How to Detail Paint on a Car
A car only looks as good as its paint job, and the way to get that paint job looking great is to detail it. Inevitably, your car will pick up dents, scratches and chips in the paint. Rocks flung from car wheels and even windblown dirt all contribute to your paint job's demise. A professional car paint detailing technique is the only way to remove these nicks and scratches so it looks like they were never there.
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Things You'll Need
- Water
- Towels
- Car wash detergent
- Nick sanders
- Detail paint (color matched)
- 1000- to 3000-grit sanding paper
- Clean cut solution
- Wax removal solution
- Car polish and wax
Instructions
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1
Thoroughly clean the area around the nick or scratch with regular water and car wash detergent. Rinse and then dry.
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2
Apply wax remover solution to the afflicted area to remove the wax from the paint. Use a cloth or towel to apply this solution, rubbing thoroughly.
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3
Scrape the scratch with your car nick sander (a pen-like stick of sanding paper), rubbing it along the scratch to remove dirt and clean out the flaking paint chips in the scratch.
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4
Apply your factory color-matched automotive touch-up paint to the scratch using a very small, synthetic painter's brush. Let the first coat dry and then apply another one or two coats as needed.
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5
Sand the painted repair using very fine 1000-grit sandpaper soaked in water. Slowly sand the area checking the paint application often. Work up to a 3000-grit sandpaper for the final sanding.
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Clean the paint repair with a fine cut cleaner solution and a towel. Let dry and then apply a coat of polish and wax to the vehicle to match your existing finish.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit car detail image by FotoWorx from Fotolia.com
