The Tale of the Great Automotive Scratch Repair Fiasco
You would think after all these years, I’d have learned by now that the easiest way to take care of an automotive scratch is to avoid it in the first place. Unfortunately, my latest experiment proved that no matter how many times I’ve heard this lesson before, I still need to be reminded from time to time just how important it really is.
My car is my prized possession. I keep it in pristine condition and take a lot of pride in its aesthetic appearance. Recently, someone drove into the passenger side door and left a huge scratch that ran almost the entire length. It was heartbreaking because I have tried to maintain this car for as long as possible, only to have someone leave its footprint for eternity. I thought about just having the entire side re-painted, but realized it would be cheaper to try one of these automotive scratch repair kits first before getting anything more expensive done. Here’s how it went…
What is an automotive scratch?
One of the most unfortunate but easy to forget happenings is getting a scratch on your car. In our auto-obsessed culture, few can accept an auto scratch as an unavoidable and normal event. Regardless, most people will experience a scratch or chip at some point in their life. A common misconception is that all you need to do is get it repainted for a flawless result. Unfortunately for some, this just isn’t possible lets learn more about what an automotive scratch is and how to fix one from home:
Automotive scratches are typically smaller chips in the clear coat that cover your vehicle’s paint job. It’s very common for these chips to occur due to reckless drivers or because you bumped your car into something stationary like a pole or another car (i.e.
DIY scratch repair options
One way to scratch repair is with a process called rubbing. This method relies on heat and pressure to restore smoothness. First, you need to make sure that your car’s surface is clean and free from dirt, wax, or anything else. You can use some warm water and mild detergent to wipe down the area where you want to start repairing the scratches. Next, take a plastic card – like a credit card or driver’s license – and apply gentle pressure in an up-and-down motion over your scratched area for five minutes, two times per day.
How to choose an auto body shop?
- Check their reviews – what do they have to say about their overall experience with the auto body shop? 2. Go in person and see if you feel a sense of trust with the shop manager, are they nice? Are they reasonable? 3. What is their price quote going to be for repairs? Compare it to prices from other shops that you’ve checked out already 4. What type of warranty will they offer? This will tell you how confident they are in the repair work that was done 5. What kind of parts is being used on your car? Better quality parts mean better quality repairs!
- Is this an insurance repair or are you paying out-of-pocket for repairs yourself 7?
State Farm’s Rough Day at Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA)
Cecilia Howard is used to competing against the other auto insurers at IAAs, but she could not have predicted this scenario. I went in expecting to spend no more than two hours, said Cecilia. It was a long day! The process started off well when one vehicle after another crossed her desk, with every single one being awarded to State Farm as their selection. A good sign for Cecilia’s company, right? Unfortunately not so much. At last count, there were over four hundred total vehicles to be processed and even though everything had been going so smoothly until that point, it soon turned into a frenzy as each vehicle on deck needed something done differently or required more paperwork or documentation to start the insurance claim process.
I Know It’s Going To Look Good When It’s Done – Right?
It’s late at night and your date is at your house when you get a call from a good friend. They say they were in an accident and need help. You quickly grab a tool kit and hop in your car to head out to help. When you get there, you are just in time to see that their car has a huge scratch on it. It’s kind of hard to see but you make out that it goes all the way across their hood, across the whole length of the front passenger side, up over their roof, and down one side before it heads back over the roof again towards their driver’s side door.
