I can’t tell you how many times someone has pulled into our shop at Cloot’s Auto Body, pointed at their car, and said, “It’s not that bad, right? I can probably just buff it out myself.”
Sometimes they’re right. Sometimes… not so much.
Nobody wants to deal with body shop visits if they don’t have to, and there’s plenty of advice out there about DIY scratch repair. Some of it’s actually pretty solid. But here’s the thing: not all scratches are created equal, and trying to fix the wrong kind yourself can actually make things worse and more expensive.
So let me walk you through when you can handle it yourself, and when you really need to bring it to us.
The Fingernail Test
Before you do anything else, run your fingernail gently across the scratch. This is actually how we do a quick assessment.
If your nail glides smoothly over it and doesn’t catch, that’s usually just a surface scratch in the clear coat. Good news: this is the kind you can probably handle at home with some rubbing compound or a scratch remover kit from the auto parts store.
If your nail catches in the groove, that means the scratch went deeper, likely through the clear coat and into the paint layer, maybe even down to the primer or metal. This is where DIY gets risky.
When You Can Handle It Yourself
So you’ve got a surface-level scratch that didn’t catch your fingernail. Here’s when I’d say you can try fixing it yourself:
It’s small and shallow. We’re talking about light scratches, maybe from a shopping cart that grazed your door or some minor scuffing in a tight parking spot. If it’s barely visible unless the light hits it just right, you’re probably fine to try a scratch remover.
You can’t see any other color. If you’re just seeing your car’s paint color and nothing else peeking through (no white primer, no gray metal, no other car’s paint), that’s a good sign it’s superficial.
It’s not near any edges or curves. Flat panels are much more forgiving if you’re doing it yourself. Curved surfaces or areas near body lines are easy to make look uneven.
You have the patience for it. If you’re the type who reads instructions and takes your time, DIY might work. If you’re thinking about rushing through it, you should probably call us instead.
When You Need to Bring It In
Some damage just looks like a simple scratch until you actually start trying to fix it. Here’s when you should skip the DIY and bring it to us:
The scratch is deep. If you can see primer (that grayish or reddish color under your paint) or bare metal, this needs proper repair. Leaving metal exposed means rust is coming, and rust is far more expensive to fix than a scratch.
You see multiple colors. Did someone sideswipe you and leave their paint on your car? Or can you see layers of different colors in the scratch? That’s telling you it went through multiple layers, and you’re going to need more than a buffer.
It’s long or in a highly visible spot. Even if it’s technically a shallow scratch, if it runs across your whole door or it’s right there on your hood where you see it every day, you want it done right. We can blend the repair so it’s invisible. A DIY job on something that size will likely still be noticeable.
There’s a dent with the scratch. If the scratch came with an impact that left even a small dent, you’re looking at body work, not just paint work. Buffing won’t fix the shape of the metal.
The scratch is near or through a body line. Those character lines and curves on your car aren’t just for looks. They’re quite tricky to work on. One wrong move with a buffer and you’ll have a flat spot or uneven surface that’s very obvious.
It happened in a collision, even a minor one. Sometimes what looks like “just a scratch” is actually hiding more damage underneath. We’ve had people come in for scratch repair and discover frame damage, broken clips, or misaligned panels that weren’t visible on the surface.
The “I Made It Worse” Scenario
Here’s something we see regularly: someone tries to fix a scratch themselves, and then they call us because now they’ve got a bigger problem.
Maybe they used too much pressure with the buffer and burned through the clear coat. Maybe they used the wrong product and now there’s a cloudy haze. Maybe they tried to touch it up with paint, and it doesn’t match, looking worse than the original scratch.
These things happen, and they’re frustrating. If you’re not sure, it’s always better to ask. We offer free estimates. Bring it by, let me take a look, and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s something you can handle or if we should take care of it.
What We Actually Do Differently
When you bring a scratch to us, we’re not just buffing it out and hoping for the best. We’re assessing the whole situation.
First, we determine how deep it really goes. Then we figure out what it’s going to take to fix it properly. Sometimes that’s wet sanding and polishing. Sometimes it’s filling, priming, and repainting. Sometimes it’s a combination.
And here’s the important part: we match your paint. Not “close enough.” Actual match. We use computerized color matching to get it exact, and then we blend it so there’s no visible line where the new paint meets the old paint.
That’s not something you can do in your driveway, and it’s not something every shop does well, either.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve got a light surface scratch and you’re comfortable working on it, you can try it yourself. Worst case, it doesn’t work out, and you bring it to us.
But if there’s any doubt, if it looks deeper than surface level, if you’re not sure what you’re looking at, just bring it by. It takes me a couple of minutes to look at it and tell you what you’re dealing with. And if it turns out you can handle it yourself, I’ll tell you that too.
We’re not here to sell you services you don’t need. We’re here to fix your car the right way so you’re satisfied with how it looks. Whether that means giving you some guidance for a DIY job or taking care of it ourselves, we want you driving around in something that looks good.
Got a scratch you’re not sure about? Stop by Cloot’s Auto Body at 825 N Rd in Westfield, or give us a call. We’ll take a look and give you an honest assessment of what it needs.
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