My Z had a couple of scratches above the drivers side door handle when I bought it. I wetsanded the scratches out using 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sand paper. The scratches are gone now but I have a place where I sanded through the clear. It is about the size of a pinkie finger nail. Need a little direction on how to get some clear back on this spot. I have not been to Autozone or any place that sells touchup paint yet. I thought I might buy a small bottle of clear coat touch up and try to repair it. Any opinions on this or experience with this is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

Clear won't work. Been there, tried that. Hate to say it but you may need the panel sanded out and re-cleared. I messed up a car hood like that. Just took it and had the whole hood re-painted. (But it needed it anyway, so it didn't matter). In your case, since it's a very small spot, I'd try regular touch up paint to hide it instead. See if that works first. Then clear over the touch-up paint. If your not happy with the results.... then.... sand and re-paint... $$$$

 

You went too far sanding but if that is what it took then so be it. You can have a shop clear the door. Would likely run $200 or so.

 

I'd try to touch it up myself first, provided the car is NOT Black
Get a spray can of clear. Take a piece of cardboard, say 15 inches X 15 inches and punch a small hole in the very center of the cardboard --- say 1/2 the size of a dime. Prep the spot you need to fix to get all the dust, wax and finger oils off; use alcohol or whatever. Then spray the area you need repaired THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE CARDBORAD --- this will eliminate most of the overspray and get the clear mostly on the area you need to repair. Do two light coats. Let dry for 24 hours. Then wet sand and liquid polish to blend in.

This just might do it --- worth a try

 

If it's just the door handle, take it off, wetsand it with 600 and reclear with a rattle bomb can of clear or if you have a compressor get an airbrush and you can do it on the car.

 

I would add further on this idea....why not just mask out and around everything except the area needing the re-clear? Thats what I plan to do for a similar spot. You can then take and once it dries....GENTLY! wet sand with 2000 and then liquid polish or a gentle rubbing compound to buff it in. The way I see it your no worst off then you are right now. At worst what can happen? You end up buffing off all the new clear you lay down and are back to where you began in the first place. Definitely worth a shot! Could be a lot worst...my little "accident" was trying to fix the previous owners "crappy touch up job" on my rear hatch area. Its in the #1 worst spot imaginable! Right where the hatch meets the bumper. This would mean my hatch would need to be resprayed. I can't hide it with a spoiler cause its not on the bumper. Oh well...things happen

 

Here is a pic of the spot where the scratches were. I can't imagine how some of the scratches that are on the car got in the places they are. This scratch is gone and now replaced by this.

 

Here is where I sanded through the clear. It has been buffed.

 

You might try a paper towel cardboard roll to reduce the amount of clear over spray...another old detailing trick.
Make sure you allow it to completely cure before you try to sand/blend it.

 

This is EXACTLY what I pictured. Spraying rattle-can clear coat on this WILL NOT WORK. It is a waste of time and will make the spot stand out even more. The clear that is used in body shops and the factory has a different base (I think enamel, but I can't remember exactly). Believe me, I went through ALL of this last summer after buffing through the clear on a 94' Z28. I tried a rattle can and it DID NOT WORK. It actually magnified the problem 10X. If I were you at this point, I'd leave it alone. It's not that bad and probably only noticeable to you.

I also did the same thing to my C5 by sanding out bird crap stains that the previous owner let etch into the hood. 2 of them came out perfect but the third one I went a little too far and it's a little lighter spot. (I was sooooo close to getting it perfect. ) But it's not noticeable. Only I know it's there. I can always touch it up with touch up paint and do a light buff over it OR use the touch up repair kit by Langka. It's sold by Mid-America. That kit makes touch-ups smooth. The only thing that you have going against you is that it is a metallic finish in the electron blue so the paint match should be as close as possible. But for now, the above are good suggestions unless you decide to get the entire door sanded out and re-cleared.

 

TRY this--first get a spray touch up paint and than spray clear coat and than sand and buff-worth a try --or pro body shop that might beable to do that small spot perfect--

 

Airbrush it, a decent airbrush is less than $50 (assuming you have a compressor). If your in a metroplotian area, there are guys in trucks that go to dealers to do this stuff-Google is your friend-find one and he'll probably come to you. The other option is, GM uses this same door handle on several cars (like Grand Prix's)-pick one up at the boneyard and have it sprayed and swap it out. You might even luck out and find one in your color.

Looks like you cut through the color too, not just the clear.

 

Ok I just want to be sure I and others are looking at the right thing....Its not actually your door handle that you burned through right? I see a spot in all your photos about the size of a dime right above your door handle. Its actually in the door itself.

 

I think I see it now, whole door need to get cleared, you might belnd it in w/ an airbrush clear and blending solvent.

 

You are right. It is just above the door handle. In the pics it almost looks like a lighter blue circle.

 

Now that I see that small spot --- I would just leave it alone or bring it to a body shop and ask them to touch it up ---- maybe cost $100. That metallic blue will be tough to do yourself ---- black and all metallics are tough

 

After about 17 years experience in a bodyshop my advice is try to live with it. That spot will require some color to be blended over it first. Being so close to rear quarter may require it to also be in the blend. That little spot will require alot more than 200 dollars to repair that's for sure.

 

Good point. I had a key scratch above the door handle of my 02' Camaro. (Apparently the previous owner didn't want to get it fixed.) To make a long story short, I took it to an auto body shop and they had to repair the scatch and blend the pewter paint back into the rear quarter panel. Total cost: $850. Thank god the paint was a perfect match.

The shop would not paint just the top part of the door where the scratch was because it was too close to the rear panel and apparently the paint will not match up. It has to be blended back.

 

Have you considered a decal, like a JakeSkull, or some stripes, or ghost flames, or...well, you get the idea.

 

Or maybe your name or initials in script...