Neighbours animals damaged paintwork - how to fix?

bastardsquad, Jan 26, 7:33am
While I was visiting my brother Friday, neighbours were away for the weekend and had left their chickens out to roam. Went outside to get something from the car and they rushed over, one trying several times to jump on the bonnet before I shooed them away. Long story short, lots of scratches, deep looking in paint on bonnet on what was otherwise a near pristine gloss black finish.
What can I try to do to remove them before engaging a panelbeater to remedy? I'm thinking clay bar followed by cut/polish with my home buffer followed by wax. If this doesn't do it, panelbeater polish or repaint will be needed . Any other thoughts for a home fix?
woki, Jan 26, 7:56am
The scratches will be only polish deep . Take it to a panel beater and ask them to repolish your car !
kazbanz, Jan 26, 8:00am
pretty much exactly what I would do but maybe I'd wash the car first.
On second thoughts. Don't wax until you are sure the scratches are gone.
If some are too deep to polish out you might find that its worth doing a 1500 grit wet sand then cut. At that point you can't make the scratches worse and you might cut them out
bastardsquad, Jan 26, 8:38am
Im sure the scratches are more than through the polish, they are deep enough that you can feel them easily with your fingernail and look white/grey against the black paint. Chickens have mean claws on them ! Thx for the advice, no polish until scratches completely gone, assume wax will just fill the scratch in and look white?If it comes to wet sand then cut and machine polish I might just get them to pay for panelbeater without trying to DIY - it's over quite a reasonable area includes bonnet, front panel AND bumper.
stevexc, Jan 26, 9:34am
If you can easily feel them then there is no way they'll polish out.

Might be time to call your insurance company. Hopefully they'll recover the costs from the person responsible for the animals.
brapbrap8, Jan 26, 9:37am
Get a black vivid and colour them in.
kazbanz, Jan 26, 10:00am
incidently--how was that chicken dinner?
bastardsquad, Jan 26, 11:03am
Strangely enough, I'm off chicken right now but a little target practice might be therapeutic. 2 hours of clay bar , cut/polish then buff (no wax yet)has removed most of the scratches. I'm left with a few smaller but deeper ones spread over about a 2 foot area now. Looks more like wear and tear now though after cleaning it up .Will have a think about whether it's worth pursuing or let it go and maybe have a second go at it next week if I don't like the look of it.
kazbanz, Jan 26, 11:17am
If it was me I would have a go with 1500 grit paper used very wet then 2000 then 3000. Then another buff
The way I see it if it needs painting then you aren't making matters any worse.-so it won't cost more to fix after your handywork.
ceebee2, Jan 26, 1:37pm
One of Repco's "magic" pens might do it.
kazbanz, Jan 26, 1:43pm
Either you are being funny or---NO it wont help at all
lookoutas, Jan 26, 5:54pm
Does it sound like these people are prepared to take responsibility?

If so, tell them you will try to polish them out, but if that fails, they might have a paint bill, I've just guessed about $550 worth of painting (at Insurance rates)
andrewcg53, Jan 26, 6:21pm
Jif works well
les6, Jan 26, 7:54pm
andrewcg53 wrote:

Jif works well[/quote
to clean toilets and sinks?
andrewcg53, Jan 26, 7:56pm
It will remove scratches in paintwork also paint over spray.
bastardsquad, Jan 30, 2:53am
Like I said, the first go with several hours of effort got 80+% of the damage out. Neighbours came back from holiday , admitted liability and offered to put right (also - have you seen our chickens, cant find them, go figure).
I'd cut/polished out most of the deep scratches at this point, and they put forward apologies and a couple of boxes of (decent)beer by way of restitution. Stubborn and fussy as I am, was hard to refuse a genuine attempt at sorting it amicably. Scratches are still there to an extent , but show me a car that's driven daily that is unscratched. Swallowed pride and moved on, lesson learned.
Still browsing those shotgun listings but.
nesta129, Jan 30, 10:45pm
btw where the hell do they sell 3000 grit paper?I can't seem to find them at paint shops or the big stores (bunnings etc)
kazbanz, Jan 31, 9:28am
You can't? really?
neville48, Jul 14, 10:42pm
Pffffft. love it !. you might try some "Natural Glow" as well.