Big Nasty Scratch Down The Side Of My Car!

[rebagnall]

Hi All!

So, yesterday I managed to drive too closely through a set of wrought iron gates, and scraped a nice big gouge out of the side of my poor car!! (Did I stop when I heard the scraping start? No, of course I didn't, just kept going and made it 10 times worse!!)

Anyway, apart from being an idiot (Im new to driving so I guess everyone does something like this...don't they?) I now have a big old scratch to remedy! Anyone know where I start? I think I need filler and spray from Halfords, but if anyone has any tips that would be great! Also, I'm not sure what spray I'm looking for - I have a silver T reg Yaris VVTi - what is the correct colour code for this?

Many thanks in advance!!

Ruth

[bjw]

Just a suggestion why do you not try somebody like chips away depending on the amount of damage it can cost as little as £85 .

They will come to your house and do it there !!! ask for a quote .

You have to know what you are doing with bodywork repairs as they can be made to look worse if a poor job has been done .

Paints are mixed by computer codes these days to get a perfect match

[nickp8]

Crystal Silver - Code: 1E7

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71368

Nickp.

[yaris_cdx_owner]

Crystal Silver - Code: 1E7

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=71368

Nickp.

i have a y reg yaris 2001 cdx in silver and have sprayed mine (spilt petrol down side when refilling and stupidly never thought to wipe it up :( )

Halfords sell

"Halfords Toyota Lucerne Silver Spray 300ml & £5.79" this matched my colour exactly and now you can't even tell it has been sprayed.

depending on how deep it is you will probably never get it looking spot on unless you get it done by a professional. Fillers are OK but will take ages to rub down smooth and match the panel depth etc. if it's not too deep you can rub it down with different grades of wet and dry paper (i bought mine at same time from Halfords for a couple of quid) make sure you rub it enough to smooth out the edges and then use a grey primer. (make sure it has rust proofing properties) then spray in as clean environment as possibble a bit at a time and make sure you leave it to dry well. spray again, leave to dry and then rub down LIGHTLY with the smallest grade wet and dry as you can get. spray again until you feel it is matched up to the correct depth and then again rub down to make it smooth. spray on a clear lacquer but don't apply too thick when you do. this needs leaving to dry for longer than the paint because it is "glossy" repeat until you are happy with it.

hope this helps. this is how i did it and i can't say i'm a proffesional. other people may have more ideas for you.

[rebagnall]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I don't have a lot of money to spend, and as it's my first car, I don't mind it being a little worn round the edges, so I may just give it a go myself! (I am a designer by trade so reasonably handy with this sort of thing!) If I get time, I might even do a little photo diary so if anyone else lands in the same position they can get an idea of the result!!

Cheers!

[japnut]

hope it works out

[Boro Sera]

Can you post a picture of the damage?

This will help people to advise you the best way to proceed.

[rebagnall]

Ok, here are a few pictures of the scratch! I will keep you posted on my attempts at repair!! All thoughts and advice welcome!!

[steampig]

Ok, here are a few pictures of the scratch! I will keep you posted on my attempts at repair!! All thoughts and advice welcome!!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news ,

That needs a damn sight more than a touch up , by the looks of it the qtr panel is creased and most of the length too . Basing it very roughly on what i would quote an insurance company ( i am the bodyshop coordinator / estimater at Hull John Roe ) this is a breakdown of what you would normally expect to pay ( for a proper job )

MET ( strip / Rebuild etc ) - 1.5 hrs

Repair - 1.5 hours

Paint Quarter Panel - 3 hrs

Blend N.S.F Door - 1 hr

Paint Materials and dry goods (filler etc) is normally calculated at approx £20 per hr labour ( Rep / Paint )

£110.00

Typically major insurers such as direct line tend to pay around £28.00 per hour and you'll struggle to find a cheaper labour rate from a mainstream body repairer so i reckon your look at around ....... £360 inc vat then additionally parts such as chip decals on the quarter panel .

Alternatively - Touch it up , So long as the metal is sealed from the elements you should be o.k and protected against corrosion