Ok, I get the bonehead of the year award. Saturday night I was attempting to back my truck into my apartment carport in the middle of a snow storm and guess what? I backed into the carport support post. The damage is on the drivers side bedbox near the between the tire and bumper. Good news is that there doesn't appear to be any structural damage but I now have a bunch of white paint transfer marks on my black quarter panel. The post was white painted wood.

Here's the question, does anyone know of a way to remove the white paint. I was thinking about trying to compound it out but I don't know it that will work. It looks like the body paint is probably scrached but at this point i'm just trying to remove the white paint.

Ideas anyone?

Thanks

 

My advice is always to start with the least least destructive method first, then work up the ladder. Full buffing compound - especially with a rotary buffer - can create more problems than it solves if you don't know what you're doing. I'd recommend starting with something relatively light - maybe Meg's Scratch-X - by hand for starters. You'd be surprised how much that stuff will take off, even by hand. If you do it right, this will remove the white paint transfer and some of the very minor scratches in the clear coat. You'll then have a much better idea as to the real extent of the damage and if you need to seek professional help.

 

You can also try some paint thinner to remove the house paint from the auto paint. I have done this before with sucess. This should not harm the auto paint as long as you are careful and wash thorougthly after using it. Once you get the white paint off, then you are left with just trying to repair the damage to your trucks paint. Scrath X works great and i recommed it as a starting point. Scratch x is a diminishing abrasive, which mean that that the more you work the product into the paint, the abrasives break down to a finer polish, leaving no scraches like a rubbing compound would. It may take several applications but this stuff really works. General rule of thumb is if you can feel the scratch with your fingernail, then you will need re painting. If you have remaining damge that scratch x will not fix, you will prob need professinal attempt to buff with a rotary.

 

I don't think paint thinner is a very good idea at all . Use some rubbing compound that shold work fine.

 

Don't feel bad sounds about the same thing I did only thing was in my garage and I caught some wire rack shelves. My Explorer I had never came this close before but now the truck does. Shelves removed but still have some good scratches past the paint and a dent where something fell off the shelf. Took it in to the body shop yesterday to get repainted just hope come Friday or Sat when I get it back it all matches

 

Thanks for the reply's guys. I think I'll run out this weekend and get some scratch X this weekend and give it a shot. I've never heard of it before but i'm sure I can get it at a auto parts store. I agree that I probably need to start with the least agressive first and work my way up from there. I rubbed some of the white paint with my thumb this morning and some of it actually rubbed off. Who knows I might get lucky.

I'll repost after I give it a shot and let you know how it works.

Thanks.

 

Before you run out and try this with scratch X or any other item of that sort, the easiest and most efficiant way to get that stuff off is to go and get yourself a bottle of mineral spirits (the same stuff rain X is made of) and use it to gently rub the paint off. I get these kinds of marks in my shop all the time, and 99% of the time I get them off with my industrial Tar and Adhesive remover. If your truck is black, be careful, as it can turn that spot a greyish color with to much pressure. But the mineral spirits will, in essence, liquify the paint transfer on the truck and leave behind only what damage is there. I guarantee it to work!

 

Yup, listen to this guy. Same stuff as paint thinner. Your truck paint is alot more durable than househould paint that will come right off.

 

Similiar to paint thinner, but nowhere near the level of harschness.

 

Lacquer thinner, automotive paint does not disolve with it unless it is a cheap repaint job. I have used it for years to get road grime and tar off of many of my cars.

 

Might try 3M general purpose adhesive remover. Not quite as strong as thinner. You can use thinner as long as the panel has NOT been previously re-finished. Just make sure you use a two towel method...wipe on then wipe off. This also works for removing bumper transfer. Just be careful!

Regards!

 

You are right, Lacquer thinner is the stuff I have used, I just call it paint thinner, I didnt think there was a big difference. Thanks for clarifying. How different is lacquer thinner to mineral spirits?

 

3M adhesive remover will NOT harm your auto paint in any fashion. It is very friendly to auto paint-trust me. GOO GONE may work but that is only a guess but it also will not harm your paint.

 

Lacquer thinner is still very harsch and not ideal to use. Over pressurizing while rubbing with that will leave behind a hazed like look on spots that require more work than just light touch. The mineral spirits can leave marks, but are nowhere near as hard on the paint.

 

First of all, I want to thank everyone for their help in addressing this issue i got myself into. I spent a few hours this afternoon trying to remove the paint and scratches using some of the ideas that were given.

So Here Goes:

I first washed and dried the truck and noticed that he damage was worse that I had first thought. Alot of small scratches within the clear coat and a few that have cut to the metal. Ultimately, I think i'm going to have the panel repainted. After realizing that I was going to have to see a body shop I figured to give a shot at minimizing the damage myself. (Again, sorry I don't have any pictures, but I don't own a camera).

First of all, the adhesive remover didn't really do anything. It had a nice citrus smell though. I broke out the Scratch-X which again didn't seem to have the strenght to tangle with the white paint.

Secondly, I tried the mineral spirits. I felt that this removed some of the white paint that was on top of the clear coat but left the rest. It did remove all the wax in the area which might have been a good thing going forward.

After all of this I was left with the scratches and white paint that was ground into the scratches in the clear coat. After deciding that I wa going to have to get a repaint to fix this I figured WTF and broke out the rubbing compound. Used VERY carefully the rubbing compound removed ALL the white paint from the scatches and I was back to a black panel with a bunch of scratches.

I then broke out the Scratch-X and went over all the scratches. Suprisingly, th Scratch-X seemed to remove alot of the scratches and improved the ones that I couldn't make go totally away. I followed it all up with a coat of NTX wax.

Final Impressions: It doesn't look half bad. Unless you really look close it's hard to even see the damage. I'm going to get it repainted because it will drive me crazy if I don't. I cannot walk by the truck without looking at the quarter panel. Too bad it's not on the passenger side because I might even be able to forget about it. I doubt that but hey I couild have hoped anyway.

Again thanks for all the help.