While parked by a store my MINI was scratched by what I suspect was a door of a car parked next to me - the usual careless scratch and run!!! Those of you new mini owners - beware!!!

A scratch is just a little tiny thing - but I would like to get it taken care of - so does anyone know if dealers will give you a little spray can of paint. The colors of the MINs are not common, although mine is silver - but it does not match exactly other silver cars. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

And - does everyone have aproblem with the MINI being parked outside in a public placa and 5 people at a time come up to it and point their fingers, leave paw and nose prints and - pehaps - scratch marks? Although flattering, this attantion is getting to me - how can people be so rude? I am now thinking about one of those alarms that say - "step away from the car!" (usually found installed on Ferraries) I have always found them very obnoxius, but... :evil:

 

I had a new car once that was dinged by a friend. I took it to the dealer and they only charged me like $30 to do a touch-up on a couple of scratches I'd accumulated. I'd take it to the MINI dealer and ask them - a small scratch can usually be touched up pretty easily - it's not going to take a repainting or anything crazy. Or at least it shouldn't - if it does, let me know so I can plan for the alarm now! Good luck!

 

I don't know where to get Touch-Up paint but it must be available somewhere. But I can definitely relate to high
anxiety whenever I park my Mini and come back a short while later to find it surrounded by a persistent touchy/feely group of people. Last week on my way to work, I was followed closely by a Dodge van for ten miles.
When I pulled into the company parking lot, the van pulled behind me blocking my ability to exit just so that he could ask me a hundred questions and to tell me about other Minis he had seen.
How Rude, Indeed!!

 

At first I thought that people asking questions and gazing at my Mini was cool and made me feel lucky to have one so early, but lately I have been getting quite annoyed. I was at a fast food place last week and a mother and son parked next to my Mini and began walking around it and putting thir hands all over the glass. I used the keyless entry to quickly unlock and lock the doors from the restraunt. This got their attention and the quickly left and came inside. Once I was done eating, I went outside and began looking in the windows of their Toyota Camry and acted amazed at the sight of it. I looked back inside the restraunt to find the lady who just pawed my car, staring out at me wondering what I was doing to her car.

I guess people don't realize how annoying it can be to have others hovering over their cars until it happens to them.

 

Just a word of "marketing" caution - touch up paint through the dealers can be a bit dodgy and while easy to get they are sometimes not very well made.

Sometimes they are old and diluted - your best bet is to find someone locally who can provide you with actual paint from the correct paint code, like http://www.paintscratch.com, and paint that is made fresh and from PPG or Dupont.

In the Miata community it is an issue as none of the dealer youch-up paint ever looked good or even matched. Many people have raved about companies that made fresh touch-up paint to order.

Also, try using a scratch remover buffer if the scratch is not that deep, etc.

Keep us posted!

-peter/rspeed
http://www.rspeed.net/mini/

 

....is it a deep scratch or just a bump? If its a bump you could try cleaner wax or a light compound. Mothers cleaner wax has been a blessing in the past for me. Sorry to hear about the nik though I know id have a fit if it were my Mini (well...future Mini)

 

Sorry to here about your scratch.
You may also want to look into 3M Scratch remover. It is some of the best I've seen. If the nick is deep then I'm sorry to say that your best bet is touch up paint. I agree with the statement earlier about going with a paint specialist for the touch up paint. You will likely get a better quality paint through them.
One question.... Did the hit also leave a dent?

SW

 

Thansk to all the advice!! I was out of town, so couldn't answer right away. The scratch is about 1/2 intch long and about 1 millimeter wide, so you can see the undercoat. No dent. I think the person parked next to me was opening their door and the sharp tip of the door did it. It is not possible to buff out, so hopefully the dealer will have something to suggest.

NOW I PARK MY MINI SLIGHTLY SIDEWAYS, or in a really safe spot, if I can find one.

 

I know it sounds impossible. But let's remember the 'book of motoring'. All will be o.k.

 

I hope you find the paint. I mixed my own and it works fine. I scratched the edge of the door, my fault. Take look at page 14 in the Members Minis< I put bumper strips on the side of my car. Got them at PEP_BOYS, they're for Ford trucks.