QuestionQUESTION: someone keyed my new car across the trunk you can see silver is this to deep to buff out ? How can I fix it or do I have to take it to a body shop it's a lease so i have to get it done
ANSWER: Hi Peggy!....Unfortunately, if you can see silver, (Unless your vehicle is silver in color), and without seeing it in person, it sounds like the key scratch has penetrated down to the bare metal on the trunk lid. If your vehicle is not silver, then this is the case, that it has penetrated the trunk lid, and will need to be refinished by a qualified technician. That being said, if your trunk lid is silver, it is possible that the scratch has penetrated through the clear coat only. What you can do in this case, is to run your fingernail adjacent to the scratch. If it digs in, then the clear coat will need to be re-applied. No amount of polishing will give a positive result, as when trying to polish it, you will surely cut into the base coat/color coat, resulting in a refinish procedure. If by doing this test, your fingernail only barely gets caught, then it is possible that it can be polished out. If this is the case, please do not hesitate to write me back. I will give you step by step instructions on this process....Hope this helps you out....Thanks....Dave
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QUESTION: Thanks for the quick response and no the car is not silver sorry left that out so I guess the bad news is it will need a paint job I hate going into a shop with no knowledge of the situation so any tips you can give me to keep from getting taken advantage of will be appreciated.
AnswerHi Again Peggy!....My advice to you, would be to take your vehicle to at least 2 separate Autobody shops, providing there is more than one in your area. This way, you can compare estimates. Any reputable shop, will give a detailed estimate, showing line by line, every operation that is needed to repair this properly, and do it free of charge. The proper method of repair, is to take all mouldings, lights, nameplates, etc. off of the trunk lid, repair the scratch, prime, and then refinish. If they are not doing this, then please ask questions as to why not. In regards to paying, if you are going through insurance, it is your legal right, to have your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice. So don't let any insurance company tell you any different. That is a fact here in Canada, and from what I have heard, the same goes in the U.S. Insurance companies, are unfortunately, in the business of making money, and not paying out. If you have any concerns regarding this, I would suggest that you contact your insurance broker, contact the insurance head office if you need, or even the Better Buisness Bureau. On last thing. Wherever you get your vehicle repaired, please make sure that you inspect it before signing a release form, and get a written guarantee. The shop I work at, offers a lifetime guarantee on all repairs to the original owner, as any reputable shop will or should....Hope this helps you out again....If you have any other questions, please write me back....Thanks....Dave.
