Well...that sucks...I'm always worried that one day,I will face some idiot who will scatch my truck...It happen to my fully restored 89 GMC truck...Big scatch all the way down the whole side of the truck...done in front of my house..Cops told me the pukes scatched several vehicles that night...

Here are some options...You could dab in base,then several dab coats of clear, but remember this....Make sure you reduce your base, to what they reduced the base to paint the whole truck...If you use it un-reduce it will come out darker than the rest of the truck...the same if you over reduce the base...it will be lighter color than the rest of the truck..Found this the hard way.....Then sand your clear level and buff the scatch out...But be carefull not to sand to much...because it really sucks if you break through the clear and into the base...Been there and done that also...

Another option is air brush the scatch, by sanding out the scatch,air brushing the base...but then you have to get a clear blending agent that you mix in the clear to melt the clear into the outside clear..This is something I have done, but had a cheap air brush...it turned out ok but decided to buy a highend brush...Since then I haven't used it...

Or...How much this option stinks...is sand out the scatch,tape off the door and rebase and reclear the door...had to do that once...Dare wind storm blow dust all over my door...Re-based,recleared then drank alot of beer..

I have to fix a problem on the painted TA mirror housing...I will get the new airbrush going and see if I could blend out the color and clear...Been wanting to do that all summer...Maybe I will get a chance this weekend..

Give me a call Jason and I could explain more if you like...I self taught myself the hard way..

 

Dave,

Thanks for the options. I am not a painter, but the airbrush seems to make the most sense for blending into the existing paint. Forgot about the clear finish to match. I don't know how you would ever match the base out but they matched the OEM color to a tee so I don't know how that works on a small scale. The local paint shop can get me the products, just need to practice on some scraps first.

Hmmm.

 

I personally would stay away from trying to airbrush it, and blend the clear.

Blending clear on a flatish surface like you would be doing is extremely hard to do without an edge or body line to blend to and not even considering possible adhesion problems. I think you will end up with a repair that looks like a repair.

Dab it in as best you can and live with it temporarily or get it done right. Spending a bunch of money on a half a$$ will just leave you wishing you had spent a bit more and got it done right.

 

Dually noted Robert373... Points to ponder..

 

Thats what bending agent does....It melts into the area clear coat..Have you ever used it??

 

Jason....You have to talk to someone that has restored vehicles from scratch from body work to paint...and to people in the industry...

I will stick to my ways of doing things...

 

I should have shown you the scratch on my tail gate that is almost identical in shape and length as well as depth to the one you got on your truck. After looking at your picture, I looked at the one on my truck and its a close match.
I decided not to mess with mine but I did use some stuff that is supposed to color match the scratch when you rub it in. It took away the real white contrast but the scratch is still very visible. Maybe I'll Line-X the whole truck.

You either have to do it right or not at all.
JMHO.

 

You painted your own truck with a very intricate two tone and beautiful finish. I trust your advice. I just don't know how much of this I can handle.


I can see if you just use touch up paint, you will see the line where it meets the clear and look like someone wrote on it with a pen.. I still like the air brush idea as opposed to a conventional spray can. I'm pretty sure that the paint shop would just shoot the whole panel but that will be costly.

 

Sorry I'm not trying to get defensive.....I must have male PMS today.....

How much would it cost to rebase and clear the door...??What have the guys said at the shop where the truck was painted?? What have they said would be the best solution.. I know the best way would be to re-finish the whole door...I know Reds and silvers are about the worse to match...

Dam these idiots who scatch other people vehicles..

 

I worked in a body shop for a 3 years, and 1/2 that time as the painter ( back in the 90s). Universal blender existed back then, but we never used it because you could get a better blend other ways. But as I said, do it wrong and it looks like crap, and there is a possiblity of adhesion problems as well.

I know products have changed since then, but I still know people who have been in the industry since I quit, and they use the methods I used back then, because they get better results. (although blending clear without using an edge or body line is avoided even still)

My point was by the time you buy the base, clear, and blender, your 3/4 the way to getting it done by a shop properly.



sorry my opinion offended you. Just trying to help the OP

 

No offence taken.....There are so much products and gimicks out there in the autobody industry...its just getting stupid... When I restored my first car in 1990...things where so basic...Now....flooded with every chemical under the sun..

 

I still dabble in bodywork, I have the advantage of knowing someone that now has his own shop, and I help him out from time to time, and do the odd fix on my vehicles.

The Rampage in my avatar is currently in my garage, torn apart and on a rotissorie (sp?). That picture was taken right before it when under the knife 3 years ago. Been in the family since new.

Any chance you want to come finish it for me? LOL
Not much for restoation parts available, and it is pretty rusty. Got a decent selection of stuff from picknpull over the years, so spare parts supply is good.

When it is done it wil be my other "Turbo Dodge" (2.5L gasser, not diesel, although that thought crossed my mind. 4BT RWD ??).

 

Wow.. Ok. well I'll have to think about this some more.. I do appreciate the input guys.

 

lil dog, if you want to do it on the cheap, just get some touch up paint and a bit of clear coat from the shop that painted your truck. If they are decent, they will give you enough to get the job done. Cost $0

Spend some time dabbing and sand it off. It will not be 100% but it will seal the scratch and improve it's looks dramatically. Cost-time.

If you don't like the end result, worst you did was waste your time. Doing this does not prevent you from moving on the airbrush/blending or some other method.

I just hate to see you sink a bunch of money in product, and be possibly disappointed. Sounds like Dave has some experience. If he is confident in the results, what can I say.

Sometimes the cheapest way is to do it right the first time though. Been there done that.

 

Jay, Sorry to hear of your truck getting damaged buddy. Probably one of the nicest daily driver 98 running. Hate to say this but imagen that happening to your new truck.

I had some jerk off try to break into my tunnel cover on my 2010 truck's bed. I had nothing in the bed at the time, usually I have all my work tools inside there.