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Here's a tip when photographing something like that scratch - use a quarter or similar next to it (tape it if need be). That not only gives the scale of the scratch, but it give the camera something to focus on.
The problem with re-shooting a metallic-silver door is it never matches the rest of the car. The metalflake that comes out of the spray gun is never the same density and quantity of flake as the factory paint. I have seen the very best painters try to paint a silver panel and match it, and it never works out. The fix is to re-shoot the entire car of course. They're not going to agree to do that and you probably don't want it, either. What happens when you have it done then you step back 20 feet and see the mis-match in the sunlight? They will say "We did the best we could" and you will be very unhappy. Here's a photo of a Jaguar that shows what I am talking about when you try to have one panel painted.
I can't tell the size of the scratch or where it is on the door, because you just have the one photo. To be sure, this would cost the dealership at least $ 300 to re-paint, probably closer to $ 500. I might be tempted to parlay with them and use that money towards a service credit or set of tires, and not re-paint the car depending on the severity of the mark.
You might want to think a little more about the repaint. Porsche uses robots to achieve six sigma uniformity because color is so finicky. The exact same paint will look different under all the exact same conditions merely by being a few microns thicker. Or the primer coat being a shade different. Even the direction of the spray applicator affects the lay of the metallics, which affects the appearance under different lighting conditions. To name just a few of the many reasons why nobody but nobody ever gets a repaint that looks exactly like factory original under all conditions. What usually happens, either you never look close enough to notice (which in that case, why bother?) or more likely, one day you're looking and notice dang that does not look quite right. Because, it doesn't. It never does.
Now factor that against... carefully apply a VERY thin coat of color touch up. When that dries carefully apply a VERY thin coat of clear. Repeat coats of clear until the scratch is completely filled in. Color sand. Polish. GONE!
Second option nobody will ever notice. But even if they do, big deal, its a speck. Not like the whole door is off. Which if its just the whole door, what a relief, because lots of places since they know their work is crap they "blend in" to adjacent panels so it will be harder to notice their work is crap. That's where "blend in" comes from! If it matches, it matches, you don't need to blend in! Think about it.
Edit: dang two of us writing the same thing at the same time. Great minds, etc, etc.
My car had a door scratch like that. Took the car to a certified Porsche body shop. They wanted $2500. Said the door, front and rear fender and half the roof needed to be repainted. Went back to the Porsche dealer. They said DON"T repair it. One, it's a used car. Two, when I trade it back into them the problem will be theirs.
Please excuse the poor photo- best I can do. The dealer accidentally scratched my passenger door while in for something else. They tried to fill it, buff it etc but it is still noticeable if pointed out. It is 4" tall and to the metal but the Platinum silver hides it well. The dealer offered to repaint the door but I don't relish having that much paintwork on the car. I'm leaning towards letting them paint the door but would be interested in other's advice.
Dude, WTF are you thinking? Tell them to paint the door. The Mercedes dealer that I bought a new car from dinged the C pillar and I had them repaint it, you would never know it had been done. I sold that car and the buyer asked about the carfax and when I said “the dealer dinged it and...” he waved me off and said “no problem, here’s your money”.
You might want to think a little more about the repaint. Porsche uses robots to achieve six sigma uniformity because color is so finicky. The exact same paint will look different under all the exact same conditions merely by being a few microns thicker. Or the primer coat being a shade different. Even the direction of the spray applicator affects the lay of the metallics, which affects the appearance under different lighting conditions. To name just a few of the many reasons why nobody but nobody ever gets a repaint that looks exactly like factory original under all conditions. What usually happens, either you never look close enough to notice (which in that case, why bother?) or more likely, one day you're looking and notice dang that does not look quite right. Because, it doesn't. It never does.
Now factor that against... carefully apply a VERY thin coat of color touch up. When that dries carefully apply a VERY thin coat of clear. Repeat coats of clear until the scratch is completely filled in. Color sand. Polish. GONE!
Second option nobody will ever notice. But even if they do, big deal, its a speck. Not like the whole door is off. Which if its just the whole door, what a relief, because lots of places since they know their work is crap they "blend in" to adjacent panels so it will be harder to notice their work is crap. That's where "blend in" comes from! If it matches, it matches, you don't need to blend in! Think about it.
Edit: dang two of us writing the same thing at the same time. Great minds, etc, etc.
My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't repaint for this. There are plenty of skilled detailers out there that could fill this in and make it look fantastic.
I would look into filling with touch up multiple layers and polishing and potentially color sand. Might be hard to find a shop that could do it, pretty time consuming. I will echo what was said on metallic silver, I had a panel on my SUV redone, 3 times never got it perfect, it was really close but I could see it. I would try the touch up/polish/color sand option first, worst case is you don’t like it and then repainted the entire door.
Definitely try the local repair first but if you have to have it repaired the quality body shop should only need a small amount of color to repair and then re-clearcoat. The repair should be legitimately invisible for such a small area and blending should not be an issue. That being said, I have seen talented detailers do amazing local repairs that are almost invisible.
Repaint and have the used car depart make an offer. Tell them about the repaint. When they justify a low offer because of the paint, ask for that as a diminished value.
Excellent advice and this is actually not an uncommon offer.
A good body shop can do some magic to improve without repainting the whole door.
Actually once you do this it turns out to be so easy you just shake your head that everyone doesn't do it. Sand. Paint. Sand. Polish. Done. Gone.
Total investment: $5 for one sheet of 5000 or 6000 wet/dry, $20 for color and clear paint, half hour of actual work.
Optional $5 for roll of blue tape, optional 30 minutes to watch AMMO or equivalent how-to video.
Honestly even if all you do is just hit it with some touch-up, not even carefully, not even color-sanding, that is way better than spraying half the car a different color.
I own / operate a large body shop - what the poster said about silver is true. You dont have to paint the entire car that's insane but the side should be painted or at least the panel closest to scratch (fender or 1/4 panel) and the other panel blended.
A good body shop should be able to do it quite easily but it's not as simple as paint - need to strip the door, take of corner of bumpers, re order 1/4 panel sticker, take off headlight and tail light, take off rubbers and possibly reorder new ones if they are one time use, ... possibly re program air bag light if door panel is removed, ...
No big deal but a bigger deal than just painting the door. Retail cost on painting the door and blending the said might be 2k
Man, the dealers in SF must be brutal to deal with! I can't imagine every trade-in going through that level of inspection unless there was some reason to believe the owner isn't to be trusted? I mean, here on the East Coast I've owned 12 cars in the past 20 years inclusive of P-cars, AMG, Jag, blah blah blah and not once have I ever had a dealer take a trade that did a PDT or questioned it.... Is it really that common requirement by the dealers out there?
Nonetheless, to the OP get the door repainted. And get other chips on the front-end taken-care-of while they're at it out of good-will by the dealer for the inconvenience they caused. Any good dealer would take care of this without issue.
Fraud prevention on the part of the dealer (also it increases their margin on the purchase transaction). Every high end car I have returned on lease end has gone through a paint density check to see if there is un-reported body damage. The lease turn-in inspector runs their fingers along the door seams to check for masking tape residue. Same for hood and trunk seams. Then, the car goes up on a rack to check for paint overspray. No residue, no overspray, then the entire car gets a once-over with a paint density meter. Only after passing the paint density meter check do they believe there is no body damage.
I had my front bumper painted on my 2012 991 when the car was brand new as it was hit by a tractor trailer tread on my drive home from the dealer. The car is platinum and it didn't match very well. Now, 5 years later, the same bodyshop had to repaint it and they did a much better job matching it. Owner of the shop said that after the cars have been out for a while the paint companies do a better job matching the colors.
First step would be to try and touch it up yourself or have a Detailer touch it up. If that isn’t satisfactory or if the spot is on a very noticeable spot on the door, like right above the handle, then yes, respray. Document the reason for the respray, but I would argue that most cars that don’t live in a bubble, are more than 5 years old and have more than 30k miles on them have had some sort of paint work. Granted, many don’t, but there are a large majority that do. Many Porsche owners, like you, want their car to be near perfect which requires respraying even for a scratch. If a panel has been replaced, well then that car probably has been in an accident.
Like someone else mentioned too, measuring for paint thickness under a clear bra is not going to work all that well either.
03-05-2018, 07:38 PM
