How to Fix Minor Bumps and Scratches

Before getting a body repair estimate, it’s important to note that there are bumps and scratches that can be taken care of without the help of a professional. This is especially true with minor bumps and scratches. While they’re still minor, they’re still eyesores and can actually get worse. You can take care of them without paying a lot of money to a body shop.

How to Determine if You can Fix them or Not

It’s important to know first if you can fix them or not before undergoing the project. This way, you don’t have to stop in the middle of the project when you realize that you can’t do it. There are bumps and scratches that should be handled by a professional so ask for a body repair estimate. On the other hand, these are bumps and scratches that you can fix on your own:

  • A scratch that’s not really a scratch. This is often caused by something softer bumping into your car gently, depositing its material on the surface of your car.
  • Minor bumps in your plastic bumper.
  • Scuffed bumpers.
  • Minor dents that are not really noticeable unless when looked at from an angle.
  • Scratches that didn’t scratch through the clear coat.

What to Do with Minor Scratches

First of all, you need the following tools and ingredients:

  • Shoe polish
  • 2000-grit sandpaper (the wet and dry variety)
  • Rubbing compound
  • Polishing wheel
  • Soft cloth
  • Car wax

Here are the steps:

  • Wipe the shoe polish over the scratched surface. This will serve as the filling. Wipe it with a soft cloth.
  • Use the sandpaper with lots of water. Sand the area up to the point wherein there’s no more shoe polish.
  • Wipe the area with the rubbing compound.
  • Use the polishing wheel over the area.
  • Lightly buff the area using the soft cloth.
  • Wax the car.

What to Do with Minor Bumps

It’s easy to quickly decide to pick up the phone and ask for a body repair estimate when you see a bump. While it’s true that in most cases, it’s much better to have the professional work on it, there are some minor bumps that can be fixed. As a rule of thumb, you can fix a plastic bumper with a minor bump.

Here are the things you need:

  • Plastic prep solvent
  • Grinder
  • Adhesive
  • Squeegee
  • Sandpaper (80-grit, 120-grit and 400-grit)
  • Primer and paint

Instructions:

  • Take out the oil and dirt in the area using the prep solvent.
  • Using the grinder, remove any loose materials in and around the bump.
  • Use a squeegee to apply the adhesive (an equal mixture of repair and hardener) lightly across the bump. Wait for about 20 minutes for it to dry.

    • Use the 80-grit and 120-grit sandpapers to sand the area. Finish it off with 400-grit sandpaper.
    Follow manufacturer’s instructions on applying primer and paint.

Can You Really Do It?

For some people, it may look simple enough. When in doubt, just get a body repair estimate.

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