# DAMN Number Plate holders!



## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

I was trying to get my numberplate holder off but it wouldn't budge, so I needed to use a screwdriver, and it went through and broke the clip, but I only realised that the screwdriver was going through and hitting the paint after it happened a 2nd time whilst doing the middle clip :wall:

Needless to say, i'm not using numberplate holders again and they have safely been placed in the bin. However, as far as my paint is concerned, its bad news;




























What would the best course of action be? I don't want to get involved in wet sanding as its a fairly new car.

I do have a DA polisher though, if there is something that I could do with touch up paint and then compound pad after?


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## REVERSiN (Sep 28, 2015)

I feel sorry for you mate :/ what a sh!tty thing to happen, by the pics it's seems too deep to polish you might be able to wet sand it but preferably touch it up. Might hide these better on metallic.


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## MagpieRH (May 27, 2014)

Give it a quick go with the DA - see if it improves matters. If you're going to touch up anyway, may as well try polishing first and see how much you can disguise!


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

The vast majority of the 2nd scratch and the whole of the 1st scratch are completely past the clear, colour and base. Its down to the plastic.

Should I touch up or SMART repair it? Which would be better overall?


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

If it's down to the base, then either Chips Away or similar smart repair types, or a bodyshop are realistically your only option if you want it looking perfect.

If you don't mind it looking slightly different, then use a touch up and then polish it. Someone did do a guide to repairing stone chips, reflectology springs to mind but i could be wrong, have a search for it and you could follow the advice and touch it up yourself


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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

Here is the link, with apologies to Breezy who posted this not reflectology as i suggested
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=20127


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

Nothing wrong with Muzzers advice - but ..... with a colour of high metallic content the likelihood of it being unnoticeable is unlikely.
But have a go - if you're not happy then look up a personally time served SMART repairer.


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

OK, thanks guys!


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

Right then,

I enquired about a repair, but the only proper option was to respray the bootlid at £480. I therefore decided that as the bootlid is ruined anyway, may as well have a go with trying to fix it myself! I did the following;

1. Washed car
2. Washed the specific scratched areas with the Poorboys Wash 'n' Wipe with a microfibre cloth
3. Cleaned the area of wax using intensive tar remover (you can also use 10% Iso Propyl alcohol)
5. Start layering BMW ColorSystem touch up paint in thin layers and followed instructions on there, finished with clearcoat layer *
6. Waited 24h
7. Clean area again with Wash n Wipe
8. Wet sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper
9. Wet sanded with 2500 grit sandpaper
10. Polished with megs ultimate compound
11. Polished with megs ScratchX to bring back to full gloss

(* In hindsight, I made a mistake: I should have mixed clearcoat and colour together to form a hard colour single stage touch up. This would have removed the slight blackness from the scratches as it would have been filled up to the surface in colour rather than halfway which left the edges of the original scratch still visible through the clearcoat when seen through an angle.)

Here are some pics;

Homemade inspection light:










Tape off surroundings for 2000 grit flattening:










After 2500 grit has been over it:










And the finished product after some Megs ScratchX (took a few applications by hand, but got there after 3 goes!)










Its not as good as it could have been, and definitely still visible, but not as bad as it was previously in raw scratch form!

This is the first time i've really ever used touch up paint for something like this, and the first time i've ever let sandpaper get anywhere near the car!

...I'm still tempted by a respray though


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

I bet you could get a decent smart repairer or bodyshop to just local paint the lower section below the badge.
Should keep the cost down and retain the original paint on the top side.


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## SamD (Oct 24, 2015)

As sick said, pretty straight forward smart repair wouldn't put you out of pocket either.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

I'd be just having the number plate recess painted... Foam tape round it nicely it'll be fine...



Sod having the boot fully painted!!! :doublesho
Someone's trying to have your pants down :lol:


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## squiggs (Oct 19, 2009)

sunnydude959 said:


> Right then,
> 
> I enquired about a repair, but the only proper option was to respray the bootlid at £480.


The whole boot lid!!!!!!!!
Why in the name of God would the whole boot lid need re-doing?
And if they were going to do the whole boot lid did they not also suggest any more unnecessary work - like blending it into the quarters and the bumper?

Get in touch with a Smart repairer who is personally time established in the trade and you'll get a quote for about a third of that!


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## REVERSiN (Sep 28, 2015)

I think their issue is actually the color, it's one of those hard metallic paints a bad respray would cost the professional a whole bootlid respray so they advice on painting it all (more forgiving).


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

I'll ask another company. 

Would the job be more difficult now that I've used touch up paint?


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## Tricky Red (Mar 3, 2007)

It's a M5 matey - get it done and do justice to the car. Shame to have a little blot like that on the car. £480 must be a dealer though.


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## SamD (Oct 24, 2015)

Personally something like that I'd charge around £140 + VAT it's not a major job.


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## Andyb0127 (Jan 16, 2011)

Painting the whole boot lid just for that. That colour looks worse than it is to paint, it's actually fairly straight forward to paint. For a reputable smart repairer that would be a nice straightforward job, we've done a couple of smart repairs in that colour never had any problems.


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

@SamD, where abouts are you based? If you're local, that would be fantastic


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## jj9 (Jun 11, 2015)

Personally I would have another go at touching in those scratches, if you're contemplating having it repaired you have nothing to lose.

Look at this... http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=282300

Cheers.


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## SamD (Oct 24, 2015)

sunnydude959 said:


> @SamD, where abouts are you based? If you're local, that would be fantastic


Work down Norwich area, cover most of East Anglia.


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

SamD said:


> Work down Norwich area, cover most of East Anglia.


Ah you're quite far away unfortunately 

For the amount it costs in fuel to travel to that part of the country, I may as well get it resprayed :lol:


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## sunnydude959 (Jan 3, 2014)

jj9 said:


> Personally I would have another go at touching in those scratches, if you're contemplating having it repaired you have nothing to lose.
> 
> Look at this... http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=282300
> 
> Cheers.


That is essentially what I did, except I screwed up on the clearcoat. In hindsight I should have either mixed the cc in with the paint, or not bothered with the CC at all


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## SamD (Oct 24, 2015)

Sunny defiantly shop about and have a look online check out work before hand 8 out of 10 smart repairers are spot on and will do a perfect job a body shop doesn't mean it's a good shop. 

Hope you get it sorted as its a lovely car.


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Someone looked at the M5 badge and went ££££££.

As mentioned just get the recess painted.


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