 'feathering' back of the scratch and breaking into different layers of materials used on it. When these layers are exposed and looking like a cut onion. When primers or whatever are used to get it back right. These products that are used to repair it will more than likely effect the feathered layers. Due to each layer that is feathered back...even if you go all the way down to bare fiberglass....these layers will react differently to the solvents in primers that will be used to get the repair completed.

The car will end up looking great.....but in time...the way it was prepped and what was used will settle out and shrink in over time. SO one day...you might notice a little bit of distortion or shrinkage and see the rings where the paint and all were feathered back. And sometimes these rings are so bad that they actually effect the metallic structure....where it need to be prepped and blended again.

DUB

treh1

Hi Dub, thank you for all your details. I think I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I'm going to leave the scratch alone and just think of it as a battle wound. I'm sure I'll accumulate more along the way as I enjoy using my Corvette. The time may come where I wind up doing the whole car. Thanks again, Tom