Need to Vent: Tiny Scratches after repaint on 84 PickUp Truck

[imported_detail1]

Just pissed off.



I had my dad's 84 GMC Sierra 3500 PickUp Truck restored- spent alot of money on tune up, parts & repaint.



The truck came out great. Since I had the door gaskets changed, it's a little tough to close the doors shut. I was w/my neighbor friend and when he could not shut the door, he used his body to close the door. He's a great neighbor but just does not think when it comes to keeping a car shiny.



He had keys on his pants and now i have 2 tiny scratches on the passenger door. - which I can easily touch up and 2 tiny key scratches. :hairpull :wall



It just makes me sick that I spent so much money and time to get the truck fixed right and the carelessness of some people just piss me off. I guess Im not going to pick up my neighbor in a car anymore.



As soon as the weather gets warmer, I m going to buff the paint w/polish and see if I can make the tiny but annoying scratches a little better.

 

[LICamaro85]

If you could get a couple pictures of the scratches I can walk you threw a couple step process on how to completely remove the scratches so they are 100 percent removed. Its up to you let me know.





- LI 85

 

[imported_detail1]

ok- i just took some pics now but its dark out and they dont show the problem areas. I will snap some pics tomorrow morning n post. The 2 dot scratches can be touched up easily. Its the 2 key marks that look deep. They r about 1/2 inch long n when i rub find finger across them, u can feel it.-- Damn neighbor

 

[imported_detail1]

pictures added

 

[Tuck91]

If you could get a couple pictures of the scratches I can walk you threw a couple step process on how to completely remove the scratches so they are 100 percent removed. Its up to you let me know.





- LI 85

How can you do that when paint is missing?

 

[Dubbin1]

There is no way you're going to polish those out. best bet is to get the door repainted.

 

[rcrobbins]

I wouldn't go straight to a full out repaint on that door. I'm sure you could touch the 2 chips up to be less noticeable. Next, try adjusting your door catches so the doors shut, latch and align with minimal effort. Doing so will also save your new door seals from being stressed and worn.

 

[acbent]

I empathize. I've had this discussion with my wife. People just don't think and it kinda(well actually, really) bugs me too. I pointed out to my wife the key fob that, guess what?... unlocks the car for you. She has a tendency to go at the car door with the key pointing directly at the paint. Not the best aim either. After unlocking the door, the key is in a slightly and perfectly upright position to scratch the paint above the door handle. Don't get me started on parking lot door dings!



I lived on a island for a while and used to take the ferry. One day a brand new Escalade (not my fav vehicle but it was brand new) rolled onto the boat. One the kids gets out and literally throws the door against a sharp structural member of the boat. It hit so hard that it folder the door lip over and the door bounces back with almost enough force to shut it again. Dad was standing right behind the kid, saw it and didn't make a peep. It was all I could do to not go over and offer some constructive criticism. LOL!



I know, "cars are for transportation", but I just cringe when I see people do such IMO stupid things that are completely unavoidable.



Anyway...



Truly sorry for your experience.



Adam

 

[imported_detail1]

There is no way you're going to polish those out. best bet is to get the door repainted.

The purpose of posting threads on Autopia is to get good advice from experienced detailers. My plan: 1. I will NOT allow my neighbor near my truck.

2. Touch up 2 scratches. 3. Lightly buff area of damage. 4. Wet sand? 5. Adjust door latches - Thanks rcrobbins.



I have never wet sanded b4 but maybe that will reduce the visibility of the key marks. A repaint is silly & completely out of the question. The amount of labor & time to mask off areas, sand, prime, paint, and blend would be insane for a few scratches.

 

[David Fermani]

Repainting will most likely require blending into the cab corner.

 

[Dubbin1]

The purpose of posting threads on Autopia is to get good advice from experienced detailers. My plan: 1. I will NOT allow my neighbor near my truck.

2. Touch up 2 scratches. 3. Lightly buff area of damage. 4. Wet sand? 5. Adjust door latches - Thanks rcrobbins.



I have never wet sanded b4 but maybe that will reduce the visibility of the key marks. A repaint is silly & completely out of the question. The amount of labor & time to mask off areas, sand, prime, paint, and blend would be insane for a few scratches.

The scratches are THROUGH the paint, no touch up paint, wet sanding or buffing is going to fix the problem. The only CORRECT fix is a repaint of the door. Can't figure out how that is "silly"??? Repainting the door is not such a big issue.

 

[LICamaro85]

Do not really know what you are talking about dubbin but you can fix that so no one could tell where the scratches are.



Detail1 I will PM you the CORRECT way with some pictures to help you out. When you are finished and you do it correctly I will put money on it that no one will know there was every a defect there. I have done this so many times to all different colors/cars that repainting a panel for a couple key marks or deep scratches is just flat out stupid.



- LI 85

 

[David Fermani]

Do not really know what you are talking about dubbin but you can fix that so no one could tell where the scratches are.



Detail1 I will PM you the CORRECT way with some pictures to help you out. When you are finished and you do it correctly I will put money on it that no one will know there was every a defect there. I have done this so many times to all different colors/cars that repainting a panel for a couple key marks or deep scratches is just flat out stupid.



- LI 85

I'll take that bet.

 

[Tuck91]

Do not really know what you are talking about dubbin but you can fix that so no one could tell where the scratches are.



Detail1 I will PM you the CORRECT way with some pictures to help you out. When you are finished and you do it correctly I will put money on it that no one will know there was every a defect there. I have done this so many times to all different colors/cars that repainting a panel for a couple key marks or deep scratches is just flat out stupid.



- LI 85

Really? Do you know what you are talking about?



It is very simple, you cannot fix an area where paint is missing!!!

 

[David Fermani]

Shutter - Technically you can *fix* it, but it won't be undetectable. The word *fix* is open to much interpretation in this case.

 

[Tuck91]

Shutter - Technically you can *fix* it, but it won't be undetectable. The word *fix* is open to much interpretation in this case.

Yeah, I should have chose my words more carefully.

 

[Dubbin1]

Do not really know what you are talking about dubbin but you can fix that so no one could tell where the scratches are.

How do you not understand that? A repaint is the only CORRECT way to fix it. Sure you can touch it up but it WILL still show where the damage was.



Since this was his dads truck I thought it meant enough to him to make it perfect again, I guess I was wrong.

 

[Jarreds]

Id just take some touch-up and fill in the scratch with a couple of coats and wetsand and buff the area. Repaint would prolly be the "correct" way but not the most practical in my opinion.

 

[imported_detail1]

Yes it's my dad's orignal truck. My dad is now 83 years old and we share the PickUp. I Spent Aot of money to restore this truck & the carelessness of my neighbor just pisses me off. My dad would probably not even know that those scratches are there.



I am the one who is a fanatic of the cars in the family. I did not even think of a repaint for such minute scratches. Even if i were to repaint it, it's a truck and it could get scratched again. Im being practical here even if that goes against an Autopian mindset!

 

[Accumulator]

The purpose of posting threads on Autopia is to get good advice from experienced detailers. My plan: 1. I will NOT allow my neighbor near my truck...

My after-the-fact advice: IMO it's truly critical to educate anybody who's gonna be around your vehicles. While it might not go over so well every time, IMO it's still worth doing if it avoids things like this. And if some [individual] won't take it to heart, then yeah...they can't get too close, period.



Sorry this happened, but stuff like that happens *fast*, huh? It's like the quick-lube guy who marred my Yukon faster than I could shout "No, don't do...". Shoulda taken my own/above advice and schooled him before he got near it

Shutter - Technically you can *fix* it, but it won't be undetectable. The word *fix* is open to much interpretation in this case.

And speaking of open to interpretation, *literally* "undetectable" is a mighty high hurdle, maybe higher than people, even "Autopians", really need in cases like this :think:



I think back to cars that my octagenarian father and I jointly enjoyed (I suspect we were a lot like Detail1 and his dad in this case), and he woulda skinned me alive if I'd had major paintwork done over something like that!