What is a bare metal scratch across a panel?
Bright shiny metal in the line means every layer is gone: clear coat, colour and primer. Nothing is protecting the metal along that line.
What kind of repair does it need?
Painting the panel, with the bare metal cleaned, etch primed and primed first. On steel, rust can start soon and spread under the paint around it. On aluminium there is less hurry, but it still needs sealing.
Like a panel refinish, with one extra step. The bare metal is cleaned, etch primed and primed before any colour goes on.
What to do next
Get two quotes. Ask if the price includes blending into the next panel. On steel, seal the line now, while you wait for quotes. A cheap touch-up pen today is worth doing. Tell them if your paint is metallic or pearl, or the panel is aluminium.
Sources
- PPG GBpaint maker
treat the surface with the correct metal treatment fluids and etch primer…
- Axaltapaint maker
phosphoric acid wash primer (etch-…
- Repairer Driven Newstrade media
Bare aluminum exposed to moisture and oxygen forms a hard protective coating…
- Chemical Guysproduct seller
If you catch the scratch with your fingernail, it likely extends into the paint layer.
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