QuestionHi Notto, Yesterday I went to the beach and parked my car (a bmw 528i) in the lot with the rest of the cars. When I got back to my car I noticed that someone mischieviously scratched my car (probably with a key) from the rear fender all the way to the front fender. 2 doors and 2 fenders.
A thin 7 foot long scratch. Some areas didn't seem that deep, it appreared that only the paint was damaged but primer and metal seemed fine.
What should I do about this, I don't know if I should go through the insurance because I don't want to increase my rate. Or should I use a bmw factory touch up kit which includes a bottle of paint and a clear coat. If i should use the touch up kit, what technique should i use. Please help.
AnswerMark,
I get mad when I hear stuff like this. I can feel your pain. First of all, go ahead and ask your insurance agent about having your insurance cover it. Many times one incident won't up your rates. If you are going to take care of it yourself, first take it to a detail shop and have them look at it and give you their opinion. Scratches are always deeper than you think they are and it will definitely need to be wet sanded and buffed out. Don't do it yourself, you'll be sorry. Filling in scratches is the least successful repair on paint because the bead of paint, because of it's consistency, will sit above the level of the body paint. It won't fill evenly. Possibly, a good detail shop can hand paint the scratch, then wet sand it down and buff it smooth. A body shop is the only way to really get it back to near new, in my opinion.
Hoping for a full recovery,
Notto
