How to repair minor car paint damage

Do you have minor car paint damage on your vehicle? It may not seem like a big deal - minor scratches happen over time as you own the car - but it can keep your vehicle from looking its best and if deep enough, this damage can actually let moisture in and over time allow rust to form. As rust is extremely tedious and costly to repair, it's best to repair car paint damage as quickly as possible to avoid the situation. Toyota of Orlando is here to help - we've got tips from the pros on how you can DIY this issue from the comfort of your own garage. 

Repair minor car paint damage with these Orlando Toyota tips 

Before you start working, you have to figure out just how deep the scratch is that you're trying to repair. When it comes to your car paint, there are multiple layers: the base panel coat, primer coat, body paint coat, and clear coat. 

• If the scratch disappears when your car is wet and reappears when it's dry, it's a clear coat scratch. 
• If the car paint damage looks white and doesn't disappear when the car is wet, it's a body paint coat scratch. 
• If the scratch looks gray or black, it's a primer or body panel coat scratch. 

Figure out which type of scratch you've got on your hands and then start gathering supplies - for this particular DIY auto repair, you'll need sandpaper, microfiber cloths, fine scratch polish, clay bar wax, and soapy water. 

3 steps to remove car paint damage

Next, get to work! Here are the steps you'll want to take to get your car paint looking like-new again. 

1. Clean the area. You'll want to thoroughly wash the area you're going to be working on; this will help prevent further scratches by getting rid of any dirt or grit that could damage the paint as you polish and sand. Dry it with a microfiber cloth and tape it off so you know exactly where you're working. 

2. Start the sanding process. For this particular project, you'll want to use 3000 fine grit sandpaper to get started. Apply soapy water to the car paint damage and start sanding, using medium pressure, until the area looks hazy. Here's a tip - wrap a sponge in the sandpaper to avoid any pressure point marks from your fingers. Once you no longer see the scratch, you're ready to move to the next step. 

3. Wax and polish. Now it's time to take some 5000 fine grit sandpaper and get to work adding some feathering to the aforementioned hazy area. Once that's done, put some polish on a microfiber rag and apply it to the area to restore the shine. Finally, use the clay bar wax to get the area looking like-new again! 

Have questions? Call our Orlando Toyota Collision Center today - we're open and waiting at (407) 298-0001.