Used Cars

Getting your used car ready for sale: Scratches

First things first: if a scratch is serious, or if you're not confident about being able to do a good job fixing it - it's probably better to take your car to a garage.

Having said that, it's amazing what you can fix by yourself with a touch of ingenuity, a few different products and a little bit of graft. Of course, if you're selling a used car without major scratches and dents you'll get a better price. And by doing it yourself and avoiding garage costs you're saving money!

Sorting scratches:

Whether through a car park mishap or being keyed by a drunken vandal, scratches can be infuriating.

However, it's important to check that your scratch really is a scratch. You can usually tell just by rubbing your fingernail along the line to see if it's impressed into the paintwork. If not, you can probably remove it with solvents or polish.

Assuming it is a scratch, check how deep it's gone. If you can see metal beneath the paint, then it's probably through the primer. This will require a more thorough job than the one outlined below, and it might be time to call in the professionals!

However, light to normal scratches can be fixed in the following way:

- Wash the scratched area thoroughly to remove any grime or dirt which may worsen the scratch or make it hard for you to see what needs repaired.

- Get a light sander (around 2-3000 grit). Now, in an effort to avoid sanding down to the primer, you need to apply a small amount of shoe polish into the scratch. Make sure the polish contrasts enough with your car colour so that you can see it easily.

- Slowly and carefully work the sander along the scratch. You should keep the sander and block damp with cold water and washing up liquid.

- As soon as the shoe polish has disappeared, stop sanding. Dry the area and check the scratch again.

- Apply buffer to the area with a towel, rubbing in a circular motion.

- This should get rid of the tiny sandpaper scratches. You can then remove the excess with a cloth and a little water. Now apply a foam polish or specialist mark eliminator using a polishing pad. It's worth using a drill head buffer, or even a special polish/buffing machine if you have one.

- Seal the area with appropriate car wax.

Next time we'll look in more detail at getting rid of dents and dings – the bane of many a motorist's life! As always, if you're thinking “sell used car” get in touch with us and we can help you sell quickly, easily and for a great price.