Any tricks to removing key scratches off car paint

n1smo_gtir, May 14, 11:23pm
Over the last couple days in Petone Wellington, some C**t/s has decided that it'd be cool to key my car. now as i don't finish till 7, i can't really see the scratches as it's dark, get home, park car into garage, next morning jump into car and back to tech. well today i left at after noon, parked up and as i walked past my car i noticed a long keying scratch. now been a student, don't have hundreds to spend to get it repainted only to have some other SOB redoing it again so is they any cheap tricks to masking it! it's past clearcoat but not upto the bare metal. any help be appreciated. cheers.
rob_man, May 14, 11:48pm
Superglue will fill the scratch and will polish up if you know what you're doing. There will always be discolouration though, fill the scratch and allow it to cure, block it back carefully with 1200 or 1500 grit paper and then polish it with cutting compound.
The results will be far from perfect but worth a try.
kazbanz, May 14, 11:53pm
Short version -there is no other FIX other than to repaint the affected panels if the damage is into the paint.
One old school dealer trick was to put a pinstripe over the scratch
Now given that you can't make it worse I'd suggest getting some 1500 grit wet and dry sandpaper. Use it wet and sand along the entire scratch.
Follow this with 2000 gritwet. Then coarse cutting compound then fine compound.
this will reduce the scratch and almost remove it
v8_mopar, May 14, 11:58pm
Hard to remove something thats not there
foxdonut, May 15, 12:43am
For a proper keying you need it sanded and painted.

You can cheat short term by giving the car a wash and filling it in with a crayon that matches the colour of the car, lay on a coat of polish or wax and they will generally be disguised.

Only lasts a week or two though. Depends a lot on the damage.
i-n-horz, May 15, 2:06am
OP if you find out let'us know.I'll rub the prick right out'a parliament.
neville48, May 15, 3:46am
Never thought John Key would stoop so low.you must have the goods on him mate, recorded his smoko break huh, hidden microphone maybe !
matthew111, May 15, 3:48am
strip the whole car down and start again.
n1smo_gtir, May 15, 5:22am
the last 3 cracks me up. Cheers all=) will try sanding back might try get duplicate colour, paint over it and cut and polish it. just very unpleasent sight and kills my day. i'm sure the culprit will appreciate me running a surgical scalpel along his main artery.
horsepower7, May 15, 5:44am
if you can pick it with your fingernail. then it wont cut out. how many pannels are scatched!