No use crying over spilled milk, time to move forward with best fix. I dropped a trailer hitch ball which landed on the driver side door by the window. The spot is about the size of a pinky tip.

Need recommedations for best fix. Is this something a touch up will repair or are we talking about a big job?

 

it looks like more than touch up, but a good body shop shop be able to fix it like new....if it helps. I know how you feel.. I've made a few boo boos myself.. it's Ok. It's not a heart attack, prostate cancer, or the IRS.

 

Not sure if it's worth getting some artic white touch up and trying myself or take it to body shop.

 

$500 to $1,000 from now and you will never be able to tell it happened.

 

I would try the touch up. White hides the repair pretty well. I did a lot of touch ups on my off white C3 and I was the only one that knew where my repairs were. If you drive your car it probably will get some more dings. Is it worth the 500 to 1000 bucks to you?

 

I think that is going to show pretty easily just doing a touch up. If it were mine, I'd probably take it to a pro and let them see what they can do.

 

Right now I don't think its worth 500-1000. I've ordered some proper touch up and clear from automotive touch up. I think I'll put some 2000 grit on the end of a pencil eraser and lightly smooth the spot. Then put some carnuba on the surrounding area to prevent overflow. Use some isopropyl alcohol to remove wax and oils from the spot itself. Mix the paint and clear coat and use a micro dabber to fill the spot until a slight crown appears. Once there I'll smooth with 3000 grit and then but and polish as required.

This seems to be the best DIY method after an hour of research.

 

Your probably right... Man this is irritating.

 

Frankly... your probably not going to "hurt" is anymore trying to fix it anyway...if it doesn't work you can take it to a professional. Good luck

I thinks someone can fix that for less than $500

 

If it doesn't work out you can still take it to the body shop.

 

There's plenty of companies that car dealers use to tough up smaller chips, scrapes and such. Might be something to look into.

Good Luck!

 

you could do this..

 

That's what I would do. Unless you have a show car. it's not worth 500 to 1000 to me. After some time has passed you probably won't even think about it. If it still bothers you after a few months go to a body shop.
I fixed a bigger spot than that on the nose of my Magnetic red C5 last summer. Doesn't bother me at all now. I have to look for it to find it.

 

Thanks for sharing your opinion guys. I think I'll try the DIY since I've got stuff ordered for 31 bucks and if it's not satisfactory then try a pro. Hopefully it will warm up enough in a few weeks to give it a whirl.

 

Good news is paint looks good otherwise! Don't often get a reflection on an overcast day on a white vehicle.

 

Touch up and a little wet sanding will diminish that! Try a Lanka or other paint chip repair product and see if you like the results. Good luck!

 

A few tips that may help, Lots of good info on youtube.

 

As other have already noted, a re-spray of most (if not all) of the entire door is likely the only way to completely erase all evidence of the paint gouge.

But here's an option for where you get the car re-sprayed. Our local high school offers high school students a class in auto paint/body work in which students learn to repair and repaint vehicles. [There is a one-year wait for kids wanting to enroll in this very popular class.] The school's paint booth and other facilities are all first class. Moreover, the school district allows the guy who teaches these classes (he has over 35 years of relevant experience) to work, after school hours, on cars for his own purposes using the body shop's facilities. Of course, he is on every school district employee's contact list and he thoroughly enjoys helping teachers by repairing their vehicles (and boats, too) at a fraction of the cost they would pay at an outside paint and body shop.

I took my elderly father's pickup to this shop teacher. Dad had scraped the driver's door and side-view window while backing out of his garage. The shop teacher first asked, "Is it ok if I have my students work on this car, or do you want me to do it myself?" Having already dealt with him enough to trust the quality of his work, I told him, "I don't care, as long as the finished work is high quality." He said, "Great."

I dropped off the truck and two days later picked it up. It was perfectly repaired. He even touched up scratches on other parts of the truck. Moreover, he only charged me for the paint and supplies needed for the repair since, in his view, the students' labor was, in fact, on the job training. [I tipped him for overseeing this project.] The paint was a unique metallic red, which I thought would be difficult for him to match. Nope...turns out the local PPG rep came over and mixed paints until a perfect match was achieved.

A happy outcome for what could have been a $1,000+ repair job if done elsewhere.

So...if you are having heartburn over the cost of repairing your car's door, see if you have a local high school body shop that is willing to do the job for you. You might be surprised by the quality of the work done, and most certainly you will be happy with the cost.

Just a thought.

The Lizzard

 

Thanks for all the tips. I also picked up the Lanka kit to give the DIY a shot. Figure it's worth a try for 70 bucks (now with langka and touch up). If that don't work then I'll consider a shop.

 

I started on the touch up today. It's not perfect but it will do just fine for me. I still need to add another coat or two, use the blob remover and then clear it. If it didn't get any better from here I'd be satisfied.