Repair of minor body damage (Mazda Capella GE)

Repair of minor scratches

If the scratch is superficial and does not affect the body metal, repair is very simple. Lightly buff the scratched surface with a fine polishing compound to remove loose paint and wax. Rinse the surface with clean water.

Apply touch-up paint to the scratch using a small brush. Continue applying thin layers of paint until the paint completely fills the scratch. Allow the new paint to dry for at least two weeks, then blend it with the surrounding paint by buffing the painted area with a fine polishing compound. Finally, apply a top coat of wax to the scratched surface.

If the scratch has penetrated the paint and damaged the metal body, causing rust, a different repair procedure must be used. Remove rust from the base of the scratch with a pocket knife, then apply rust-preventive paint to prevent future rust. Using a rubber or nylon applicator, coat the scratched area with glaze (glaze is a translucent layer of paint). Before the glaze hardens in the scratch, place a piece of smooth cotton cloth around your fingertip. Dip the cloth into the thinner and then quickly run it around the scratch surface. This will help you ensure that the surface of the glaze is slightly sunken. Now you can paint over the scratch as described earlier in this section.

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Note: If necessary, the glaze can be mixed with thinner to create a very thin putty, ideal for filling narrow scratches.

Dent repair

When performing dent repair, the first thing to do is to straighten the dent so that the damaged area is as close to its original shape as possible. There is no point in trying to completely restore the original shape, since the metal in the damaged area is stretched and cannot be restored to its original contour. It is better to level the dent so that its level is approximately 3 mm below the level of the surrounding metal.

If the dent is very small, there is no point in straightening it out at all.

Caution: Hold a wooden block firmly against the back of the metal to absorb the hammer blows and prevent stretching of the metal.

If the dent is in a part of the body that has a double layer, or something else makes access from the inside impossible, a different procedure must be used. Drill several small holes into the metal inside the damaged surface, especially in the deepest parts. Drive long, self-tapping screws into the holes until they engage firmly with the metal. Now you can straighten out the dent by pulling on the protruding screw heads with pliers.

The next step in the repair is removing paint from the damaged surface and the surrounding metal by approximately 2.5 cm. This is done with a wire brush or a sanding disc attached to a drill, but it can be done just as effectively by hand using sandpaper. To complete the preparation for puttying, clean the surface of the exposed metal with a screwdriver or file, or drill small holes in the damaged area. This will ensure good adhesion between the metal and the glaze. To complete the repair, see Filling and painting.

Repairing holes from rust or cracks

Remove all paint from the damaged surface and surrounding metal within a radius of approximately 2.5 cm using sandpaper or a wire brush attached to a drill. If these are not available, this job can be done by hand using a few sheets of sandpaper.

By removing the paint, you can determine the extent of the corrosion and decide whether to replace the entire panel or, if possible, repair the damaged surface. New body panels are not as expensive as many people think, and it is often much faster to install a new panel than to repair a large area damaged by rust.

Remove all decorative trim pieces from the damaged area except those that act as a guide to the original shape of the damaged car body, such as the headlight housing, etc. Using metal shears or a hacksaw blade, remove all damaged metal, as well as any other metal that shows signs of rust. Use a hammer to bend the edges of the hole inward to create a small indentation for the filling material.

Use a wire brush to scrub the damaged area to remove powdery rust from the metal surface. If the back of the rusty surface is accessible, coat it with anti-corrosion paint.

Before final sealing, seal the hole in some way. This can be done by using sheet metal riveted or screwed into the hole, or by installing wire mesh in the hole.

Once the hole is sealed, the damaged area can be filled and painted over.

Filling and painting

There are a lot of body repair fillers available these days, but frankly, a body repair kit that comes with a filler paste and a tube of polymer hardener is best for repair work. You will need a wide, flexible plastic or nylon applicator to smooth out the surface of the filler. Mix a small amount of the putty mixture on a clean piece of wood or cardboard (using hardener sparingly). Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging, otherwise the putty will not cure properly.



Using the applicator, apply the filler paste to the prepared surface. Run the applicator over the surface of the filler to achieve the desired contour and even out the surface of the filler. Once the initial level and outline are achieved, stop working with the paste. If you continue, the paste will stick to the applicator. Continue applying thin layers of paste at 20-minute intervals until the filler level is exactly level with the surrounding metal.

Once the putty has hardened, any excess can be removed with a file. Next, use sandpaper, gradually increasing its grit, starting with 180-grit paper and finishing with 600-grit waterproof paper. Always wrap the sandpaper around a rubber or wooden block, otherwise the filler surface will not be completely flat. When sanding the putty surface, waterproof sandpaper with a grain size of 600 units must be periodically moistened with water. This will help to achieve a very smooth surface.

The repair area should now be surrounded by a ring of bare metal, which in turn should be surrounded by good, undamaged paint. Rinse the repair area with water until all sanding dust is removed.

Apply a thin layer of primer to the entire cleaned surface. This will help to detect all defects on the surface of the putty. Correct any defects found with fresh putty or varnish and sand the surface again. Repeat the primer and filler application process until you are satisfied with the quality of the filler surface and paint edge. Rinse the surface with clean water and let it dry completely.



Now the repair area is ready for painting. Spray painting should be carried out in warm, dry, windless weather, when there is no dust in the air. These conditions can be achieved if you have access to a large production facility. However, if you have to work outdoors, you need to choose the day for painting very carefully. If you are working indoors, spray the floor with water. This will help you to pin down dust that might otherwise become airborne. If the repair area is on one body panel, cover all surrounding panels. This will help you minimize minor paint color mismatches. Decorative trim pieces such as chrome trim, door handles, etc. will also need to be masked or removed. To mask, use masking tape and several layers of paper.

Shake the paint thoroughly before spraying, then practice spraying it to learn how to do it correctly. Apply a thick layer of primer to the surface to be repaired. It is better to apply several thin layers than one thick one. Using 600 grit sandpaper, sand the primer surface until it is very smooth. During this operation, the surface to be treated must be thoroughly wetted with water. Sandpaper also needs to be dipped in water periodically. Allow the primer to dry before applying additional coats.

Spray paint onto the top layer, increasing its thickness by applying several coats. Start spraying paint from the center of the area being repaired and then, using circular motions, spray the entire repair area and approximately 5 cm of surrounding paint. Remove all masking material 10-15 minutes after applying the last coat of paint. Allow the new paint to dry for at least two weeks, then use a very fine sanding compound to blend the new paint into the original paint. To finish, apply a layer of wax.