First scratch.... and request for advice please

[stephen watson]

I suspect I am like a lot, but certainly not all, owners and like to keep my van generally clean and definitely undamaged. We are on holiday in France and after nearly 2 years found the van had it's first scratch from someone presumably trying to park in front of it. Nearly all on the lower nearside plastic bumper and a tiny bit of metal where the paint has been removed. So mainly cosmetic, certainly nothing for an insurance claim but just very annoying. I'm one of those people who try and pick a parking space where this is least likely to happen. I just find it strange that some people just aren't bothered by small contacts parking and presumably see no reason to bother apologising. My wife, who is French and from Paris, has a completely different attitude from me - it's just a car, a small scratch........ I wish I could be a bit more like her sometimes as a recipient, instead of getting upset. Rant over!
When I first used touch up paint about 30 years ago it used to come in a small bottle with a brush. Now it comes in a spray can I don't seem to have much success (I'm not an expert!). I'll probably just leave it but would be interested to hear any views on the best way to effect a repair so it at least looks the same colour - the mohave beige is completely stripped off in a narrow vertical strip about 6 inches long and to revel black plastic underneath.

 

[calikev]

smart repair guy

 

[stephen watson]

Thanks Vale46. Can you elaborate a bit please?

 

[stephen watson]

Sorry was a bit quick replying. Googled it and now I see!

 

[ArunAlec]

I recall about 40 years ago, being in a French driven 2CV touring Paris and was shocked to see our driver "nudging" the car parked in front so as to open up the parking space. Since then I've seen this many times, maybe the French approach makes sense!
Unless you really can't live with it, I'd say leave it. Sod's law says you'll pay out for a repair then get another scratch.
You could do budget job with a touch up pen.

 

[stephen watson]

Before coming to live with me in the UK, my French wife lived in Paris and had a Fiat Panda, which looked to me like a dodgem car. When she started driving my car in the UK I said something like "please don't crash it". No she protested "I've never damaged a car". But I said "Your Panda has got dents all over it and you've had it from new". "That's just parking - it doesn't count". As you say ArunAlec nudging when parking in Paris is routine.

 

[ArunAlec]

Before coming to live with me in the UK, my French wife lived in Paris and had a Fiat Panda, which looked to me like a dodgem car. When she started driving my car in the UK I said something like "please don't crash it". No she protested "I've never damaged a car". But I said "Your Panda has got dents all over it and you've had it from new". "That's just parking - it doesn't count". As you say ArunAlec nudging when parking in Paris is routine.

I was told by a Brit living in France that it's frowned upon if you leave your car handbrake on as it makes nudging difficult!

 

[Borris]

My sister in law has lived in Paris for many years so I too have witnessed how Parisians park. I always park my vehicles well out of the way when they are coming to visit as they have driven into one of them before. Their vehicles always have battle damage everywhere. You could put it down to plain bad driving but it seems to me that in France and especially Paris it is considered the done thing to buy a new car and then show it utter contempt. Their lastest car is only a couple of years old but looks like it's been in a demolition derby.

 

[motacyclist]

You can get the little containers of touch up with a paint brush attached off Ebay.

For instance, this is Starlight Blue

Only £3.50, plus p & p about £1.50. You will need the clear coat as well.

I find often that the supplied brush is too big for stone chips, so I use a plastic toothpick just to dab a small amount of paint on.

 

[MarkVw2017]

When i got my brand new work ford van, i scratched all down the side when going in my driveway on my front door and wing with some big dents.

I used Chipsaway. Free quitation and they did all the work on my drive on a Saturday, amazing job, it was throwing it down as well so they set up a whole tent over my vehicle, very good. Its like brand new!

Cant imagine them being that dear for a small scratch. It cost me £250, but im talking they strip the whole door and wing down to the metal, full on proper job! Looks amazing

https://www.chipsaway.co.uk

 

[ejmoore]

Our van has got several scratches, some caused by having to park it on a narrow London street, other by carelessness on our part. But I don't worry about them - I don't want to be too precious about the van - would rather enjoy our campervanning freedom.

 

[stephen watson]

You can get the little containers of touch up with a paint brush attached off Ebay.

For instance, this is Starlight Blue

Only £3.50, plus p & p about £1.50. You will need the clear coat as well.

I find often that the supplied brush is too big for stone chips, so I use a plastic toothpick just to dab a small amount of paint on.

Thanks Colin. This is the route I've decided to try first. I've ordered some paint and clear coat off eBay. I've read quite a bit about using smaller brushes. As they are quite large scratches (6 inches x 0.25 inch approx) there will be no way I can get a good finish just dabbing on the paint. Do you have any advice about blending it in or polishing the paint you've applied to get a better finish please? I've never done this before so am wondering whether to use T cut after the paint has dried or maybe very fine sandpaper?

 

[motacyclist]

Thanks Colin. This is the route I've decided to try first. I've ordered some paint and clear coat off eBay. I've read quite a bit about using smaller brushes. As they are quite large scratches (6 inches x 0.25 inch approx) there will be no way I can get a good finish just dabbing on the paint. Do you have any advice about blending it in or polishing the paint you've applied to get a better finish please? I've never done this before so am wondering whether to use T cut after the paint has dried or maybe very fine sandpaper?

I’m not an expert, but first thing I would try before any touching up is to polish the scratch with T cut as quite often it can be paint off the other vehicle that you can see.

There are a lot of tips on YouTube so worth spending a bit of time researching it. Good luck!

 

[CannonDale]

Have a look at chipex