Removing touch up paint

[yellowbelly]

Bought a new car on the weekend, tidy car apart from a nasty couple of scratches on the rear bumper (looks like its been clawed by wolverine).
the previous owner decided to have a bash as making it look better by using some touch up paint. Now by the looks of it he used a roller as there's more paint than there is scratch.
so now the area (approx 4" squared) is dull looking and stands out a bit.

so, question: can the touch up paint be removed safely without affecting the original paint? My thoughts are that this wont be possible unless it was only just applied. However thought I'd ask the question?

Shall try and add some photos when I get home

 

[JD]

Interesting one. What do you intend to do once you've removed it? Redo it?

I'm a little stumped at this one actually.

KEVIN - come here, I want you.

 

[Gally]

Wet flatten is the option mate. Ideal you want to build up the paint if it's too low, make sure it's properly cured then wet flatten lightly and locally then polish up via machine.

 

[yellowbelly]

Wet flatten is the option mate. Ideal you want to build up the paint if it's too low, make sure it's properly cured then wet flatten lightly and locally then polish up via machine.

Cheers Gally, shall have a crack at that then.

To be honest i really wish he'd just left it alone, there is so much excess paint its stupid.

 

[Gally]

A paintshop would be best as if they burn through they'll paint it but worth a go if you're competent/confident.

 

[Scrooge]

When ever I come across dodgy touch ups I wet sand them trying not to get the surrounding original paint. Usually come out really great when buffed back up.

Never done one bigger than a 20 pence piece though. I need a Festool de-nibber tbh.

Got any pictures?

 

[Dave..]

I had this on one of my ex's grandparents cars. He'd reversed into a plastic drain pipe and scuffed the bumper, but had tried using a touch up brush over an area of about 30cm square. I attacked it with a cutting pad and got it all off, including the original scuff he'd tried to cover up.

Wet sanding is always a last resort IMO. I wouldn't jump straight in before trying out a cutting pad on the area.

 

[yellowbelly]

A paintshop would be best as if they burn through they'll paint it but worth a go if you're competent/confident.

Tbf I'm happy to do it , my thinking being... if I mess it up I'll take it to my local body shop to put right.
if I choose not to do it myself is take it to them, so might as well use it as some wet flattening practice

 

[Scrooge]

I had this on one of my ex's grandparents cars. He'd reversed into a plastic drain pipe and scuffed the bumper, but had tried using a touch up brush over an area of about 30cm square. I attacked it with a cutting pad and got it all off, including the original scuff he'd tried to cover up.

Wet sanding is always a last resort IMO. I wouldn't jump straight in before trying out a cutting pad on the area.

Tbh you can take more paint off compounding than you do wet sanding. It's all about being careful. With wet sanding he'll be able to feel the paint with his finger tips.

 

[Gally]

Tbh you can take more paint off compounding than you do wet sanding. It's all about being careful. With wet sanding he'll be able to feel the paint with his finger tips.

Wet sanding saves more microns than compounding can. Have a look at KDS for eg.

 

[yellowbelly]

Yeah just read about it on DW, a thread started by Mirror Finish Details.

 

[Scrooge]

Yep. Hence why I always prefer wet sanding when it comes to certain marks on paint. I can also be a bit more specific with the area i'm touching.

 

[JD]

Yep. Hence why I always prefer wet sanding when it comes to certain marks on paint. I can also be a bit more specific with the area i'm touching.

Oooh err.

 

[Scrooge]

Dutty boy.

 

[yellowbelly]

There is also a couple of scratches to the plastic Wheel arch, anyway of repairing this? Or shall I just replace the arch?

 

[Scrooge]

Is it a normal bare plastic arch?

 

[yellowbelly]

Is it a normal bare plastic arch?

​Sure is Scrooge

 

[Scrooge]

Proabably better off getting a new one mate, I did a friends mini cooper. The arch had a scrach it about two inches long, I used a scalpel to get the burred bits off the edges of the scratch then filled it with some dark glue using a toothpick then did the whole arch with permanant trim restorer.

There's probably better less pikey ways to do but I did what I could with what I had and it was pretty invisible from two feet away.

 

[JD]

Just to confirm, this is the plastic arch on the exterior, right? Not the archliner? If it's the latter, 4000 grit WnD paper then C4 it (as you won't see unless up close and personal). If it's external, I'd not waste your time and would follow ScroogeMcDuck's advice!

 

[yellowbelly]

Yes its the external arch JD, will look out for a replacement one I think then