How to fix deep key scratches with touch up paint - STEP BY STEP

[Sirocco20348]

Our car has large pieces of paint flaking off the roof due to the car being hail damaged repaired badly when we bought the car from the dealer (They didnt tell us about the hail damage thou...)

I should probably have the whole roof repainted to solve the problem completely. But I thought i would give your techqniue a go.

Mind you that im working with a bare piece of metal about 10cm in diameter.

Steps:
1. Wash the scratched area with prepsol and let it dry.

Does prepsol affect the surrounding paint at all? What is prepsol anyway?

2. Apply touch up paint (I find auto paint stores that mix on the spot match better than factory touch up bottles. Especially for Honda's).

Which Auto paint store did you go to?

3. Apply clear coat. I bought good quality clear coat in a can.

What clear coat did you use ? and where did you buy it?

[D3bb4]

Prepsol/Wax and grease remover won't harm the existing paint, but it will strip any wax/polish, so you'll have to wash it and wax it after.

I'd be interested to know how visible it is in daylight/bright light. Painting on a metallic usually makes the flakes sit down, so in brighter light it isn't likely going to be as reflective, etc.

There's a trick that dealers use for touch ups that is similar, but I'd be concerned with the same issues; the edge of the new paint application, especially where you haven't rubbed it back first as well; would likely not adhere properly. And then you might get an edge where the clear is, which breaks down due to small film build, etc. Make sure you wax it plenty. Side panel vs. a horizontal panel though would be less problematic.

Either way, it sure looks a lot better than how it was! Good work!

[wfdTamar]

The only thing with that technique is you might go through the clear coat into the colour if the colour is uneven (which it's bound to be). If you're going to use the wet and dry 2000 paper I'd be using it between applying colour and clear (maybe after clear too).

[minircc]

Hi Sirocco20348, i wouldn't recommend doing it to your car.
Sounds like it might flake more if you use the clay bar on it, due to the bad respray.

However, to answer your questions. If you can't find Prepsol, you can use any brand paint cleaner.
Eg. Meguiar's Deep Crystal Paint Cleaner - 473ml - Supercheap Auto Australia

I bought the touch up paint and clear coat from an auto paint store in sunshine.
Any will do. I believe some Autobarn stores mix touch up paints too.

[minircc]

hi D3bb4, i will post another picture of the car in daylight when i get a chance.
it's raining outside at the moment.

agree that it's not the same as a full respray and you can tell if you look extremely close at funny angles because of the way the metallic flakes in the touch up paint sets. It's very hard to match metallic, but if it was flat paint, it would have been a little easier.

if i don't tell people, they don't know its there.
If i tell them, they can make it out if i point to certain sections of it. remembering this was a super long scratch to begin with.