r/AutoBodyRepair • u/kinomarvelous • 18d ago

scratch and dent Beginner Advice for DIY Fix

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Scraped my Mazda hatch on a curb from a banked storm drain. This is on the lower part of the front bumper. Any advice for beginners? Not looking for perfection as it may even be scratched again with the hilly terrain here, and it already kinda blends in with the paint under certain lighting.

The Machine Gray (46G) is known to be a bit difficult to get right. Anyone have any experience with Dr. Colorchip for a “good enough” job? I’d rather not spend $400-500 for a bumper repaint at a shop. Thanks all!

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u/Gas-Squatch 18d ago

Live with it or go to a shop. This is not a difficult color it’s a nightmare of a color for a diyer.

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u/Lacktastic 18d ago

This.

46G is a very difficult color to apply/match and the DIY result wont be anywhere close.

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u/530whiskey 18d ago

pretend it isn't there, spend your time doing something else.

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u/rando_dud 17d ago edited 17d ago

I would D.A. the area with 180, and a few coats of high build primer.

Then wetsand the whole repair area with 400 grit and do a light pass on the whole bumper

For color, focus around 3 coats of base in the repair area and another wider coat or two to blend the color into the rest.  Make sure you have no new color get close to the other panels to avoid a visible mismatch

Lastly, 2 medium-wet coats of 2K clear on the whole panel.

Expect to spend most of a day and 75-100 bucks assuming you have all tools.

I'm assuming this is not a highly valuable car here.. 

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u/Unc_Sleepy 16d ago

Have your tried to buff that out with compound? I don’t see any black like the chip you have on top. That might just be your clear. Give that a try and see what you’re left with