Any Body Shop Guys Out There?

[RAM82A1]

Got a scuff I need to fix on the front facia. I got a couple of estimates and my question is which option to use for the repair.

1) One place wants to fill the scuff, paint only the area that is repaired, clear-coat only the painted area, then sand/buff the affected area. He used the term “burn it inâ€￾, which means to blend in the repair.

2) Another place wants to fill the scuff, paint only the area that is repaired, clear-coat the entire facia, then sand/buff.

My question is this. The factory finish on the facia looks great. Should I risk letting them clear coat the entire facia? I understand that clear coat is not that difficult to sand and buff, but how the heck can you sand and buff some of those crevices like the fog light holes? Am I better off letting them just repair the immediate area so they don't screw up the rest of the facia? Thanks.

 

[Django]

Got a scuff I need to fix on the front facia. I got a couple of estimates and my question is which option to use for the repair.

1) One place wants to fill the scuff, paint only the area that is repaired, clear-coat only the painted area, then sand/buff the affected area. He used the term “burn it in”, which means to blend in the repair.

2) Another place wants to fill the scuff, paint only the area that is repaired, clear-coat the entire facia, then sand/buff.

My question is this. The factory finish on the facia looks great. Should I risk letting them clear coat the entire facia? I understand that clear coat is not that difficult to sand and buff, but how the heck can you sand and buff some of those crevices like the fog light holes? Am I better off letting them just repair the immediate area so they don't screw up the rest of the facia? Thanks.

I agree that the first attempt should be made at repairing and color matching the affected area..... Hell, a good body and paint shop should be able to do that... The problem is that it's such a small job that they don't want it... That's why they suggest doing the whole fascia....

A good chip repair guy could probably blend most of that.... But I can't see the actual depth of the scrape....

D

 

[Brat]

I had almost the same damage to my facia,the best and only way to do it is pull the facia off fill the scrape and paint then clear the whole facia,thats the only way it will look factory.

 

[FastSRT19]

I had a one inch crack on my rear bumper and my shop fixed it using the first method you described..it came out 100% perfect. I can't tell were the crack was and no one else can either And they sanded, painted, and cleared my license plate light bezels which also came out perfect.

 

[FATJACK]

Chris, its tiny. Let them try a local repair then if you are not happy, have the entire fascia done.( I was with him when it happened, Chattanooga GTG, this truck has 2500 actual miles on it.)

 

[Burkerice07]

I Agree, with everybody,

When i backed my Gloss Black truck into t cement divider, the only damage i received were a few deep scratches on the driver side corner under the bumper. For $200 a body-shop just filled it in, Painted and Clear-coated just that area, and you couldn't tell in One Million years that there was any difference in Color or Clear-coat.

If it worked that well for black, it must work for white i would assume...

PS. This is what the Alphabet would look like if Q and R were removed

 

[Gquinn1980]

I used to paint cars for a living and option two is the absolute best route. They will spot in the scuff areas only with base and then clear the whole bumper. You dont want to put paint over the whole bumper because there is a chance that it wont match the fenders. So blend in the damage and clear the rest.

 

[SRT-10 OF SWEDEN]

I used to paint cars for a living and option two is the absolute best route. They will spot in the scuff areas only with base and then clear the whole bumper. You dont want to put paint over the whole bumper because there is a chance that it wont match the fenders. So blend in the damage and clear the rest.

:dito: :dito: :dito: ...That is the right way to do it....:rock:

Stefan...:coffee:

 

[05 Nemesis Prime]

If it were my truck....

Being a "composite repairman" myself. I would repair the affected area, scuff sand the entire facia and paint w/ clearcoat and buff the entire facia. Cutting corners will later show. Do it right the first time so it won't have to be done again, or worse..... so others will not know the differance. Nuff said!

 

[eddie102870]

i hit a deer with mine and they took the front fascia off and sprayed the whole thing and cut and buffed it. looked better than new.

 

[Muzzy]

Replace the fascia, repaint and clear coat the whole truck. Factory paint is crap anyway. Then you won't have to worry about it not matching.

Otherwise, option two is what I think is best.

-Muzzy

 

[Blaine@PSI]

I have an opinion but it may clash with the rest of the general concensus. But if it where me i would only do the affected area for the simple reason that for some reason the factory paint is more resiliant(Sp) to rock chips that most aftermarket paint repairs. So for the time being just match the the chip and blend the area. then after a few years of service and many rock chips later have the entire facia redone.... but like i said it only my opinion and therfore doesn't hold much water.....:elefant: but her is a pink elephant.

 

[FATJACK]

i hit a deer with mine and they took the front fascia off and sprayed the whole thing and cut and buffed it. looked better than new.

Oh No, You hit a deer and are still driving the truck, you need to sell it quick it might fall apart at any time!!!

 

[Muzzy]

But if it where me i would only do the affected area for the simple reason that for some reason the factory paint is more resiliant(Sp) to rock chips that most aftermarket paint repairs.

I respectfully disagree. There is just enough factory paint on your truck to cover the primer. The auto companies find any way possible to save money on production costs. There is barely enough clear coat to allow you to wheel out the occasional fine scratch or bird crap mark. I know about a half dozen paint shops in my area that can do better than factory. If the paint shop knows what they are doing, they will add the right amount of flex agent to the paint so it stays flexible for the front fascia.

I had some a-hole run a zipper down the fender of my black 01 Dakota. I was able to wheel the scratch out, but I had to remove so much material to do so I could start seeing faint primer showing through. I took it to recommend paint shop by me and they charged me $250 to paint the whole fender and blend it. It was beautiful when they were done. Zero orange peel and perfect clear. It made the rest of the factory paint look sick. I would have had to spend hours wet sanding and polishing to make it even come close (there probably wasn't even paint on the rest of the truck to do it). Some day I will have my truck repainted professionally.

-Muzzy

 

[Blaine@PSI]

thus my point exactly to much paint will chip easier usually. and many professional will layer the paint and clear making it that much thicker and in my opinion more easily chipped...

 

[eddie102870]

thus my point exactly to much paint will chip easier usually. and many professional will layer the paint and clear making it that much thicker and in my opinion more easily chipped...

id have the whole thing painted. if they try to feather it in unless they are very skilled you will be able to tell. they can match the color easier if they paint the whold fascia. with more clear if it does get scratched it will be easier to clean it up the factory paint and clear is so thin its harder to fix scratches. you cant tell mines been re done except for the finish is a little smoother than factory and most folks wont notice unless they deal in it on a daily basis.