Help in deep scratches

[wartabit]

Hi friends,

I am new in this forum and also quite beginner in detailing. I have an unfortunate story about my car and need your help in how to deal with it.

I just bought a new BMW-1 series in metallic grey and on its second day, I scratched it with my jacket's zip! I have been driving for more than 15 years, never scratched my cars before (they were all second hand ones) and I scratched my first new car on its second day!

Anyway, it seems that it is quite a deep scratch (pictures on the below link) and I went to several garages, and I was told that it is so deep that the door should be painted (in fact they told me that they need to paint 2 doors -for this 2 cm scratch!- to eliminate the color difference). For sure, I do not want my 2-day car get painted just for this (it still smells new-car inside!!), so I checked internet for other options and this is how I ended up here.

I finally concluded that I cannot get rid of this scratch by simply wet sanding+compound+polishing procedure as this is not a clear coat scratch, and I guess I need to fill the depth of the scratch first (how?).

Now, would you recommend me how can I make this scratch less visible/annoying (I know it is not possible to remove the scratch as a whole)?
I have the original BMW paint but I am scared of applying it and cause a color difference. So, what would you suggest, which products should I use or is it simply impossible to make it less visible via DIY products/tools?

Also, one more question, if I leave the scratch like this, will it get corroded/rusted? Should I put at least some polish/wax (or smt else) in order not to get it rusted?

Millions of thanks for your help in advance - and sorry if I am asking something really stupid

Jay

Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/iBJj1qL

[Shnycar$]

Re: Help in deep scratches

That does look like a nasty scratch. I’m not a pro but an avid fanatic. First thing I would do is spray water on it and see how it reacts. If it diminishes or disappears when wet you are in good shape. If it does diminish with water then you can make it look better most likely with sanding. If you have never done it before, I would hire a pro detailer or practice on a test panel. It may need some filler like Bondo, then touch up paint. Again, I would hire a pro. I would NOT recommend going to a body shop yet or using any touch up paint at this point.

[wartabit]

Re: Help in deep scratches

Thank you very much, Shnycar.
Believe me, it is really beyond a clear coat scratch. Yes, I tried with water/soapy water spray first, but the scratch was as visible as it is.

[Shnycar$]

Re: Help in deep scratches

That’s too bad but the good news is that it’s short and not on a seam. Looks like you might need filler, touch up paint, and a good polish. This is beyond what I have done so I will defer to the experts here. Just keep it away from a body shop unless absolutely necessary! (I think most would agree). Good luck!

[wartabit]

Re: Help in deep scratches

Thanks again, man. Then what kind of filler and polish to buy? (brand? I really have no clue what I need to buy -any suggestions maybe from Amazon?) So, I do not need sanding? - This sanding really scares me

Anyway, so I will give the floor to the experts (hopefully)

[Nick Winn]

Re: Help in deep scratches

Welcome to Meguiar's Online. Sorry to see the trouble on your new car. Tough situation. In my opinion, due to the severity of the scratch & since so much paint has been removed, it would be best to re-apply more paint in the area, touch up paint. It is ultimately going to be up to you on whether or not you try to perform this yourself, or you hire someone to attempt. If you were to hire someone:

A body shop is going to want to repaint the whole panel like you have found. I would recommend finding either:

1) A professional detailer, ideally one that works on high end cars, and one has training and/or experience in scratch repair & touch up paint. If the detailer does not have before & after pictures of performing similar repairs, do not use them, in my opinion. These days, with social media, it's quite easy to tell who is passionate about their trade, and who is not. The process will be something like, strip oils with some sort of solvent to ensure proper paint adhesion, apply touch up paint, likely several times to build up a layer, and then at a later time, lightly wet sand, to try to even out the touch up paint. I am not an expert in using touch up paint, i'm not sure that anyone is really. Don't expect perfection. Light sanding, done properly, is not going to compromise the integrity of the surrounding factory paint, and again done properly, will only remove minimal film.

2) A professional who performs paint chip / scratch repair. Although I would be cautious, sometimes these sort of repairmen spend a lot of their time at dealerships, performing small scratch repairs for car dealers. Same here regarding vetting, if the business does not have before & after pictures of performing similar repairs, do not use them, in my opinion. These days, with social media, it's quite easy to tell who is passionate about their trade, and who is not.

If you have a professional perform the touch up repair, have them explain their process. Feel free to reference it with us, the community.

[wartabit]

Re: Help in deep scratches

Welcome to Meguiar's Online. Sorry to see the trouble on your new car. Tough situation. In my opinion, due to the severity of the scratch & since so much paint has been removed, it would be best to re-apply more paint in the area, touch up paint. It is ultimately going to be up to you on whether or not you try to perform this yourself, or you hire someone to attempt. If you were to hire someone:

A body shop is going to want to repaint the whole panel like you have found. I would recommend finding either:

1) A professional detailer, ideally one that works on high end cars, and one has training and/or experience in scratch repair & touch up paint. If the detailer does not have before & after pictures of performing similar repairs, do not use them, in my opinion. These days, with social media, it's quite easy to tell who is passionate about their trade, and who is not. The process will be something like, strip oils with some sort of solvent to ensure proper paint adhesion, apply touch up paint, likely several times to build up a layer, and then at a later time, lightly wet sand, to try to even out the touch up paint. I am not an expert in using touch up paint, i'm not sure that anyone is really. Don't expect perfection. Light sanding, done properly, is not going to compromise the integrity of the surrounding factory paint, and again done properly, will only remove minimal film.

2) A professional who performs paint chip / scratch repair. Although I would be cautious, sometimes these sort of repairmen spend a lot of their time at dealerships, performing small scratch repairs for car dealers. Same here regarding vetting, if the business does not have before & after pictures of performing similar repairs, do not use them, in my opinion. These days, with social media, it's quite easy to tell who is passionate about their trade, and who is not.

If you have a professional perform the touch up repair, have them explain their process. Feel free to reference it with us, the community.

Thanks a lot, Nick. As I am not an expert on this, I would prefer having it done by a professional. (I do not know how to find such a professional in Luxembourg, though. I guess this is more common in the US not in Europe and people in Luxembourg love spending lots of money:/ ), I will check what I can do. I am surely open to other suggestions.

By the way, regarding my second question, if I leave the scratch as it is (I need to get used to living with it first), do you think it will get rusted/corroded? Because I guess, I see the base coat and I wonder if I need to polish/wax it just to protect it from corrosion or no need to do this?