Keyed WTF!

This morning I found a 6-7" vertical scratch on leftside passenger door. I was able to park close to a rightside curb and left lots of space between cars. I was gone maybe 10 minutes for my cup o' joe. When I returned the car to my left was gone. I'm not sure if it was keyed but there is a nice scratch. I've run my fingernail across it and it does seem deep. There is no obvious starting point like someone pressed hard to get it started.

I've done some searching and it seems like I'll need to take it to a pro. Are there any DIY options that I can try first. OCDetails to the rescue? I don't want my insurance to go up but if I'm going to have this car for another 7 years I might just have to bite the bullet. Any East Bay recommendations for Body shops or paint repair? I'm in Fremont and work in Hayward.

BTW, If I do have the door repaired. Can they match the orange peel?

This morning I found a 6-7" vertical scratch on leftside passenger door. I was able to park close to a rightside curb and left lots of space between cars. I was gone maybe 10 minutes for my cup o' joe. When I returned the car to my left was gone. I'm not sure if it was keyed but there is a nice scratch. I've run my fingernail across it and it does seem deep. There is no obvious starting point like someone pressed hard to get it started.

I've done some searching and it seems like I'll need to take it to a pro. Are there any DIY options that I can try first. OCDetails to the rescue? I don't want my insurance to go up but if I'm going to have this car for another 7 years I might just have to bite the bullet. Any East Bay recommendations for Body shops or paint repair? I'm in Fremont and work in Hayward.

BTW, If I do have the door repaired. Can they match the orange peel?

Actually, the body shop I went to did a pretty darn good job of matching the orange peel when I had my bumper repainted. No kidding, they care about stuff like that.

Well, if you are confident in your touch up skills then you could get some matched paint from www.paintscratch.com and then get a Langka kit from our sponsor www.premiumautocare.com and that should give you what you need to fix it. Long scratches like that are actually easier to touch up than many other types of damage. This guide should help explain how Langka works. I would suggest practicing on something else first before going at it with your car. There is a little bit of a learning curve with this product, but it's not that difficult to learn.

 

I wouldn't worry about your insurance either. I seriously doubt that the damage equals your deductible. You are looking at maybe 2 or 3 hundred bucks at the very most. Probably not even that. Take it to a body shop and get an estimate. It might not be bad at all.

OCD,

Thanks for the advice. The directions seem simple enough but I don't think I have the skills to attempt it. I was hoping for some "As seen on TV" magical potion that really worked. I suppose I could put a big fat sticker over it. How about flames? or wood panel? Maybe I'll try it in a few years when it's not so new. I'll get it looked at and decide from there.

Thanks again

Hey, I feel your pain. My last car (Audi TT) was keyed - TWICE - over the span of a month or two. Just parking it on the street outside my gf's place. Just to show, there's some envious sick bastiches out there

 

The car was keyed the entire length of the driver's side door, and pretty deep. Not that it says much since I didn't take it to a body shop, but when I returned the car (it was a lease) the fee for the door damage was $175. I'm assuming that's what they estimate it'll cost to fix.

 

So hopefully it won't be too expensive. My $0.02

Dealerships usually have hook ups with paint shops and detail shops to fix damage on lease returns and trade ins. Some of them are mobile and show up weekly. I have a friend who is a detailer for the local Porsche dealership and they have a guy come in once a week to do dent removal and touch up work. Another guy comes in monthly for wheel repair. $175 is quite possibly what their mobile guy or onsite guy charges. I know it is probably what I would charge for a full door length scratch

cool, feeling better already

Look in the automotive section of the phonebook for an airbrush paint repair specialist (around here they are called aerocolors). They can fill in scratches and blemishes so you don't have to get the whole door repainted. It is well worth the trouble if you can keep your factory paint intact.

 

Craig