On holloween, my MINI was pelted with an egg at high velocity. I was able to wash the remnants off that night, but the shell has left its permanant mark. The marks/scratches are about the size of 4 quarters on the rear quarter panel.

The 3M scratch removal compound didn't do the trick at all, as the scratches are too deep. What do you estimate this would set me back? Should I just take it to the dealership for this kind of work?

 

Do the scratches go through the color coat into the primer? If not, it can be repaired so it won't be noticed.

db

 

Should be a simple fix for nearly any body shop. If you take it to the dealer, they will likely have an outside body shop fix it, but you will have the MINI dealership to help out if the fix is not to your approval. Dealer will probably cost more than taking it down to a local shop.

 

Yes, the 3M SWR is awesome stuff, but is only good for swirls, hair-lines and light scratches. For more serious stuff, the only thing I can think of is Wizards Finish-Cut, or if it's truly horrid, Turbo-Cut, then Finish-Cut.

Best of luck,
Ryan

 

I really don't know much about color matching, but how is this done? Do you they obtain the paint directly from MINI? Or, is there some sort of color matching code that is available for all the body shops to use, so that they can mix the paint there?

As for the primer question, how can I tell that it went to the primer? The whole area is quite rough to the touch and the scratches are pretty kind of white-ish.

 

This happened to me to, on the first night I had my Mini. The egg shell shards cut right down to the primer. A dealer and two different body shops have told me that repainting the relevant panels is the only fix.

 

>>This happened to me to, on the first night I had my Mini. The egg shell shards cut right down to the primer. A dealer and two different body shops have told me that repainting the relevant panels is the only fix.


Not true! It depends on the severity of the scratch. I have repaired some pretty nasty scratches with this technique: http://www.autopia.ws/articles.php?articleId=27

db

 

When I still had my New Beetle I got hit by an egg... left chips in the paint on the hood. I tried chasing the kids down, but couldn't turn around in time. I would so have killed them. At least castration with an olive fork.

 

>>Not true! It depends on the severity of the scratch. I have repaired some pretty nasty scratches with this technique: http://www.autopia.ws/articles.php?articleId=27
>>

We're not talking about scratches or chips here. The impact of an egg shell creates hundreds of pinpoint punctures through the clear coat and, in my case, down to the primer.

 

On mine, the egg left a mark of concentric circles with hundreds of smaller chips surrounding the point of impact. The panel in question is the rear left behind the driver door.

What kind of money am I looking at here approximately?

 

I still maintain that if you're willing to take the time, you can repair the damage by touching each small spot, color sanding and repolishing. If you want to have the panel repainted, on average the cost is $150 to $300 per panel when no body work is required.

db

 

I'm sorry to hear another MINI has fallen victim to egging. That sucks!

Although the blemishes in the paint are always at the point of impact, it's not that the egg shell broke through the paint, it's that egg yolks are caustic and eat through clear coat and color paint and the point of impact is where the egg had the longest period of contact with the paint. That's why it's vital to wash the area thoroughly as quickly as possibly. Because the nicks are so small and so many, you cannot use touch up paint to fix them yourself... not even with Langka. Usually repainting the affected area is the only solution and depending on where it is determines how large a section they will recomend repainting and how much it will cost you. A good body shop will need to inspect the damage before giving you a cost estimate. Be wary of shops who have a single price for such damage and will give you a quote over the phone without even seeing the vehicle.

As bad as it is right now, over time the visibility of the damage will dissapate (depending too on what body color your MINI is- always appears worse on darker shades). With regular polishing/waxing, it will smooth out a bit. You may decide that this is better than the alternative of repainting (expense, time without car, rental car cost, and potential problems matching paint and orange peel effect, etc.). It's a tough decision.

 

Thanks fellas for your insights. I think the area in need of repair is small and sits between the door edge and the rear wheel trim, not a very conspicuous spot, and is not noticeable at first glance. I'll get some quotes in any event.

 

Sorry to hear your MINI was egged :evil: Anyhoo I got two quotes to repair it $400 and $700 Both shops said they have to repaint the whole door in order to fix it since the scratch went down to the primer. Hope everything works out for you and you get your MINI back to normal.

 

Before running out the door to the dealership or a body shop, give these guys a call:

http://www.aerocolours.com

and

http://www.chip-wizard.com/


Both of these reputable companies offer mobile service to repair most common paint chips, paint scratches, paint blemishes, scuffed and peeled off painted bumpers as well. They can do the job for a fraction of the cost and much less time than a typical body shop and the results are EXCELLENT.

Most scratches, paint chips and paint blemishes can be repaired to perfection in about 1 hour with the proper tools and techniques.


Cheers

_________________
'02 Cooper CVT (Absolute Keeper!)
'04 Cooper S Delivered: 10/3/2003 It's finally home!!!!!!!!!!