How to Repair a Scratch on Your Car - Paint Repair and Auto Spray Painting

Car scratches eventually appear in a way of almost every car owner. There are many methods of dealing with them however painting it over with an auto spray gives the best result. If you have enough experience you will be able to paint over even a big scratch but a beginner also can manage to repair imperfections on his vehicle. Here are the steps to follow:
First, it is necessary to clean metal from dirt and rust. Dirt is removed by washing the panel with soapy water. When dry, sand out the scratch and surrounding area with sandpaper. Then you need to apply putty on a surface. It should consist of two components (with a hardener). Do not choose epoxy putty otherwise, it will dry for 24 hours. Use rubber or thin metal pallet for alignment.

It will take 20 minutes to dry up with a temperature of 200C (392F). At this stage, you may also use auto filler primer that is specially designed to fill scratches and imperfections and perfectly replaces putty. It can be found in auto stores but if you are after budget repair - putty will work just fine.

Next step, condition the surface with sandpaper of different calibers starting with sharp and then moving to a fine one. The panel should be ideally smooth to the touch. To make it this way use ultrafine 2000-3000 grit sandpaper and running water.

Now it is time to apply a primer. When primer layer is dry, you can start painting. To make sure the colour will match your car, enamel should be selected under number specified in the service book of the car. If you will paint your car in garage, take care that dust and moisture in it would be as little as possible otherwise fine motes will definitely get on a fresh paint.
Use masking tape and thick paper to cover parts that are not going to be painted. Make several light applications of a spray paint on a surface. Paint is put in two layers. First - thin, second - thicker. Time interval before applying second layer is 6 to 8 minutes. Average time of drying is about 2 hours, and full fixing of paint takes 24 hours.

When paint is dry, you can remove paper and masking tape. If you notice some imperfections such as drips or rough edges, you can fix it using ultrafine sandpaper. When finished apply a top coat over the painted surface and let it dry. There is no scratch anymore!

Maintenance Tips For Your Headlight Lenses!

Most people don't think about their headlight lenses when washing and maintaining their car and car finish. There are numerous products on the market for maintaining everything in and outside your vehicle, but nobody thinks about their headlight lenses until they are yellow, cloudy and ugly.

When you wash your car don't forget about those lenses. Not only should they be cleaned but they should be protected also. The sealer provided in our restoration kit can be reapplied 4 times a year or more for best results to help give long lasting results. Remember a little goes a long way so you don't need much for each application!! (Tip; the sealer is an Automotive Paint sealer and is designed for clear-coat protection.) Have you thought about what would happen to your paint finish if you did not wax it from time to time?

Automotive paint sealants and waxes are what are called "sacrificial barriers", that is they are meant to break down to the elements over time and be reapplied. This way the wax or sealant breaks down to the elements and not the vehicle's paint finish. If it was not for this the clear-coat would have a much shorter life! Therefore if you have just restored your headlight lenses, are thinking to or even have a vehicle that does not have damaged yellow headlights, be sure to protect the lenses! Any quality wax or sealant will work very well to extend the life of your lenses.

As a side note, you may be wondering what the difference between a wax and a sealant is, the short answer is the sealants and man made synthetic chemicals and waxes and made form he carnauba tree, and is used to make many different types of waxes. There is some debate as to what is better. Primarily, sealers can be manipulated and manufactured with certain properties that they can not get from carnauba wax. Some detailers prefer wax others like both and some prefer sealers.

Keep in mind however, sealers cost about the same to manufacture and can only have slightly better properties than wax; so never pay considerably more for sealers than wax! Some car manufacturers charge their customers a substantial amount to apply sealers to the cars they sell. NEVER pay for that unless it is the same or close to the same price as having the vehicle waxed. Any outrageous claims about sealers they make are just that...outrageous! So be careful!

A dealer may charge $125 to apply $2 worth of sealer and pay their detailer $10 an hour. Dealer cost-$12. 

So when it comes to protecting your vehicle's finish don't forget the headlights and don't pay too much for a paint sealer. When choosing between a wax and sealant do some research and remember, 90% of the decision comes down to personal opinion and preference so you'll have to make the final decision. Don't feel too bad if you have in the past, you've now learned from your mistake so it was an investment and now you know better; just don't make the same mistake.