Repairing scratches

You will first need to identify how deep the scratch is. A bare metal body panel will first have layer of primer (usually a light greyish colour), several layers of the paint colour itself and finally a clear coat (to protect the paint and the colour from fading in the sunlight).

Clean the area of the scratch with mild detergent solution and dry off. Look closely at the scratch and if you see a greyish colour at any point then the scratch goes right down to the primer. If this is the case, you can follow these instructions but you may still need to touch up the paintwork later, or get the panel re-sprayed. If the primer is not visible and you can barely feel it with your fingers then you should be able to remove it completely.

Basically what you will do is sand down the paint layer surrounding the scratch until it is at the same level as the deepest point of the scratch. To avoid going too deep with your sanding, smear a contrasting colour of shoe polish over the scratched area and then wipe off the excess. This will show up the scratch clearly and enable you to see when the bottom of the scratch is level with your sanding, because the polish will then disappear.

Get a sheet of 2000 - 3000 grit wet/dry sandpaper on a firm but slightly pliable sanding block, and dip it in some water. Sand gently in a diagonal motion across the scratched area. Try to move along the scratch and back again so that your sanding is even, and from time to time rinse the sanding block in some water to remove the dust. Continue with this action until your 'marker' polish has just disappeared. Remember some parts of the scratch may be deeper than others so they may need extra attention.

To remove the fine sandpaper scratches, dry the area thoroughly and using rubbing compound (this should be available from a decent car accessories store), buff the area in a circular motion with a soft cloth. With a clean soft cloth buff the area again until all of the compound is removed.

Finally apply some regular car wax to the whole panel and polish off.

If you are not confident in this process please call into one of our local repair centres as mistakes can be more costly to rectify than the original scratch.

Non-fault accident repairs

We can help you get repairs and a comparable replacement hire car while yours is being repaired. If the accident was not your fault, we can provide these services for you absolutely free because we recover the costs directly from the at-fault party's insurance company.

For more information please ring 0845 6768898 or complete our online claim form.