# "Can you do anything with this scratch?"



## Tailored (Mar 7, 2014)

Hi Guys.

This is only my second post on DW. My first was a 1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution which got a few comments alone the lines of 'not the normal first post.' So what better way to follow an iconic M3 than with a 2006 Citroen C4.

Anyway the owner who is a good friend popped round for a visit a few months ago and asked the question "can you do anything with this scratch?"



As you can see it was the length of both offside doors and the majority was too deep to polish out.

The owner was heading off on holiday at the beginning of March so I agreed to take the car when he was away and see what I could do. We also decided on a full enhancement detail to the rest of the car as the two scratched doors would have a mirror like finish once fixed and be a bit of a stick out.

So my mate flew off and I took delivery of his Citroen C4. Here a few photos of the car when it arrived.



















*The Wheels*

So the first thing I tackled was the wheels, which for the age and treatment of the car were not too bad.
Process included washing with Bilberry wheel cleaner, decontaminated with Iron X (surprisingly no need for tardis) and then washed again before being polished with AG SRP. I then went with Hydro2 because of its ease of application before dressing the tyres with M Endurance Gel.


Bilberry


Iron X


Once finished.

*Washing*

Process involved rinse, foam, wash, decontaminate, wash, clay and a final wash. Somewhere in amongst all that the plastics and trim were cleaned using an APC.





No photos of the car being washed but once dried a true indication of the condition of the paintwork came to light.















I noticed that the vehicle had loads of strange markings all over it which would NOT wash off. Some were obviously made by children's hands. I have no idea what caused these marks to marr/damage the paintwork but the were removed with absolutely no problem during the polishing process.

?????










?????

*Polishing*

The car was then moved indoors to start the polishing process. After a polish/pad combination test was carried out I went with M205 on a black hex logic pad, although some areas had to be treated locally using a white pad.

I managed to snap a few 50/50 and before and after photos which showed how well the paint responded bearing in mind this was only a one stage enhancement detail. On average roughly 2 microns were removed during the polishing. On the whole the cars PTG readings were pretty healthy all over.



























There were also a few other defects I came across as I worked my way around the car. This next picture is taken after all the washing, decontaminating and claying had taken place and shows the damage bird droppings can cause to the paintwork if allowed to dwell.



This was one of the areas where I had to resort to the white hex logic pad.



This nasty scratch/scuff to the front of the vehicle was harder to deal with. This panel would have needed a degree of sanding to fully remove it however as it is made of plastic and my PTG only works on metal, sanding was not an option, so I had to settle for an improvement.





The scuff on the lower section was through to the plastic and the plastic was also damaged so there was nothing I could do with it.

*The Scratch*

First I polished over the damaged area which served 2 purposes; it gave me an idea what sections would simply polish out (not many) and it tidied up the area immediately adjacent to the scratch. I then clean the scratch out with IPA to ensure there was no dirt or polish residue within. I had ordered touch up paint from a company named paints4U having read about them somewhere on this forum. First class service and I could not recommend them more. I took the touch up paint along with a fine fine artists paint brush and filled in the length of the scratch. It was then left to dry overnight.

On examination the following day I notice (as expected) that the paint had shrunk while drying and now lay within the scratch under the level of the cars original paintwork. I carried out the same process as the previous day, this time placing another layer of paint on top of yesterdays layer.

It was my intention to continue this until the layers of touch up paint had dried sitting proud of the cars original paintwork, almost like a ridge. By the following morning we were there.









The reason for the smudged paint either side of the scratch on the rear door is because I tried a different technique here by rubbing the paint into the damaged area. I was not that keen on it so resorted to the method detailed above.

Next I took a titanium block and slowly and gently shaved the 'sitting proud' touch up paint down to the same level as the original car paint.



After this (sorry forgot to take photos) the damaged area can still be seen and felt so I sanded it using 2500 grit to smooth it off and blend the area together. As always care has to be taken during this stage with continual reference to the PTG being made.

Here are the photos the owner hates to see.









Next step was to polish out the damage caused by the sanding. For this I used 4 inch orange and white hex logic pads with a mix of M105 and M205 polishes.

Should have mentioned earlier all polishing was carried out with a DA polisher.

The outcome.









Please let me explain the last photo. The sledge is the perfect high for me to sit on when working on the sides of the vehicle.

*Finally*

With all that done the car was taken outside again, where it was washed to get rid of all the dust the polishing had created. The LSP were then applied in the form of AG EGP and HD wax. Whilst waiting for the EGP to bond I dressed the trim with Chemical Guys Blue Guard II which is pretty good but no match for their other product New Look Trim Gel.

I then took some final photos.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read your way through this detail.













Cheers Brian.


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## jamie crookston (Aug 30, 2010)

Fantastic work mate.


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## magpieV6 (Jul 29, 2008)

Amazing job!


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## ardenvxr (May 22, 2013)

stunning work!


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## Guest (Mar 29, 2014)

Cracking work!

Hand prints might have been caused by sunscreen.


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## iPlod999 (Jun 23, 2012)

The off side front wing is in my top 5 50/50 shots.

Stunning job!


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

That's a great job!


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## nemo01 (Mar 13, 2013)

Many thanks for posting and giving the steps taken - thanks.


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

Great job,well done! 
Mike


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

Cracking job:buffer: , I also use my golf bag to perch my polishes:lol:


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

swweett


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## Migliore (Jan 23, 2010)

Excellent work!


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

great stuff, cracking result:thumb:


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## luke w (Dec 11, 2012)

What a great read and stunning results! Cheers!


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## Mumbles (Nov 7, 2011)

Very nice work! :thumb:

As mentioned the hand prints look like sunscreen. horrible stuff.

Chris


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## willg (Dec 29, 2011)

50/50 shots are really good mate, stunning job throughout


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## Hincey (Feb 4, 2009)

You got some great 50/50 shots there mate! Top work. So is there any indication of a scratch being there anymore or has it completely polished out?


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## Big Buffer (Jan 1, 2011)

Great work on the scratch buddy.
The owner will be more than happy with that..


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## waxtrucker (Mar 21, 2014)

Amazing well done


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

Spot on.


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## Rabidracoon28 (May 31, 2012)

You are a magician, well done chap


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## pug207 (Jun 22, 2012)

great work on that nasty scratch! wish i had the same talent to apply to the stone chips/scratches on my own car.


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Very nice, good use of pictures to illustrate your actions, pictures are pin sharp(unlike mine) and a fantastic result. Really good write up too, very impressive Brian :thumb:


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great job:thumb:


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## pt1 (Feb 8, 2014)

wow,excellent work pal:thumb:


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## MadOnVaux! (Jun 2, 2008)

Fantastic work, i hope the owner was ecstatic?


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## cheshirebert (Dec 11, 2011)

fantastic work :thumb:


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## James Bagguley (Jul 13, 2013)

Great write up, wonderful result :thumb:

I bet the owner was over the moon (not the holiday destination, i mean about your excellent work!)


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## Dawesy90 (Jun 25, 2012)

Quality attention to detail there! I couldn't do such a cracking job bet the owner was amazed with the result


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## Keir (Aug 31, 2010)

Dawesy90 said:


> Quality attention to detail there! I couldn't do such a cracking job bet the owner was amazed with the result


+1 on this.


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## camerashy (Feb 9, 2014)

Great job, I bet your mates pleased


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## Tailored (Mar 7, 2014)

Thanks for all the positive comments. Owner was delighted with the outcome, as was I.



Hincey said:


> You got some great 50/50 shots there mate! Top work. So is there any indication of a scratch being there anymore or has it completely polished out?


Thanks Hincey. In answer to your question, no there is absolutely no indication of a scratch ever having been there. This is down to the level of paint match. Since the scratch was basically over filled with paint and then shaved and sanded back to being flat it is perfectly smooth to the touch. Sometimes if the paint match is slightly out a fine line where the scratch was initially can be seen, but you would have to be pretty close to the paintwork and know it was there to spot it, unless the match is way out. It is also important to polish the area adjacent to the scratch before touching any paint. This helps smooth the edges of the scratch making it easier to ensure a totally smooth finish at the end.


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## ffrs1444 (Jun 7, 2008)

Top work buddy spot on


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## Mark70 (Oct 13, 2013)

Nice job really enjoyed reading


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## Lloydy (Jan 13, 2009)

fantastic work!!!

Where did you get the titanium block?


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## Tailored (Mar 7, 2014)

Lloydy said:


> fantastic work!!!
> 
> Where did you get the titanium block?


I got it on line from a company based in the south of England. Sorry but I can't remember the name. I have had a search around my house but unfortunately I can't find the invoice. However the box the block comes in has www.finixa.com on it. This is not who I purchased it from but they are obviously the manufacturer. They appear to deal in car paint products. Hope this helps.


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## Richard1973 (Mar 23, 2013)

That really is remarkable what you managed to do with the scratch. 
Is the touch up paint that is supplied a blend of base colour and clearcoat?
I have got a Rover coupe with a scratch down the n/s that I want to do something with. I have got the base colour and a laquor both as touch up pens. 
Could I combine the two and fill the scratch do you think?


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## pr1vatepiles (Mar 27, 2014)

Great read, given my hope for a similar scratch on my own car.


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

Cracking job fella


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## Captain Peanut (Apr 19, 2011)

Fantastic work. My wife has a C3 Picasso in the same colour so have a good idea which pads/polish to use now :thumb:


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## redit5 (Dec 16, 2013)

Staggering result! That is the best result I have seen on a scratch repair - not that I have seen that many but you know what I mean!!


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## DLGWRX02 (Apr 6, 2010)

Cracking job there big thumbs up, wish i had friend like you or at least a garage..lol

So have the owners seen it yet or are they still away?


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## SeanC2 (Jan 21, 2014)

That is absolutely sensational work right there!!


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## caddydaddyoad (May 8, 2007)

Cracking job


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## Tailored (Mar 7, 2014)

DLGWRX02 said:


> Cracking job there big thumbs up, wish i had friend like you or at least a garage..lol
> 
> So have the owners seen it yet or are they still away?


Thanks. Yeah owner has since returned and collected his car. He was delighted with the outcome.



Richard1973 said:


> That really is remarkable what you managed to do with the scratch.
> Is the touch up paint that is supplied a blend of base colour and clearcoat?
> I have got a Rover coupe with a scratch down the n/s that I want to do something with. I have got the base colour and a laquor both as touch up pens.
> Could I combine the two and fill the scratch do you think?


The touch up paint I used came in the form of two seperate containers, colour and lacquer, which I then mixed together myself. If you are thinking of having a go check out the Drive Clean series on you tube. There are loads of videos which are pretty well presented, some covering scratch and chip repairs. Type "Ammo NYC" into the google video search and they should come up. Ammo NYC is the company/product name and Drive Clean is the show name. Good luck


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Was all work carried out with a da?


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## WAZ92 (Mar 26, 2014)

Fantastic outcome. Well done.


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## Mini One Cabrio (Mar 9, 2007)

OMG amazing result!


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## TOMMY_RS (Aug 2, 2010)

Wow top work there. Thanks for posting!


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## Danman (May 22, 2012)

Wow. Top work mate.


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## MonsterST (Aug 4, 2013)

wow you are fcking good!!!


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## Trophy#185 (Jan 28, 2008)

Brilliant job


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## yetizone (Jun 25, 2008)

Truly excellent work carried out on the car as a whole and in particular that nasty scratch!


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## chr15rey (Jun 17, 2008)

Read this post & ordered the Paint4U scratch master kit straight away, not the most wanted item on any amateur/enthusiast shopping list but just the kit needed after some brain dead [email protected] runs a key down the whole length of your car, a long way on a Focus estate.
Hopefully the Sahara will of blown over by the week end & I can give it a go, if it comes out half as good as yours I'll be impressed.


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## [email protected] (Apr 5, 2014)

My 350Z has been keyed yet again and reading this has given me the confidence to at least have a go. What's the worst that can happen? I end up taking it to my mate who repaired my last 'key job' for £50.


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## ravi811 (Jul 19, 2012)

hats off to you, fantastic job done there!


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Fantastic work and a really useful write up with plenty of top advice. Thanks for posting.

I love it when people do things properly (unlike me, I just ploughed straight into a wetsand without a paint gauge, fortunately got away with it!)


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## tansel (Sep 26, 2010)

OMG:doublesho

The most incredible scracht repair job I've ever seen, an on a black car, really impresivve mate :argie: well well well done. :thumb:


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## Kyutu (Aug 28, 2013)

Impressive, makes me wish I had the guts to try it myself on my newly scratched wing. 

Keep up the awesome work! :detailer:


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## Ernie Bernie (Oct 17, 2009)

The owner (And your good self) must be really cuffed with that. 50/50s show a great turnaround. I hope they showed their gratitude in the form of some generous Duty Frees


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## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

Amazing turnaround and what looked to be a poorly looked after shed. You worked miracles with the scratch.


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## Gibbonius (Aug 11, 2008)

Fantastic. Love the 50/50 on the front wing.


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## SteveMitchell (Apr 11, 2012)

Very nice mate! Amazing difference from start to finish!


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## dehayco (Feb 26, 2014)

What a difference, always love threads like this.


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## fethead (May 12, 2007)

Wow...that's an ART that you have there. Well done fella.

Richard


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

great fella and looks like a different car


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## Matty77 (Nov 7, 2012)

This is everything a good post should be. Great photos, great step-by step write up and an amazing transformation! Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks!


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## GNshaving (Feb 13, 2014)

Awesome work mate looks stunning!


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