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Deep scratch repair

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Old Jul 3, 2025 | 10:04 PM
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Default Deep scratch repair

Hi all,

I recently bought my first Corvette and have never had to deal with any repairs before. I somehow got a deep scratch near the front (probably scraped a curb?) and I was hoping I could avoid going to a shop and paying the hefty amount to repair this so I took some of the suggestions I saw online and bought the DrColorChip kit. I tried layering a couple of times but it seemed like it's not getting any better. Is this scratch just too deep? Or does the black mark need to be buffed out first? It's unfortunate that the angle at this spot is almost an overhead so maybe the paint just can't settle it due to the angle? I even used a lot more paint on my second layer but I think it all just came off with the blending solution. Here is the before pic:

Here is the after pic:


And this is the aftermath on the wiping cloth with the blending solution:


Any tips would be appreciated, I'm really a newbie to car stuff
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Old Jul 3, 2025 | 10:14 PM
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Dr. Color Chip is pretty good for small road rash/rock chips. That mark is far too large for Dr. Color Chip to work well at all.

Nothing short of a respray is going to fix that.
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Old Jul 3, 2025 | 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ljason8eg
Dr. Color Chip is pretty good for small road rash/rock chips. That mark is far too large for Dr. Color Chip to work well at all.

Nothing short of a respray is going to fix that.
I figured that is the case but was thinking it's worth a try since DrColorChip is so cheap and I can use it later on actual small scratches. Do you think I can repair this later or would I be risking rusting? Any idea of how much it would cost? (I'm guessing 500 to 1000 dollars)
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Old Jul 3, 2025 | 10:20 PM
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Agreed, if you want it to look right, time for the body shop professionals. Chalk it up to a bad day, pay the man and move on.
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Old Jul 3, 2025 | 11:28 PM
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Originally Posted by crisply1807
I figured that is the case but was thinking it's worth a try since DrColorChip is so cheap and I can use it later on actual small scratches. Do you think I can repair this later or would I be risking rusting? Any idea of how much it would cost? (I'm guessing 500 to 1000 dollars)
That part is made of plastic, its not going to rust. Probably about a $1000 repair... I'm sure the price will vary if you have the entire bumper resprayed and have the shop blend the paint onto the fender or hood.


(by plastic I mean SMC for the people who get super **** about that sort of thing haha )
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Old Jul 4, 2025 | 05:15 AM
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Respray and PPF that front end..jmho...
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Old Jul 4, 2025 | 07:17 AM
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If that is black paint (not factory primer under the clearcoat) then it can be rubbed out by hand. Get a bottle of 3m hand glaze, put it on a micro fiber towel and rub it out with some pressure. It should begin to disappear. You can also use a buffing wheel.
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Old Jul 4, 2025 | 12:51 PM
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Time for a pro
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 02:59 PM
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To fix it yourself,
a) you are going to need 10-15 thin coats
b) wet sanding 2000, 2500, 3000 in 90º orientations
c) 10 minutes with orbital buffer with polishing compound
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Old Jul 5, 2025 | 06:55 PM
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If me I would go to a body shop
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Old Jul 11, 2025 | 10:00 PM
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If the black I’m seeing is the bumper cover under all the paint then That needs to be repaired by a good body shop. It Needs to be prepped, sanded, prepped, painted, clear coated. A good shop will remove the front cover, remove all the carbon flash parts, the splitter and the nose emblem. They’d blend it out onto itself (bumper cover only) and clear the entire cover. That is if you want it done right. The touch up kit you have will never do it.
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Old Jul 12, 2025 | 06:11 AM
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Yea, that needs a respray.
Filling with a brush and polishing IMO will not look good.

FWIW, I tend to think most shops will want to repaint the entire front bumper, and as mentioned, remove the bumper, trim, and emblems.
I would try something else, such as airbrushing only that area.
Since the damage is low, perhaps air brushing orange paint and perhaps with a clear coat might look ok.
Lastly, is that an Atomic Orange color and a tri coat... special colored primer and a tinted clear coat?
LOL there is always the Michelin Tire racing sticker option.

Crashing sucks Good luck
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Old Jul 15, 2025 | 08:33 AM
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I think Kenny above is correct. Get a Michelin tire racing sticker and put one on each side (it looks like just about a perfect fit) and forget about it.
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Old Jul 28, 2025 | 12:25 PM
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Thank you for all the answers! I will just leave it for now since it's not noticeable unless you crouch down, and will fix it later
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Old Jul 28, 2025 | 02:13 PM
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The car was not cheap. You really need a body shop
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