Advice on how to repair my "first scratch."

I wasn’t sure where to post this question, so my apologies if this wasn’t the right place.


The event was painful to say the least but knew there was an inevitability factor that, well we all eventually encounter, right?


Well maybe not everyone...


The good news is that it’s on the plastic part of the fender. Some of the paint was removed but deep enough to exposed the black plastic.


So my question is can I just sand it down with a fine grit paper and then apply a thin coat of paint (will be using a rattle can), or do I need to apply a primer before the paint?


Appreciate any feedback and thanks in advance.

 

A mis-matched rattle can touch up will look worse than a scratch in my option.

 

Honestly, painting it will never match unless you have a body shop do it. Your best bet is to see if the dealer sells pre-painted flares. If not you can either have a shop do it, or now would be a good time to switch to the black flares or some beefy flares.

 

Don't. Its broken in. Looks good, and it gets used.

 

Consider swapping in black OR flairs? Looks better IMO...

 

I saw someone took some paint thinner to all the flairs. Cheap and easy black flairs. Better look imo.

 

I bought the Toyota color-matched touch-up pen for where I scratched or nicked mine down to the metal. Consider viewing the plastic fender scuffs as patina. You don’t want immaculate mountaineering boots either. ;-)

 

I had someone side swipe my fender. I scuffed them up with 400 grit then used rattle can bed liner on them. Turned out much better then I thought it would.

 

Looks awesome, any pics of them on the truck?

 

It's been about 6 months. They still look fantastic

 

Try paint from these guys.

 

Leave it and scratch it up on a trail some more.

 

These guys helped me out better than a dealership would....dealer wanted $25 for touch up that would take two weeks to get.
https://new-eaz.com/our-products-1?olsPage=products/new-eaz-touch-up-paint

 

Or don't hit stuff

 

I would leave it or have a shop fix it. Touching it up would make it stand out more. Thats just what i would do.

 

Just get some OE touch up paint and touch it up. Unless you want to spend a couple hundred getting it professionally repainted.

 

Thanks for all the reply’s!

It’s so tempting just to let it be...it’s a truck after all! No more worrying about who I’m parking next to. The idea is liberating!

Then there’s that part of me who for the last 10 months took pride in the way the truck has looked. Always clean, both inside & out!

The good news is I don’t have to make that decision anytime soon. But if I were pressed to decide right now...probably a toss up between touch up or the rattle can.

I think as the truck ages, so does my emotional attachment. Sure...I would have loved for this incident not to have happened, but it did and will take it in stride. It’s a good thing.

Mahalo & thank you for all the feedback!

Jeff

 

My name is Jeff! Lol sorry. Ima be on the lookout for a blue Tacoma with a flare scratch. Must be rare on the island.

 

Wrap the fenders in matte black vinyl.

 

Plastidip it black for off-road look .