Removing minor scratches on the body
17. If the scratch is superficial and does not reach the metal of the body, the repair is very simple. Lightly rub the area of the scratch with a refinisher or a very fine abrasive paste to remove the flaking paint from the scratch and clean the surrounding area of the body from the mastic. Rinse the repair area with clean water.
18. Apply a non-scratch car enamel with a small brush. Continue applying thin layers of enamel until the surface of the enamel in the scratch is the same height as the surrounding paintwork. Allow the new enamel to cure at least two weeks, and then make a smooth transition with the surrounding paintwork by rubbing the paintwork in the area of the scratch with a refinishing agent or a very fine abrasive paste. Finally, apply polishing mastic.
19. In places where the scratch has reached the metal of the body, causing it to corrode, a frost repair technique is required. With a penknife, remove any flaking rust from «bottom» scratches and apply anti-corrosion paint to prevent future rust. Using a rubber or nylon spatula, fill the scratch with an appropriate putty such as «bodystoppar». If necessary, this putty can be mixed with a thinner for nitro enamels, obtaining a very thin paste, which is ideal for filling narrow scratches. Before the putty in the scratch hardens, wrap a piece of smooth cotton rag around your finger, dip your finger into the nitro thinner and quickly run it over the surface of the putty in the scratch. This will create a slight indentation on the surface of the putty. Now the scratch area can be painted as described above in this paragraph.