Best Move for Subaru Scratch (help!)

[jdwright]

Heyas all,

Winter driving and slid into a guard rail =(. Anyway, damaged 2 wheel covers and had several spots on the silver trim of our 08 Outback. You know the one...blue and silver...it's everywhere. Here is a pic:

Two questions:
1. Where is a good place to get OEM wheel covers cheap, and
2. Both bumpers and a couple fender plastic pieces have these scratches - insurance? touch up paint? What's your best advice?

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

Justin

 

[IcePickFreak]

1. Can't help there. An 08 Subaru has hub caps? :\

2. Being silver, it wouldn't be too bad to fix yourself (a spray can of touch-up paint would work fine.) Are all the silver pieces removable? I know the wheel well trim is, but you said some parts on the bumper as well?

 

[jdwright]

Thanks for the reply, IPF

1. Base model with the plastic wheel covers.

2. I think the trim does come off, but I'm not sure how to do it. I am however, game to sand and spray a bit to fix the issue. Worst case, I just tape off.

Justin

 

[IcePickFreak]

Then you need to feather it out where it's thru to the plastic so the paint doesn't peel down the road. I'd then wet sand the entire piece after the problem area is feathered out just enough to scuff it up good (ie. not all the way through the clear coat,) spray & blend the problemed area with color - should be relatively easy since the pieces aren't that big and you can blend out as far as needed. Then clear the entire piece with some halfway decent clear in a spray bomb, being silver on narrow pieces like the wheel well trim it'll hide a less than perfect clear coat so I wouldn't worry about it past that unless ya really leave a big hanger or something.

If the silver area on the bumper is larger (just looked up a pic and it looks like the whole front bumper is pretty much silver? In my first post I was thinking it was just small pieces attached to the bumper :\) then it's a much more difficult job since you have to blend the clear, not to mention it's going to be harder to blend the silver on a larger surface area. Would be best if you could just get away with some touch-up paint if the scratches there aren't too big. Otherwise you're going to need a buffer, pads, & compound/glaze to work out the clear blend, and on a piece that big you'll probably see the difference in the metallic in the silver anyway. Then, if you don't know what you're doing with a buffer, you can end up cutting through the clear and even the color coat and you're back to where you started. If the marks on the bumper cover are significant, it's going to be better to take it in and have it done right IMO.

 

[jdwright]

Thanks a ton for the input IPF, I think I'm going to look into putting it through insurance. It's my wife's car and she's pretty particular about it. Also, we haven't had an accident on either of our records for a number of years, so I think we're okay there.

The bumpers were what worried me as well. They both have significant scratching, and I'm not that confident with the paint process.

Thanks for helping make the decision =)

Justin