Knicked My Car -- Need Advice Please - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

DkknightX · 02-26-2010, 04:49 AM

I'm here in NJ getting pounded by another snow storm, so I figured I'd shovel out as best I could. I tried to turn on the radio in my garage while I shovel but stupid me, not paying attention, I had something sharp lying on top of the refrigerator that accidentally fell as I was adjusting the radio and fell on top of my right front quarter panel. It looks fairly deep and it is an eyesore and no way am I attempting to repair this myself. If I took this to a quality body shop, what do you think they'd have to do to repair it and how much do you think it would cost? Getting a cover after this debacle. Thanks all!

Scott@Bjorn3D · 02-26-2010, 04:58 AM

100-200 probably.

DkknightX · 02-26-2010, 05:00 AM

Thanks Scott! That's what I was figuring. You don't think they'd have to paint the entire quarter, do you? Appreciate it!

HDDAN · 02-26-2010, 05:55 AM

You will have a problem because the knick is below the color. When that happens and you use color touch up paint, it is obvious because the color will sit on the clear coat. The best that you can do is to dab a very little amount of color into the divot and fill in the rest with touch up clear coat. You must fill it above the factory paint and then get 3 grades of wet sanding paper 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit and use something like an eraser (small flat block of rubber) as a sanding block to make it flat by wet sanding it. Start with the coarsest paper and work your way to the 2000 grit. After that you need to use polishing compound to remove the scratches and then wax it and it will be pretty good. You will know that it is there but someone else would really have to look to find the blemish. Go slowly and go gently and be careful and you should be able to get good results. If not, you haven't lost anything because you can still get your fender repainted at a body shop. Good luck. I did this to a similar divot on my Harley's fender and you can not even see it now.

DkknightX · 02-26-2010, 06:01 AM

If I felt comfortable, I'd try it HDD, but just to be safe and make sure it is done right, I'd rather have a body shop do it right the first time.

Your knowledge of sanding and painting is awesome though! Appreciate your insight man!

Y2KSSMARO · 02-26-2010, 06:25 AM

I have used LANGKA Paint Chip and Scratch Repair with great results.http://www.langka.com/

ron10 · 02-26-2010, 08:06 AM

call one of those fix a dent guys in you area.they can do dent and paint repair on something like this.most of them have mobile units that can come to you to do it.

DangerZL1 · 02-26-2010, 12:14 PM

I second the Langka recommendation. You really can't mess up using this stuff. All you do is carefully fill the scratch in until it is above the surface by applying a coat of paint every day, and let it sit no more than 48 hours before using the product to smooth out the blob. I used it to repair a large area on the roof of my car that bird poop ate down to the primer. I believe you can do as good a job as the professionals and save a lot of $$. If you mess up, you can start over without making the area look worse than it did before the repair.

Sir Nuke · 02-26-2010, 02:05 PM

my recomenation is to NEVER EVER put anything on top of the fridge EVER again.

DkknightX · 03-04-2010, 03:29 PM

**UPDATE**

I saw the Auto body guy about my car today and he said to do it 100%, because it has metallic paint, he would have to repaint the front bumper and the right fender completely. He seems very confident he can take the clear coat off the paint on just the fender and repair the damage properly, then reclearcoat the fender. There is a very low probability that it might be a minor shade off if done this way, but I'm chancing it. The bumper and the fenders don't really match perfectly anyway because of the color of the paint and/or the metallics. Dropping my car off next Tuesday. I'll post pics afterwards.

irvinecamaro · 03-04-2010, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DkknightX

**UPDATE**

I saw the Auto body guy about my car today and he said to do it 100%, because it has metallic paint, he would have to repaint the front bumper and the right fender completely. He seems very confident he can take the clear coat off the paint on just the fender and repair the damage properly, then reclearcoat the fender. There is a very low probability that it might be a minor shade off if done this way, but I'm chancing it. The bumper and the fenders don't really match perfectly anyway because of the color of the paint and/or the metallics. Dropping my car off next Tuesday. I'll post pics afterwards.

Did he give you an estimate?

DkknightX · 03-04-2010, 06:53 PM

The damage was right down to the metal in which case it would rust if the car was ever wet. There were 3 ways to go:

01 - Use touch up and clear coat it myself. It would never look right and I do not trust myself enough to do this.

02 - Strip the clear coat off the fender, repair the damage, repaint the damaged area, blend it in as best he can, and then reclear it. This is the method I chose but he was concerned that the blend might not be perfect because it would look off from the front bumper. He wanted to repaint the front bumper too for some reason but I forgot why. Something with matching the paint correctly. I told him it probably wouldn't matter anyway because the front bumper color is off on all these cars anyway so if the blend was a very minor shade off, it might not be noticeable.

03 - He could have repainted both the bumper and the fender, however, the custom striping would then be off kilter and therefor would have to restripe the entire bumper which is a lot more money.

To repair the damage, repaint, and reclear the fender, he is charging me approximately $300.00, but maybe less. I do plenty of computer work for his business and he is a damn good autobody guy. I'll post pics here when it's done. Going to drop it off Tuesday night and get the car back on Friday. I'm confident that it'll be done perfectly.

Scott@Bjorn was right on the money with his estimate. Thanks man!

02-26-2010, 04:49 AM	#1
DkknightX Account Suspended Drives: 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS/SC Stage 2 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Emerson, NJ Posts: 1,347 View My Garage	Knicked My Car -- UPDATED 03/03/10 I'm here in NJ getting pounded by another snow storm, so I figured I'd shovel out as best I could. I tried to turn on the radio in my garage while I shovel but stupid me, not paying attention, I had something sharp lying on top of the refrigerator that accidentally fell as I was adjusting the radio and fell on top of my right front quarter panel. It looks fairly deep and it is an eyesore and no way am I attempting to repair this myself. If I took this to a quality body shop, what do you think they'd have to do to repair it and how much do you think it would cost? Getting a cover after this debacle. Thanks all! Attached Images Last edited by DkknightX; 03-04-2010 at 03:31 PM.

02-26-2010, 02:05 PM	#9
Sir Nuke Master of All Things Drives: '20 Corvette Stingray Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Southeast of Houston, Texas Posts: 22,323 View My Garage	my recomenation is to NEVER EVER put anything on top of the fridge EVER again. __________________

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02-26-2010, 04:58 AM	#2
Scott@Bjorn3D Drives: Kami, 2013 2SS LS3 Luvin Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Eufaula, Alabama Posts: 6,427	100-200 probably.

02-26-2010, 05:00 AM	#3
DkknightX Account Suspended Drives: 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS/SC Stage 2 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Emerson, NJ Posts: 1,347 View My Garage	Thanks Scott! That's what I was figuring. You don't think they'd have to paint the entire quarter, do you? Appreciate it!

02-26-2010, 05:55 AM	#4
HDDAN Drives: 2010 Camaro 1SS 2007 HD FLSTC Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Boston MA Posts: 1,510	You will have a problem because the knick is below the color. When that happens and you use color touch up paint, it is obvious because the color will sit on the clear coat. The best that you can do is to dab a very little amount of color into the divot and fill in the rest with touch up clear coat. You must fill it above the factory paint and then get 3 grades of wet sanding paper 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit and use something like an eraser (small flat block of rubber) as a sanding block to make it flat by wet sanding it. Start with the coarsest paper and work your way to the 2000 grit. After that you need to use polishing compound to remove the scratches and then wax it and it will be pretty good. You will know that it is there but someone else would really have to look to find the blemish. Go slowly and go gently and be careful and you should be able to get good results. If not, you haven't lost anything because you can still get your fender repainted at a body shop. Good luck. I did this to a similar divot on my Harley's fender and you can not even see it now.

02-26-2010, 06:01 AM	#5
DkknightX Account Suspended Drives: 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS/SC Stage 2 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Emerson, NJ Posts: 1,347 View My Garage	If I felt comfortable, I'd try it HDD, but just to be safe and make sure it is done right, I'd rather have a body shop do it right the first time. Your knowledge of sanding and painting is awesome though! Appreciate your insight man!

02-26-2010, 06:25 AM	#6
Y2KSSMARO Drives: 2000 SS #0370 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: CT. Posts: 30	I have used LANGKA Paint Chip and Scratch Repair with great results.http://www.langka.com/

02-26-2010, 08:06 AM	#7
ron10 Drives: 2010 2SS IOM L99 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: LOUISVILLE,KY.. Posts: 7,545	call one of those fix a dent guys in you area.they can do dent and paint repair on something like this.most of them have mobile units that can come to you to do it.

02-26-2010, 12:14 PM	#8
DangerZL1 Drives: 2023 Black ZL1 Auto Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: FEMA Region 4 Posts: 2,935	I second the Langka recommendation. You really can't mess up using this stuff. All you do is carefully fill the scratch in until it is above the surface by applying a coat of paint every day, and let it sit no more than 48 hours before using the product to smooth out the blob. I used it to repair a large area on the roof of my car that bird poop ate down to the primer. I believe you can do as good a job as the professionals and save a lot of $$. If you mess up, you can start over without making the area look worse than it did before the repair.

03-04-2010, 03:29 PM	#10
DkknightX Account Suspended Drives: 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS/SC Stage 2 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Emerson, NJ Posts: 1,347 View My Garage	UPDATE I saw the Auto body guy about my car today and he said to do it 100%, because it has metallic paint, he would have to repaint the front bumper and the right fender completely. He seems very confident he can take the clear coat off the paint on just the fender and repair the damage properly, then reclearcoat the fender. There is a very low probability that it might be a minor shade off if done this way, but I'm chancing it. The bumper and the fenders don't really match perfectly anyway because of the color of the paint and/or the metallics. Dropping my car off next Tuesday. I'll post pics afterwards.

03-04-2010, 06:53 PM	#12
DkknightX Account Suspended Drives: 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS/SC Stage 2 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Emerson, NJ Posts: 1,347 View My Garage	The damage was right down to the metal in which case it would rust if the car was ever wet. There were 3 ways to go: 01 - Use touch up and clear coat it myself. It would never look right and I do not trust myself enough to do this. 02 - Strip the clear coat off the fender, repair the damage, repaint the damaged area, blend it in as best he can, and then reclear it. This is the method I chose but he was concerned that the blend might not be perfect because it would look off from the front bumper. He wanted to repaint the front bumper too for some reason but I forgot why. Something with matching the paint correctly. I told him it probably wouldn't matter anyway because the front bumper color is off on all these cars anyway so if the blend was a very minor shade off, it might not be noticeable. 03 - He could have repainted both the bumper and the fender, however, the custom striping would then be off kilter and therefor would have to restripe the entire bumper which is a lot more money. To repair the damage, repaint, and reclear the fender, he is charging me approximately $300.00, but maybe less. I do plenty of computer work for his business and he is a damn good autobody guy. I'll post pics here when it's done. Going to drop it off Tuesday night and get the car back on Friday. I'm confident that it'll be done perfectly. Scott@Bjorn was right on the money with his estimate. Thanks man!