Scratched paintwork

[lightbody]

Stupid me appears to have scratched my new car by using a crappy jetwash-brush thing - there are at least 8 significant scratches which in places are through the bodycolour and to the primer. T-cut is only helping very slightly...

Does anyone know somewhere that can polish these out properly?
Any idea roughly what i might cost?

And before you all tell me how stupid I've been - I live in a city centre flat, I can only sometimes park close, so if I want a clean car I have to use these places sometimes... previous cars have not been scratched :( It'll just have to stay dirty in future!

[GAJ]

Rob, if it makes you feel any better I use these brushes too for the reasons you mention and I have loads of scratches aswell. I wouldn't use T-cut though as it will be removing more paint from the base of the scratch. And 'cos Wul will go radio at you!

The way I make myself feel better is by reminding myself that it is a car which travels at high speeds in close proximity to stuff and it will get scratched. If you live in the city and it's your only car then you can't be too precious about these things. I still use jet washes and still use the brush - much to WillieM's and Heather's disgust! (Although H uses drive throughs!!:mad:)

Any bodyshop will be able to make them look better but the chances are that they will happpen again. I'm sure that they will be barely noticable to anyone other than the car's proud owner!!:)

[Smurf]

Just been washing new Smurf too, ready for tomorrow.

She's not even 2 weeks old yet, and some trumpet has scratched the drivers side back corner. :(:mad:

I just can't believe how careless and thoughtless people can be with other folks property, especially something which is obviously someone's pride and joy......

I can't decide whether I'm incredibly angry, or whether I'm going to cry.

:(:mad:

[Heather]

Not you too!!!:( Gutted for you both.

[minimadtez]

Errrmm i live in town in an upstairs flat and cant get my car to my door often....have seen me walkin up the street with buckets of water....would rather that that a brush at a jet wash im afraid :evil:

[duncan]

I'm in a flat in the town too.
I just have to time my visits to my parents house with my car needing a wash.

[Duncan Stewart]

I have collected lots of little scratches in my paint now despite usually hand washing (used the jet wash brush once and got lots new scratches!). I find using colour magic polish covers them well, and the wax stick fills any deeper scratches. The finish is a bit flat so I use a non chalky polish to give a gloss top coat. Hope this helps.

[3GGG]

Sorry to hear about the scratches. Just wonder if you guys have ever tried the hot foam washes? - there is one in Dunfermline I use in the winter and never a scratch. They just squirt on this foam - leave it for a couple of minutes, then jet it off - no contact with brushes at all - and only £3.50. A quick shammy at home and it looks pretty good.

[Bumble Bee]

I would agree the foam washes are pretty good, the dunfermline one seems to be the best priced and they make a good job:D. Talking of scratches and bumps am looking for some advice on where to get nasty crease taken out of my drivers door. Some tube banged it last week:(.

[Craig]

quote:Originally posted by lightbody

Stupid me appears to have scratched my new car by using a crappy jetwash-brush thing - there are at least 8 significant scratches which in places are through the bodycolour and to the primer. T-cut is only helping very slightly...

Does anyone know somewhere that can polish these out properly?
Any idea roughly what i might cost?

And before you all tell me how stupid I've been - I live in a city centre flat, I can only sometimes park close, so if I want a clean car I have to use these places sometimes... previous cars have not been scratched :( It'll just have to stay dirty in future!


Rob, I know a guy from a firm called Flying Colours, they do all sorts of minor paint fixes - he does a lot of work at our work and has done 3 of our cars. Very good job IMHO and not expensive. Normally about £40. PM me if you want his details.

Craig

PS - BUMMER about the scratches and SMURF, if we could only find the people that do that in car parks and "sort them out", it would probably make us feel a lot better. Hope you get it sorted.

[Crombers]

(Wul's gonna need a straight jacket when he reads all this)

I too live in a flat & either ask me best pal or me dad if I can borrow their hose (:kiss:) before adopting the now famous two bucket method. Would never go near my car with as brush & it never goes near a carwash.

(Have I answered correctly oh Master Megs?)

[Wul]

yup:p

[Wul]

Rob et al - sorry to hear about the scratches/damage guys :(

not even gonna say a thing re those brushes at jet washes!!;)

Rob - I lived in a flat too - managed to do the mini using 3 buckets and a watering can - only needing to re-fill one bucket a further once - or you could buy a bucket etc and fill it with the water from the air machines and use the jet-wash to rinse - just an idea:question:

As for the scratches - T-cut is pretty harsh as GAJ says so be careful with it - but if it's through the clear coat then polishing won't help - i'd get chipsaway or similar out to quote you for a repair or a good paint shop if you know of one - in the short term the touch-up crayon and coat of wax will geive you temp protection but wou'dn'y like to say how long till the salt gets through the primer to the bodywork beneath:eek:

[Wul]

the foam jet wash places are good - but they could in theory scar your paintwork if they go too close or have the pressure too high - and i'm not conviced the stuff in the foam won't strip your wax off too!:question:

[minidriver#1]

i'd recommend rewaxing the car after any kind of jet / car wash. My car has been vandalised a few times and have encountered paint damage on each occasion, a respray was what i chose in the end since Chips Away took one look and said they couldnt even make a difference to it if they tried.

T Cut, being an abrasive is going to strip the paint from your car and fill in the scratches, but its not a bad option as a temporary solution on the road to a respray, you can tcut and polish over and the apply a decent coat of wax to ensure what is left doesnt corrode away, you have to remember there is still salt on the roads. This is the path i chose just to hold it together before a respray was conducted.

its a shame, but like people have already said its almost impossible not to pick up a scratch here or there, its even worse when its out of your hands such is the case with vandalism :(

The way i look at it, its is just a scar of a well driven car :) cars which are meant to be well driven :)

[Jeff]

Just noticed my ever increasinmg number as well but hey what ca you do! How much did your respray cost KJ?

[minidriver#1]

£850 for the two doors, bonnet, front valance, rear left quarter, side fenders and the bit below the windscreen from an approved BMW dealership. a full £500 cheaper than John Clarks and they've done a fantastic job.