Contents: Plastic parts (front and rear…⇓ Steel parts ⇓
Plastic parts (front and rear bumpers)
The restoration procedure described below applies only to minor damage and chips on plastic parts. In case of serious damage to such parts, you either have to entrust their repair to a specialist in this field, or replace the parts. Service stations typically do not undertake repairs of such damage due to the high cost of equipment and materials required to perform such repairs. Below is a list of materials needed to perform minor repairs. Most of them can be purchased at a parts store.
- Wax cleaner, grease cleaner and silicone cleaner
- Adhesive bandage
- Grinding discs
- Spectral core with sanding wheel attachment or sander
- Hand grinding device
- Rubber spatulas
- Sandpaper
- Container for mixing putty
- Wooden spatula
- Round file
- Plastic parts restoration kit (consisting of glue and fiberglass)
1. If necessary, remove the damaged part. In most cases this is not required.
2. Remove the protective coating from the damaged area using an appropriate cleaner.
3. If the part has a through damage, thoroughly clean the back surface of the part. Dry the damaged area.
4.. Sand the back surface of the part with sandpaper for 3-4 cm around the damaged area.
5. Cut two pieces of fiberglass to the size of the cleaned area.
6. Mix the adhesive components according to the manufacturer's instructions, then apply a layer of adhesive approximately 3 mm thick to the back surface of the part.
7. Glue one of the pieces of fiberglass, then apply another layer of glue to it. Place the second piece of fiberglass on top and immediately apply glue to it.
8. Allow the glue to dry (usually 20-30 minutes at 20-25°C).
9. Trim off any excess fiberglass if necessary.
10. Remove paint around the damaged area. Keep in mind that the filler should not be applied over paint.
11. Using a drill with a grinding wheel, make a recess about a centimeter wide along the crack. Remove dust and all debris from the damaged area.
12. Mix and apply the putty. First, apply the putty directly to the damaged area. Then apply the putty in layers so that its level becomes much higher than the level of the part.
13. Allow the putty to dry (usually this takes 20-30 minutes at an air temperature of 20-25°C).
14. File the putty. If you find areas on the filled area that are below the level of the part, apply a little more filler.
15. Using sandpaper with a wooden block wrapped in it, smooth out the filler so that it is flush with the part.
16. Temporarily apply primer to the repaired area. Since plastic parts are painted with special paint, it is better to entrust this work to a specialist.
Steel parts
Repair of minor car body scratches
17. If only the paintwork is scratched and the metal is not affected, it is very easy to remove the scratch. Lightly rub the scratch area with paint restorer or very fine sanding compound, covering the area around the scratch. Rinse the treated area with clean water.
18. Apply a thin layer of liquid paint to the scratch with a soft brush and repeat this operation several times until the surface of the paint coating is leveled. Let the new paint dry for at least two weeks, then polish the area with polishing compound, then apply a protective wax coating.
19. If the scratch reaches the metal of the car body, it may cause metal corrosion. Remove rust from the metal with a pocket knife, then apply an anti-corrosion coating to prevent future corrosion. Using a rubber or nylon spatula, fill the scratch with spackling paste. If necessary, the paste can be diluted with solvent, which makes it possible to fill narrow scratches. Before the filler paste hardens, wrap your finger in a cotton cloth, wet it with solvent, then quickly run it across the scratch. In this case, the surface of the putty paste will be slightly pressed down. Next, the scratch can be painted over as described above.
Car body dent repair
20. When there are deep dents in a car body, the first task is to pull out the dent until the damaged surface reaches its original shape. Since complete straightening of the dent is unlikely, it is advisable to straighten the dent to a level that is approximately 3 mm below the level of the undamaged part of the part. If the dent is small, you shouldn't try to pull it out at all.
21. If the dent can be accessed from the inside, it can be carefully pushed out using a hammer with a wooden or plastic head. During the straightening process, it is necessary to press a suitable wooden block against the part from the outside to absorb the impact of the hammer blows, and thus prevent the metal from bulging outward.
22. If the dent is located in a part of the body that has a double layer of metal or if access from the inside is impossible for some other reason, various techniques are used. For example, like this: Drill several small-diameter holes in the damaged area, especially in the deepest spots. After this, screw long self-tapping screws into the holes so that they hold firmly in the metal. Straighten the dent by pulling out the screws with pliers.
23. The next stage of restoration is to remove paint from and around the damaged area, about an inch. This can be done using a wire brush inserted into a drill, or by hand with sandpaper. To complete the preparation for filling, use a screwdriver to make grooves in the metal surface or drill small holes in the damaged area. This will ensure good adhesion of the putty paste to the metal.
For final repair operations, see. in the "Putty and painting" section.
Repair of corrosion holes or deep damage to the body
24. Remove all paint from the surface being restored within 1/4 inch of the area using a wire brush inserted into a drill. If you don't have such tools, you can do it manually using sandpaper.
25. After removing the paint, it is necessary to assess the severity of the corrosion and decide whether to replace the entire part (if possible) or restore the damaged area. New body parts are not as expensive as most car owners think, and replacing parts is often a quicker and easier solution than trying to repair a large area of rust.
26. Remove all trim installed in the damaged area except those that will be needed to form the original surface. Then yj;ybwfvb for metal or with a hacksaw blade, cut off all metal that is heavily damaged by corrosion. Bend the edges of the hole inward with a hammer to create support when filling with spackle.
27. Using a wire brush, remove loose rust from the remaining metal. Apply rust converter to the damaged area; if the inside of the rusty area is accessible, treat that as well.
28. Before filling the damaged area with putty, it is necessary to cover the hole in some way. This can be done using aluminum or plastic mesh, or aluminum foil. For larger holes, it is best to use aluminum or plastic mesh or fiberglass.
29. After the hole is closed, the area to be repaired must be filled and painted. These operations are described in the section "Puttying and painting".
Puttying and painting
30. There are many types of putty pastes, however, polymerizing ones are considered the best (two-component) compositions that are sold in kits containing a jar of paste and a tube of hardener. You will also need a wide, flexible plastic or nylon spatula with smooth, well-processed edges for the final finishing of the putty surface.
Prepare a small amount of putty on a clean piece of cardboard or plywood, carefully following the proportions of paste and hardener in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, otherwise the putty will harden too quickly or will not harden at all.
31. Using a spatula, apply the putty to the area to be repaired and level it to obtain the required surface. When the contour of the putty surface is close to the required one, take a break from working, otherwise the putty will begin to stick to the spatula. Continue adding thin layers of filler every twenty minutes until the filler level is slightly higher than the surrounding metal.
32. After the putty has hardened, its excess can be removed using a sharp metal plate or file. Further sanding is performed using progressively finer sandpaper, starting with grade 100 paper and finishing with waterproof grade 600 paper. Always wrap the sandpaper around a piece of flat rubber, cork, or a wooden block—otherwise, the filler surface will not be smooth. During the process of smoothing the putty surface, the sandpaper should be periodically moistened with water.
33. The operation is completed when a ring of pure metal is formed around the 'dent', which, in turn, is surrounded by good paint. Rinse the area to be repaired with clean water to remove all sanding residue.
34. Spray a thin layer of primer onto the area to be repaired - it will reveal all the places where the putty surface has defects. Remove these defects with freshly prepared putty and sand again with sandpaper. Repeat this procedure until you are satisfied with the quality of the repaired surface. Rinse the surface with water and let it dry completely.
35. Now the area being restored is ready for the final step – painting. Spraying should be done in a warm, dry, windless, but ventilated area. These conditions can be created artificially if you have a large enclosed space, but if you are forced to work outdoors, you will have to choose your day of work very carefully. If you are working indoors, wet the floor in the area where you are painting. This will help the dust in the atmosphere to settle. If you are only going to paint one part of the body, cover the other parts; this will help reduce the contrast from slight differences in paint colors. Body linings (chrome strips, door handles, etc.) should also be closed. To do this, use duct tape and newspapers folded in several layers.
36. Before you start painting, shake the aerosol can thoroughly and try painting something away from the car until you get the hang of it. Cover the area to be repaired with a thick layer of primer; however, the thickness should be created by using multiple thin layers rather than one thick one. Using 600-grit waterproof sandpaper, sand down any imperfections in the primer. When performing this operation, the work area should be well moistened with water, and the sandpaper should be rinsed periodically. Allow the primer to dry before applying paint.
37. Apply a thin layer of paint with a paint stripper, starting from the center of the surface to be painted, then smoothly moving the stream from one edge to the other so as to capture approximately 50 mm of the surface with old paint. After some time, apply the next layer. Create the required paint layer thickness by applying thin layers multiple times. Open the covered parts of the body approximately 10-15 minutes after applying the last layer.
Let the new paint dry for at least two weeks, then smooth the painted area with sanding compound. After this, apply a protective wax coating.