Pye’s top tips for removing scratches from your car

By Pye Motors

When was the last time you nipped to the shop and came back to scratches on the outside of your car? Or perhaps you were driving too fast down a gravel road and scratched your bodywork?

Unfortunately, even with the latest technology, it still appears that the odd scratch on your paintwork is unavoidable and inevitable. But that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.

What should I do if my car’s been scratched?
First of all, don’t panic. As mentioned, car paintwork is often easily scratched and these scratches tend to happen accidentally. Some scratches can be repaired easily and at little cost to you and your insurance.

However, if your car is more seriously damaged and appears to have been deliberately vandalised, we would recommend contacting your insurance company to find out if your policy can cover you and potentially file a police report.

Can I fix the car scratches myself?
This depends on how deep it goes into the paintwork. Before you reach the metal body panel of the car there are three layers of paintwork - primer, base coat and then clear coat. If the scratch is just on the surface, it is likely that you can fix it yourself. The best test to determine if a bit of DIY is possible is to run your fingernail across the scratch, if your nail doesn’t catch it should be able to be polished out.

Unfortunately, it’s a job for the body shop if the scratch catches your fingernail.

Top scratch removers
The best scratch removers can make shallow scratches disappear quickly and effectively. We would always recommend reading the instructions before using the product but generally applying the product in circular motions with a microfibre cloth and then rising off and drying after is a good method to keep in mind.

Here are a few of our scratch remover product recommendations:

• Toothpaste (yes you did read that right) - We find whitening toothpaste works best and gives a shiny finish.

However, if the scratch is deeper than the clear coat, leave the toothpaste in the bathroom and try:

• Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound - Non-aggressive and leaves a great shiny finish
• Angelwax Enigma AIO- More expensive but removes medium to heavy scratches and marks.
• Autoglym Scratch Removal Complete Kit - Also more pricey but full kit provides everything you need to deal with marks quickly and leave with a shiny finish.

How do I repair a deeper scratch?
If the scratch is too much for a DIY job it might be time to take your car to the garage and let the professionals deal with it.

With service centres in three locations, our Pye bodyshop technicians are always close by to banish all bumps and blemishes.
You can be assured that whatever the damage we’ll return your car looking as good as new!

Contact us today to book your car in for some TLC.