scratchedVW, halford body repair?

[myfirstvw]

I just scratched my VW against a wall.

I asked friends around and they advised me not to go to the VW garage, instead get a repair kit and do it myself.

I serached the local halford and they have a stone chip and repair system, should i go for it. or should i go for some other kit, i read one of the posts on the forum which mentioned spray painting, i asked halfords and they said that for scratches repair kits are the best bet.

also the wall kind of pushed (dented?) a 2 inch section of the body work that juts outs over the wheel.

how should i deal with that, should i try to reach from underneath (i dont know how, there is i think a rubber guard helad by rivets ?) and push it out and then do the paintwork.

the deed was done yesterday, how long before rust starts setting in?

can i post pics here to show you guys/gals the gory details.

[Incorrigible]

Welcome to PH

Post the pictures, you'll need them hosted somewhere, webshots or fotango or somesuch (unless you have you own webspace)

I would stear clear of repair kits in general, it sound to me like you need someone to give you a lesson in basic repair

In general any dented or scratched repair will require painting (spray) BTW

[myfirstvw]

i have posted the pics at the following location.

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeANmTZq5cs2zgQ

they actually look really bad, it is not that bad in reality.

in the first pic, ignore my reflection, it makes it look bad, the dent is an inch long just aboev the wheel.

what i think is, i will leave the dent in, and just paint it up, you do get small dents every now and then. and it isjust one of those.


why do you say stay away frrom repair kits and go for a spray can?

[Incorrigible]

Those scratches are below the base coat, the only way to do a decent job is to fill, prime, paint and laquer it

I guess a decent pro might be able to blow it in for a few hundred quid

[myfirstvw]

some of the scratches seem to be superficial, especially the ones on the door, can i not do them myself.

how much would a pro cost, 200 pounds ??

can you suggest a pro in the london area?

if i leave the scracthes for say 1 month and half, and get the mrepaired end of july, will rust set in and mess up the car and it would be more difficult to repair it?

[edc]

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=83963&f=127&h=0

[Incorrigible]

Dificult to see from the pictures, the scratches are definately down to the primer, if they're down to the metal it will rust

[sheepy]

My vote is for the proper repair by someone who knows what they are doing. However, in the short term, there's nothing wrong with using something like a touch-up kit just to cover the bare metal in the scratches. Just take care to ensure that the paint only goes into the scratch.

Then when you get it done properly (end of July or whatever), the body guy can strip the section right down before fill/prime/paint.

[myfirstvw]

i am going to get a few quotes from garage guys.
i was thinking of just leaving it till then (no scratch repair kits). if i leave it for 2 months without doing anything, will it harm the car in any way(rust problem)

i have heard if i take it to VW, they will say change the whole panel, is that right, or they can do a touch up job?

[edc]

VW wil probably contract the work out to a local bodyshop. They will replace the panel if it is cheaper than repairing it.

[Pigeon]

Don't leave it for 2 months untreated. It will definitely be rusty by then. Whatever your final decision, you need to get some kind of paint on it ASAP and definitely before it rains.

[myfirstvw]

i am going one holiday for a couple of weeks in a week. i will be hard pressed to get it painted this weekend.

if i store it in the garage, that should protect it from the rain. will it still rust a bit.
some one told me that even if a bit of rust sets in, it can be sanded out.

[myfirstvw]

hey edc, will VW really contract it out to a local body shop?

how much section of the paint does the body shop need to strip down, will it be the entire door and the entire section over the wheel, or something like an inch above and below the scratches?

[edc]

They will unless you take it to a large dealership - even then things like alloy repairs etc go out to local or national specialists. Ask your local VW dealer if they do in-house repairs.

Just wash the panel and wax it, it'll b fine for a few weeks like this as long as you keep it clean ish and don't damag it anymore.

[myfirstvw]

thanks edc
this is my first car, i have never waxed a car before, what wax should i use.

how many weeks can i leave like this for?

[myfirstvw]

i looked in the richmond area for body shops, and came up with this list
can some one recommend any one of these


Crown Garage
2 Townschend Road
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1XH
T: 02089401046

D L Autos
61 Maguire Drive
Richmond, Surrey TW10 7XX
T: 02085494021

Twickenham Coachworks
Holly Road
Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 4HF
T: 02088915415

Centurion Uninsured Loss Recovery Service
1 Allen Place, Church Street
Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3NJ
T: 02088915456


Feltham Coachworks Ltd
585 London Road
Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 4EJ
T: 02088471676


Hounslow Body Shop
169 Hanworth Road
Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 3TT
T: 02088140712

G & S Coachworks
183b Hanworth Road
Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 3TT
T: 02085779131


K Bhandar
Unit 6, National Works
Hounslow, Middlesex TW4 7EA
T: 02085724181


G & G Coachworks
Horton Road
Staines, Middlesex TW19 6AQ


Thorpetone Ltd
201 Pooley Green Road
Egham, Surrey TW20 8AR
T: 01784459044

D N Motors
Unit 7a, By The Way Farm
Feltham, Middlesex TW14 8RW
T: 01784246221

Paul Moss Coachworks
Bedfont Road
Feltham, Middlesex TW14 8EB
T: 02087513853

Bodycraft Of Ashford
Challenge Road
Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1AX
T: 01784246831

Dm Automobile Repairs
Unit 26, Shield Road
Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1AU
T: 01784246106

Ashford Coachworks Ltd
Ashford Road
Ashford, Middlesex TW15 1XB
T: 01784888600

Adrian Petch
77 Craigwell Avenue
Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7JR
T: 02088907168

Pond & Sharman Coachworks Ltd
Browells Lane
Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7EQ
T: 02088908222

Ss Coachworks
29 St Dunstans Road
Feltham, Middlesex TW13 4JY

[edc]

You might get a better response in the Thames Valley meets section?

[myfirstvw]

huh
what is the "Thames Valley meets section"

is there a link to it?

[Pigeon]

Down the bottom of the Gassing Station main index.

[Incorrigible]

I hope it isn't too late

DON'T WAX IT