Repair 7

The use of paint codes, whether you have a scratch or huge dent, ensures that in painting, restoring or repairing the exterior of your Volkswagen, you will get a precise match of your autos original color.

Location

The location of the paint codes varies depending on the make, model and year of your VW. The two-to-four number/letter digit code is usually under the rear trunk, under the trunk mat or in the spare tire wheel well.

Other Paint Code Sources

If you are unable to locate your paint code anywhere on your vehicle, check your owners manual. If the information is not available from that source, call a VW dealership, give your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and have the dealer look it up for you.

Benefits of Paint Codes

Paint codes will ensure that you are using the correct color. Do not try to match your paint without these codes; even experts will be unable to do an effective match without the correct information. Even if you try to match colors on the Internet, the quality and shade of the color shown will depend on your computer.

Scratches in automotive paint are an eyesore and can allow water to corrode the sheet metal if the scratch continues into the primer underneath the paint. Touching up the scratch will hide the eyesore and provide protection against rust damage. Bottle painters have a brush attached to the lid that allows you to apply automotive touch up paint to a scratch or other blemish without specialized painting tools.

Instructions

1

Add one teaspoon of dishwashing soap to a plastic bucket. Fill the bucket with water. Thoroughly wash the vehicle with the soapy water. Rinse the vehicle with clean water and allow it to dry for one hour. Dispose of the soapy water. Rinse the bucket and fill it with three to four inches of clean water.

2

Place a piece of 600-grit sandpaper in the bucket of clean water. Let the sandpaper soak in the water for 10 to 15 minutes

3

Sand the scratch with the wet 600-grit sandpaper. Place the sandpaper back in the water every one to two minutes to keep the sanding area wet. Rinse sanding debris from the paint with clean water.

4

Remove the cap from the bottle painter. Apply paint to the scratch with the brush attached to the lid of the bottle painter. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.

5

Set a piece of 1000-grit sandpaper in clean water. Allow the sandpaper to soak for 10 minutes. Sand the paint until it blends into the surrounding area.

6

Remove the cap from a clear coat bottle painter. Apply clear coat to the scratch with the brush. Allow the clear coat to dry for 24 hours.

The 1960s was a long time ago, especially for your dashboard. If your car has survived into the 21st century, places like the dashboard might need some sprucing up with the right kind of paint.

Buy Vinyl Paint

If your vinyl or simulated-leather dashboard is only fading or stained, layering on two or three coats of vinyl paint could provide a dramatic improvement. Just make sure you pick the right color; the same shade is preferred, but a darker hue is possible. If your dashboard is cracking, however, painting it will only polish a unsightly panel.

Clean and Remove

Before applying the paint, you should clean your vinyl dashboard and let it dry. Apply masking tape widely around your dashboard, windshield included. To avoid accidental dripping, you can remove the dashboard completely from your vehicle, using your manual to find and remove the mounting screws.

Applying

Every manufacturer will have slightly different instructions for applying its vinyl paint. In general, spray in a well-ventilated area, hold the can at least 1/2-foot from the surface when spraying and coat in even strokes across the surface. Let each coat dry fully before beginning a new coat.

Trucks generally get more beat up that some other vehicles because they are used to haul things around such as tools, supplies, furniture and more. If you arent careful, the paint on your truck can get scratched up in a short amount of time. Removing the scratches can be a somewhat involved process, particularly if they are large or deep. Fixing the scratches requires several steps as well as a bit of elbow grease.

Instructions

1

Clean the scratched area with soap and water to remove any grit, dust or paint flakes. Rinse and dry the area off with a clean, soft rag.

2

Examine the scratched area to determine the extent of the damage. The amount of repair needed depends on this. If you still see color, then the scratch isnt that bad. It is either just damage to the clear coat or in the paint, but hasnt gone down to the primer or car body. If there is no color, then then you are, at minimum, into the primer. If you only have surface scratches, you can skip straight to Step 5.

3

Apply touch-up paint that closely matches your trucks paint to the scratched area if the scratch went below the surface. Allow the paint to set and dry for a day before proceeding.

4

Sand out deep scratches that you had to fill in with touch-up paint. Use an ultra-fine sandpaper such as a 2,000-grit. Sand down until the touched-up area is smooth and level with the surrounding paint. If the scratch did not penetrate below the color, then you will still need to sand, but do so carefully to avoid going below the paint.

5

Apply a buffing compound to the area. Rub in a circular motion until the surface scratches or sanded scratches are gone. Continue rubbing, but change to a side-to-side motion until the circles are gone. Switch to a clean cloth to buff out residue.