Severe scratches on truck now

So, some jackass had a truck with a trailer attached and the trailer was in the 'do not park' area. I saw the trailer too late (was turning the corner) and was forced to cut my truck too close to the wall. Because of this jackass I now have (possibly deep) scratches on my passenger side rear door and rear quarter panel and rear wheel flare. So what is the best option to fix this aside from insurance. Still owe 16.5k on it.


Help would be appreciated.
Sam

 

Take it to a local independent shop and tell them your woes. See what they say. I can't tell by the pics but is that through paint?

If it's just "marks" from what you scrapped, Mcguires Ultimate Compound will do wonders... followed by a wax

Good luck,

 

Still worth 30k!!!

 

@outdoorgb
I am sure the scratches are through the paint cause they feel jagged and even catch in some areas.

Anyone know how much it might cost for the repairs, just a random estimate. My coworker said they can be buffed out but I do not believe her specially since she said 'you could a stopped or backed up. I mentioned my truck was bigger than hers (she has like a early 2000s F-150 standard cab which is 209in or so VS my dclb at 221.3in) and she was like I drive a 3/4 ton(she has a 250 or 2500 'in the shop') I so wanted to look at her and say 'but is that what you are driving'.

Well turns out the people are not so arrogant and assish as I thought. They offered to pay to have my truck fixed.

Sam

 

Time to paint the entire truck. You’ll never match 9yr old black paint. Depending on the shop and the quality you want or expect. 3k low end, 5-7k middle , 10k+ high end. And you could even go higher for a full paint if ya want show quality.

 

Vinyl wrap

 

So you drove up against a wall because someone didn’t leave you enough room, (instead of just backing up because there was no way to make it) and these folks offered to pay to have your truck fixed? I’d say you’re extremely lucky, and the world may not be as fucked as it seems to be. There are still some good people out there

not meant to shit on OP. Just saying it’s not a clear cut case of fault by any stretch. Impressed they’re offering to pay.

 

Completely agree. I just had a quality roof paint done for $1100. Whole truck will easily be $5k-$7k. MAACO will be the cheapest route but not for the long haul. Go for quality if you are going to keep it.

 

You could paint the door handle and fender flare and try and buff the rest of it. It will still be noticeable, but it would be the cheapest route. Next step up would be touch up paint on what you couldn't buff out, but it will still be noticeable. Last step would be turn it in on your insurance, but I know you don't want to do that.

If you plan on keeping the truck for a long time I'd find a great body shop and pay the insurance deductible and be done with it. Shit happens, that's what insurance is for.

 

Coworker fixed it with barkeepers friend, a microfiber cloth, and a drill. Like it was never there.

Sam

 

Well, as long as you're happy. That looks awful to me. That's not a very good picture because of the time of day and the poor lighting, but even then, one can see a ton of buffer marks. And your buddy used Barkeeper's Friend?! Good lord, that stuff is not made for paint and he probably removed a good portion (or all) of your clear coat using it. Remember, any vehicle with black paint will show any kind of defect more than any other color. But, as long as you're happy ...

 

Hmmm....interesting......you clipped a parked vehicle ...... or you hit the wall.

If I was the other guy, I'd have to ask......for you to pay for the damages to my trailer. Building owner could ask for the same.

 

Maybe it’s just me but that looks terrible.

 

I read this as some jackass driving a truck and not paying attention to the road ran into a building.

 

For you people making fun of me, HIS TRAILER WAS BLOCKING THE EXIT AND BY THE TIME I TURNED IT WAS TOO LATE. I did not hit the trailer BLOCKING THE EXIT, my truck scraped the GARAGE EXIT WALL. IT WAS NOT ON THE ROAD. Also, I'd have preferred a professional do the buffering but i am not rich. And here is the parking structure, look at the narrow exit and look at the other picture, see that "No parking Anytime" sign, that is where the trailer was and the truck (Ram 1500 Crew Cab) was in the one in front of it. So please, no more flaming me, i merely asked for help not for flaming. I am gonna see if I can get a pro to fix the imperfections, hopefully cheap. BTW, is clear coat what makes the Paint shine?

 

Clear coat is just that. A clear paint/ enamel that goes over the colored paint to provide protection. When you look at a vehicles paint in the sunlight, sometimes at an angle you'll probably see tons of swirls or light scratches. Those are in the clear coat. Depending on the clear coat material thickness (how much clear coat is left) you may or may not be able to polish out those imperfections with a random orbital polisher. If the clear is too thin, you'll have to re-spray the clear.

You can pickup a machine polisher, some pads, and some polishing compound almost anywhere (Amazon, harbor freight, ect.) for not a whole lot these days. Walmart even sells a few polishing compound kits that can be done by hand although they're not as effective.

It's hard to tell by the pictures, but I don't think that will buff out or clean up enough without re-painting. You could still turn it in on your insurance under comprehensive coverage too.

In the future, stick with car detailing products for car applications. Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

Here's a relatively inexpensive suggestion for around $300:

Wash the truck really good and then clay bar it with a mother's or meguiars clay bar kit. Then follow up with a machine polisher to correct the bigger imperfections and then polish out the smaller ones last.

Any polisher, this one's cheap:

$170 Griot's Garage G9 Random Orbital Polisher 10901 – 1000-Watt Dual Action Buffer for Car Detailing, Polishing, Waxing, Swirl and Scratch Removal – 6" Backing Plate, Variable Speed, Ergonomic Grip

https://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garage-Random-Orbital-Polisher/dp/B089JFDKRZ?crid=37KVCRWYWQLJZ&keywords=griots+polisher&qid=1637723492&sprefix=griots+pol%2Caps%2C327&sr=8-2

A few of these correcting pads (3-4):

$31 Griot's Garage Orange Foam Correcting Pads for Car Polishing and Detailing, Removes Light to Moderate Paint Defects, Durable, Machine-Washable, 10617, 6.5", Set of 2

https://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garag...ee6c724ed2b&pd_rd_wg=tAFmF&pd_rd_i=B07ZR149FD

A few of these finishing pads (3):

$29 Griot's Garage 6.5" Black Foam Finishing Pads for Car Polishing and Detailing, Buffing Pads for Paint Correction and Sealant Application, 10619, Set of 2

https://www.amazon.com/Griots-Garag...55aa772bccd&pd_rd_wg=xsmJF&pd_rd_i=B07ZQZQNRP

Some microfiber towels:

$23 The Rag Company - Eagle Edgeless 500 (4-Pack) Professional Korean 70/30 Blend Super Plush Microfiber Detailing Towels, 500GSM, 16in x 16in, Blue

https://www.amazon.com/RAG-COMPANY-Professional-Microfiber-Detailing/dp/B00GXRG64I?crid=36DG9PNA7GKZW&keywords=the+rag+company+microfiber&qid=1637724218&sprefix=the+rag+%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-8

And some correcting and finishing compound from almost any brand...

Correcting compound:

$21 Jescar Correcting Compound - 8oz - Fast Cutting, Abrasive Polishing Compound for Deep Scratches, Sanding Marks, Swirls & Holograms - Buffing and Polishing Compound for Scratch Repair, Easy Wipe Off

https://www.amazon.com/Jescar-Corre...d648676e333&pd_rd_wg=QjQ7X&pd_rd_i=B0742L1VWH

Finishing polishes:

Jescar Micro Finishing Polish - 8oz - Ultra-Fine Polish, Removes P3000 grit Sanding Marks, Mirror Finish, Silicone-Free and Safe for All Paint Areas, Removes Swirls, Holograms, Haze, Light Scratches

https://www.amazon.com/Jescar-Micro-Finishing-Polish/dp/B076ZRWT4S?crid=200FNG2820UR5&keywords=jescar+correcting+compound&qid=1637723741&sprefix=correcting+co%2Cautomotive%2C200&sr=8-10

$25 SONAX Perfect Finish 250ml | Scratch and Swirl Remover Polish | Machine Polish | Paint Correction Polish | High Gloss | Black Paint Polish | No Fillers Paint Correction | 8.45 fl. Oz

https://www.amazon.com/Sonax-224141...s=automotive&sr=1-1-spons&smid=A2FYWYS5HRG3VU

If you're still unhappy with it turn it on on your insurance.

 

That had to sound AWFUL

 

Not flaming you. You come to detailing forum asking for help and the ones of us who detail are mortified at the process used on your truck.

 

First, yes, the clear coat is what makes the paint shine, and also what protects it. Base coat without clear coat doesn't last long. It also looks pretty dull. To give you an idea what pure base coat looks like, look under the hood of most vehicles. Most manufacturers don't spray clear coat there. Not only will it look dull, but it will sometimes appear to be a slightly different color too.

As for getting a pro to fix the damage your friend caused, you will find that most any competent detailer will either refuse the job or only do it if you sign a damage waiver. The reason for this is that because so much clear coat has already been removed, removing more through more polishing runs a serious risk of getting right into the base coat. Remember, polishing / buffing removes paint. Once removed, you cannot polish it back on there.

I have a good friend in the detailing world who got a call from a local Lexus dealership a number of years ago. They wanted him to see if he could "fix" a black Lexus LS that a new detailer they hired had messed up with a rotary buffer and a wool pad with rubbing compound. It looked a lot like your truck does now. As much as my friend tried, and as gentle as he went at it, the clear coat was already mostly gone. They ended up completely repainting the car. Just be prepared.