Repair 7

How to Repair Scatches in My Truck Paint

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.