Plastic parts
The following describes the procedure for removing minor scratches and chips from the surface of plastic parts. Restoration of serious damage must be entrusted to professional specialists of the appropriate profile or representatives of the manufacturer. Below is a list of equipment and materials needed to restore plastic parts. Instead of recommended materials or proprietary tools, it is acceptable to use equivalent products from another manufacturer.
- Solvent for removing wax, grease and silicone
- Fabric based adhesive tape
- Sanding discs
- Electric drill with holder for three-inch disc
- Sanding block
- Rubber spatula
- Sandpaper
- Non-porous palette
- Wooden spatula or dull knife
- Rasp
- Materials from the repair kit for restoring plastic parts
Flexible panels (front and rear bumper trim)
1. If necessary, remove the damaged panel. Often repairs are carried out without removing the panel.
2. Clean the damaged area by applying wax, grease and silicone remover with a cloth soaked in water.
3. If the damage extends all the way through the panel, also clean the damaged area on the back side. Dry the panel.
4. Sand the back side of the damaged area, extending 15-30 mm beyond the damage.
5. Cut two pieces of fiberglass fabric of such an area that they overlap the damage by 15-30 mm. Do not cut overly large patches.
6. Mix the adhesive composition from the repair kit in accordance with the instructions for use and apply it to the back of the damaged area with a layer of approximately 3 mm. Cover the damage by at least 15-30 mm.
7. Place one piece of fiberglass cloth over the applied layer and apply adhesive compound over the cloth. Place the second piece of fabric and immediately cover it with another layer so that the mixture completely saturates both fiberglass patches.
8. Wait for the composition to dry for half an hour at a temperature of 15-20°C.
9. If necessary, remove excess material from the edges of the repaired area.
10. Completely remove the paintwork from the area adjacent to the damage. The restoration material must not cover the paintwork.
11. Using a drill and sanding disc, cut a V-shaped groove approximately 12mm wide along the damage. Clean the area to be restored from dust and particles of material.
12. Displace and apply restorative compound. First, cover the entire repair area with a thin layer, then fill the groove so that the restoration material protrudes slightly above the surface of the part.
13. Wait for the composition to dry for half an hour at a temperature of 15-20°C.
14. Using a file, first give the area to be restored the contour of the surface of the part. If sinkholes or sinkholes form in the area, prepare an additional portion of the restoration compound and apply to the area.
15. Work the area with a sanding block to finely contour the surface of the part being restored.
16. If necessary, temporarily apply several protective layers of foam filler to the area to be restored. Since painting plastic parts has a number of specific features, it is recommended to contact a paint shop to paint a restored part.
Steel body panels
Follow the sequence as shown in the illustrations
Removing minor scratches
17. If only the paintwork is scratched and the metal is not touched, removing the scratch is very simple. Rub the scratch area with repair agent or a very fine sanding paste to remove the thin layer of paint and waxy coating 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; repeat this operation several times until the paint surface is level. Let the new paint dry for at least two weeks, then buff the area with polishing paste and apply a protective wax coating.
19. If the scratch reaches the metal of the body, it may cause corrosion of the metal. Remove rust from the metal with a pocket knife, then apply an anti-corrosion coating to prevent future corrosion. Using a rubber or nylon putty knife, fill the scratch with putty paste. If necessary, the paste can be diluted with a solvent, which makes it possible to fill narrow scratches. Before the putty paste hardens, wrap your finger in a cotton cloth, soak it in solvent, then quickly rub it along the scratch. In this case, the surface of the putty paste will be slightly pressed. Next, the scratch can be painted over as described above.
Restoration of body parts with dents
20. When there are deep dents in the car body, the first task is to pull out the dent to return the body to 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 a small dent forms, you should not try to pull it out at all.
21. If access to the dent from the inside is possible, it can be carefully straightened with a hammer with a wooden or plastic head. During the straightening process, it is necessary to press a suitable block of wood from the outside to absorb the blows of the hammer and thus prevent the metal from buckling outward.
22. If the dent is in a part of the body. having a double layer of metal, or if access from the inside is impossible for some other reason, they use various techniques. Drill several small holes in the damaged area, mainly in the deepest places. After this, screw the long self-tapping screws into the holes so that they are firmly held in the metal. Straighten out the dent by pulling out the screws using pliers.
23. The next stage of restoration is to remove about 2 cm of paint from and around the damaged area. This can be done using a wire brush inserted into a drill, or by hand using sandpaper. To finish preparing for applying putty, score the metal surface with a screwdriver 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 section "Putty and painting".
Restoration of body parts with corrosion holes or deep damage
24. Using a metal brush inserted into a drill, remove all paint from the surface to be restored and in the area adjacent to the damaged area within two centimeters. If such a device is not available, you can sand it manually using sandpaper.
25. After removing the paint, it is necessary to assess the degree of susceptibility to corrosion and decide whether to replace the part (if possible) or restoring the damaged area. New body parts are not as expensive as most car enthusiasts think, and replacing parts is often a quicker and easier solution than trying to repair a large area of rust.
26. Remove all parts installed in the damaged area except those that will be needed as guides when forming the original surface. Then use tin snips or a hacksaw blade to cut off any heavily corroded metal. Bend the edges of the hole inward with a hammer to create support when filling with putty.
27. Use a wire brush to remove powdered rust from the remaining metal. Apply rust converter to the damaged area; if the inside of the rusted area is accessible, treat that as well.
28. Before filling the damaged area with putty, it is necessary to somehow close the hole.
This can be done using aluminum or plastic mesh, or aluminum foil.
29. After the hole is closed, you can proceed to puttying and painting the area to be restored (see next section).
Putty and painting
30. There are many types of putty pastes, but the best are polymerizing compounds that are sold in sets containing a jar of paste and a tube of hardener. To work, you will also need a wide and flexible plastic or nylon spatula with smooth, well-finished edges for final finishing of the putty surface. Prepare a little putty on a clean piece of cardboard or plywood, carefully observing the proportions of paste and hardener in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, otherwise the putty will harden too quickly, or never harden.
31. Using a putty knife, apply putty to the area to be restored and level it to obtain the desired surface. When the contour of the putty surface is close to the required one, take a break from work. Otherwise, the putty will begin to stick to the spatula. Continue applying thin layers of putty every twenty minutes until the level is equal to the surrounding metal.
32. After the putty has hardened, you can remove the excess using a metal scraper or file. Further sanding is done using progressively finer grit sandpaper, starting with 40-grade paper and ending with 400-grade waterproof paper. Always wrap the sandpaper around a piece of flat rubber, cork, or a block of wood - otherwise the surface of the putty will not be smooth. In the process of smoothing the surface of the putty, the sandpaper must be periodically moistened with water.
33. The operation ends when a ring of pure metal forms around the restored area, which in turn is surrounded by a paint coating. Rinse the area to be restored with clean water to remove all sanding residue.
34. Spray a thin layer of primer onto the area to be repaired - this will help determine where the putty surface has defects. Eliminate these defects with freshly prepared putty and sand the area again with sandpaper. Repeat this procedure until the required quality of the repaired surface is achieved. Wash the surface with water and wait until it is completely dry.
The following photos illustrate the restoration of body parts with small dents. Illustrations complement the subsection «Body repair - minor damage» this chapter. Photos should not be used as the only guide when restoring body parts of the vehicles described in this manual.
1. If it is not possible to squeeze out the dent from the back side, remove it using a pulling device. Drill or punch a hole at least 25 mm from the border of the damaged area (I) in the deepest part of the dent or on its edge...
2.... then insert the grip of the device into the hole and pull it out. Tap the outer edge of the dent with a hammer to return the body part to its original shape. The dent should be pulled out until the damaged surface approaches its original contour. The surface of the dent after pulling should be 3 mm below the level of the nearest undamaged area of the metal body part
3. Remove the paint from the damaged surface down to the metal using a coarse grinding wheel or sandpaper. It is preferable to carry out the operation using an electrical grinding device similar to that shown in the illustration. Using sandpaper with a finer abrasive coating (class 320), remove paint from the area adjacent to the damaged area at a distance of 20 mm
4. After removing the paint, it becomes possible to evaluate the quality of the dent by touch, which is more effective than a visual assessment. If necessary, perform additional pulling or pressing of the dent areas. Clean the area to be repaired with wax or silicone remover
5. Having carefully studied the accompanying instructions, prepare a solution of putty and hardener. Follow the proportions strictly, otherwise the putty will not harden properly or will harden too quickly (before finishing puttying and sanding the surface)
6. When leveling the surface with a plastic spatula, do not allow the plastic putty to harden; apply it tightly to the surface and achieve a strong adhesion. Apply putty so that the restored surface has a contour similar to the original, and slightly above the adjacent surfaces of undamaged metal body parts
7. Wait for the putty to harden. Hardening is considered complete if the putty is not pressed through with a fingernail. For rough surface treatment, use a body work file or the tool shown in the illustration
8. Using a sanding block or sanding attachment covered with coarse sandpaper, sand the putty surface until it is smooth. Finish sanding using fine abrasive paper or a 360 to 400 grit stone
9. At the border of putty and metal, or metal and old paint, there should not be a level difference. Perform final finishing of the treated surface, remove dust and abrasive material from adjacent metal body parts and cladding panels
10. Apply several coats of primer to the area to be restored. Do not apply excessive amounts of primer as this may cause drips. Applying the next layer should only be done on the dried previous layer. The illustration shows a professional spray gun, but during this operation it is permissible to use an aerosol primer, which is available for sale in most car dealerships
11. Previously invisible defects of the restored surface may appear on the surface treated with a primer. Remove them by applying varnish. Follow the accompanying instructions. After the varnish has hardened, sand the surface with fine abrasive sandpaper of 360-400 grit. Apply varnish, sand and primer until a perfectly smooth surface is obtained
12. Perform a final sanding of the primed surface with 400 or 600 grit fine sandpaper to remove any unevenness in the primer layer. Rinse the area to be restored with water and wait until it is completely dry. Wipe the area with a clean cloth to give it a final clean and apply a coat of paint. Do not treat or wax the area to be restored until it is completely dry (at least two weeks)