Auto Body & Paint Repair (collection)
Umbrella collection of auto-body and refinishing friction that doesn't form one buildable pain: rust repair decisions, body-shop and PPF service disputes, pro-painter shop talk, and misc bodywork questions. Specific panes split out 2026-08-25: clear-coat failure repair decisions, botched scratch/chip touch-ups; car detailing/care split to its own collection; collision-decision content folded into the repeat-repairs cluster.
SOURCES (60)
“A car cover would be the easiest and cheapest solution I think. Get a good quality one with soft microfiber internal lining.”
“Cavity wax is just a prevention method wont help at all with rust that is already visible on the body”
“What about he rear body. You know the body panel behind all the plastic that will be the cause of the leak no matter what trunk you slip on there”
I would say you do iron remover, and wheel and tire cleaner.
“My first three liquids... Meguiar's Professional D110 Detailer Hyper-Wash Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax P&S Absolute Koch Chemie Active Foam I am considering Griot's 3 in 1, Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions, and P&S Crystal Wash.”
2026 sienna black. submitted by /u/fatguywithastick [link] [comments]
“Okay, you can make it look a lot better for just a little bit of money and elbow grease. First clean the area with paint thinner and rag. It should remove the paint from the pillar. Once that’s gone, you can use white nail polish to cover up the bare metal spots. Be generous but clean. Let it dry and apply again to areas that may need it. And that’s it! It won’t look good but it’ll be better and hold off the rust for a while. The only other option is a lot money for a vehicle that you probably d”
“buff out what you can. a lot of this just looks like paint transfer. then get a paint matched touch up pen. either one with clear coat in it or get clear coat too.”
“photos album car is a bmw 330i, paint is portimao blue 1st photo = rocker panel which is made of plastic 2nd photo = on door panel 3rd photo = on the roof 4th photo = hood near the grille do they all require primer first? I am thinking of applying primer > paint > clear coat in that order submitted by /u/strike24i [link] [comments]”
“I get that on a customer car and with deadlines this is my second car so i have the time to fuck up. That being said if i practice a ton could i pull it off? What are the most common things newbies fuck up?”
What paint should do you recommend? Thanks for the reply.
“I wasn’t spraying cars until 3 years into my apprenticeship. Goodluck not fucking up an expensive pearl paintjob.”
“Yes, repaint it. If you don't care how it looks and just want to protect the metal use touch up paint”
“Everyone is freaking out about this and it’s not that bad. The color is not that bad to match. It’s a fucking fender replacement and bumper repair. Op didn’t smash the rad support and apron and rip the subframe out of it. If you all that are saying it’s not minor then what the fuck do you work on every day? This is the same damage as the Corolla in your bay now or worse. You will be ok op. They will repair the bumper and replace the fender then will blend the color into the hood and door. This i”
“My sibling took my car for a drive. Scratched it somehow. Sorry this photo was taken at night. submitted by /u/Suzakyuu [link] [comments]”
“Thats what i was thinking if i just get a junkyard hood and bumper to try multiple times on.”
“Black like gm wa8624. Once you add metallic or pearl it adds complication. The eye can see more shades of all other colors. Also “clear” has a natural tint to it as well depending on its ingredients. Some are more blue or yellow”
“With a color like that plus a tri-coat or 3stage, and no experience theres a good chance you could end up wasting a lot of cash on materials and the having to pay someone else to redo it. My suggestion would be to pony up and just have a professional do it right. If it was a beater daily driver, whole different story. Just my 2 cents.”
“I was also a career mechanic with no painting experience before I started. You’re going to need a lot of practice before you spray the actual vehicle. Grab some panels from the junkyard and learn your equipment first if you want it to come out looking great.”
“We had a Mazda 3 come into the shop in that colour with front end damage. It had been in at least four previous crashes in different places judging by the blending of the paint. Some were better than others. About the only part that had original paint was the roof.”
“This stuff is nothing short of amazing. It turned out great on my wife's 12 year old Chevrolet Malibu.”
“On most cars it would be. That color is gonna be your worst nightmare .. the painters worst nightmare”
“Sure thing! Griot's Garage Foaming Surface Prep is another high pH soap that you might be able to find locally. Regardless of which soap you use, be sure to wash the car in the shade so the panels are cool.”
“I have a 2003 Honda S2000 that is Silverstone Metallic (darker silver) and i want to repaint it this New Imola Orange Pearl. It is a tri stage or whatever paint with pearl. I have done a ton of diy jobs including a lot of car work but have never done car painting. I have some experience with painting with spray gun from when i was a welder but not much. What are the chances i completely fuck this up how hard is it to get a color like this right. Is there a chance i just mess up a few panels and”
“Best bet would be to ask your installer or email XPEL. They will know what blades work well with the film. They were testing it for over a year before releasing it.”
“Failed anti glare coating. Needs the rest of the coating polished off with plastic polish or replacing.”
“Just backed it into my porch trying to move it half asleep before the electrician arrived. Can this be touched up? Doesn't have to be perfect and don't want to spend 100s on a respray. What would be the best way to make it not super unnoticeable? submitted by /u/SmarnzSheepy [link] [comments]”
“Had something similar on my Buick. Its absolutely iron deposits. I used CarX iron remover after washing the car, and it was a joy watching all that purple drip away.”
“I was trying to re paint the bed on my truck to make it a little bit presentable. But in the process of cleaning with acetone I realised that the paint the owner before me used melts with acetone just enough to not come off easily and bubbles up. So I'm not wasting my time trying to grind it all off or clean it all off woth the acetone. Do I just take it to a shop even though I dont have shop money? It's a GMT800 btw submitted by /u/RapidRescueMobile [link] [comments]”
“These are 2004 stock ford ranger rims. I’ve pressure washed them and scrubbed them with a rim cleaner. I was hoping for some advice! submitted by /u/Hot-Age-8333 [link] [comments]”
“Did a walk around on my lexus gx today before a wash and i noticed two issues: 1. Etching on the “chrome” trim on the grille. I tried water, spray wax, iso propyl alcohol and goo gone. Nothing- any advice? 2. Looks like a rock chip on the hood broke through the ppf but it looks so ugly and mis shaped. What happened? Is my ppf bad? This is a 23 gx460, has xpel ppf since new (sept 23) submitted by /u/blackc43 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve seen the fact that it’s a three stage total out cars that would’ve otherwise been saved. Everyone love pearl white, until they gotta get it fixed.”
When is a Decon wash needed? Before decontaminating and polishing ?
“I think the only thing from CG I’d consider getting is the VRP and the maxi suds II soap because it’s cheap and I saw Dallas Paint Correction talk about it on YouTube”
“And the fact that all these 3-stage red pearls are put on cheaper cars kills me. Heck, even making there way to work trucks. I used to paint and make don’t miss those at all. Mazda got way too creative on the paint side of things. Spray outs for days on some of those colors and crucial prep…I don’t miss those.”
“Will do. In fact I should update my plastic trim post with some new photos as it's been almost a year.”
“I had the same problem Get the little tub of plastidip where you can actually dip whatever it is you need covered and you’re good to go after it dries!”
“Well that is my plan I’m just wondering can I do that? It drives great runs great it’s not all over the road it drives “solid” it’s comfortable it doesn’t shake all over the place or anything.”
“If it were me as someone who lives in the rust belt I’d send it but I wouldn’t want to put much money into it and would be saving to buy something new. Other than that passenger rocker panel the rest of the car doesn’t look bad from the pictures.”
If you polish it make sure you clean and fully degrease the plastic.
“Any recommendations for wipers? It's not in the glass. The wpf was installed the day the car was picked up from a windshield replacement.”
“I backed up into something during the summer of 2025. These are pictures of the damage on my rear bumper a year later (summer 2026). I’m worried that the middle piece pictured might fall/chip off. I asked a few of my friends who know quite a bit about cars, but the best thing they could come up with is to use epoxy to “laminate” it and prevent further damage. TLDR: What’s the best DIY solution (and a step-by-step if possible) to prevent small pieces from falling off? Thanks in advance. sub”
“Bought this Magnum from a body shop a while ago, its been fixed up & rattle canned in the past just wondering what would be my best option for slowing the rust down? submitted by /u/tytxnium77 [link] [comments]”
“Just wanted an opinion this happened after work parking was tight and we were leaving for the day I accidentally got out my car and my door hit and chipped his Mazda 2026 rental. He got the rental because he got into an accident in his original car. Should he try to fix it himself or is the rental going to charge for this. This was Toronto canada not sure if that makes a difference or not. submitted by /u/Far-Pipe1892 [link] [comments]”
“After being impressed with the results of the Cerakote Trim Restorer on my 20 year old Mazdaspeed 6 I decided to give their headlight restoration kit a shot. I'm also a fan of their Rapid Ceramic Tire Coat, so I had high hopes for this kit as well. Top photo is after just washing and drying the headlight. Middle photo is after completing the first 2 steps in the kit, which were applying the oxidation remover and then wet sanding with 2000 and then 3000 grit sandpaper. Bottom photo is after a”
“Went to a retailer recently and he said this kind of damage isn’t repairable. Just strip and repaint? What even is this from? Car is mint otherwise. Few scratches he fixed submitted by /u/hypercatalectic [link] [comments]”
“I’m looking to build my mobile detailing setup out of my 2026 Tacoma 5 ft bed. Was curious if anyone has a solid setup for this vehicle already / any recommendations setup wise. I still need to buy a water tank and generator too so any recommendations would be amazing. submitted by /u/jeffb77777 [link] [comments]”
“After a month of no washing, I cleaned my car to the best of my ability and the CarPro DarkSide always makes my tires look brand new! Next step tomorrow is protection with Polish Angel High Gloss + LUMiNUS ECLIPSE Paste wax, hopefully the combo will make the red pop! submitted by /u/Wonderful-Customer-3 [link] [comments]”
“Hey! My brake was in a nasty spot and is now fixed, but it left rust dust residue all over the body of the car and wheel. I’ve read a few things and wanted decided to check with experienced folks. What can I use to get rid of the flecks of dust/buildup? submitted by /u/No_Purpose4673 [link] [comments]”