[deepwoof]

Good morning - it’s Saturday morning, so I’m posting for some advice. Misery loves company.

Friday night: an idiot, a klutz, and a fool climb into an Alfa spider: mine. All three men have my name. They pull up to the restaurant and spot a parking place just past the barriers for outdoor dining. The concrete barriers. Feeling pleased with themselves, they pull it in tight and park. Enjoy dinner. Drive home. I’ll say this at least: at least they were a sober idiot, klutz, and a fool.

The next morning, they wake up and come down and see - two huge scratches, self-inflicted, on the beautiful car!!!

duhhhh!!!!

Let’s say I can’t stand to leave this untreated for very long. I can’t stand to look at my own stupidity. I love my car. I have some of the paint from when it was repainted in a few years ago. I have some fine paint brushes from the kids studio. I have a steady hand. Is this worth trying? Or am I just going to keep playing the fool here?

 

[ghnl]

I see two options. 1) carefully touch it up using your small brush and a steady hand (I doubt you could make it look worse...) or B) bring the car & your touch up paint to a body shop.

 

[Neil Martin]

Sometimes you get lucky and the ugly you see is paint transference from the "other" object. I have have had good luck with Scratch Doctor rubbing compound. Worth a try, before going anywhere near the car with paint.

 

[Tom Frasca]

I can’t tell are they actual scratches or are they rub marks from someone’s plastic bumper because if they rub marks they’ll come off with benzene

 

[PSk]

The OP talks about concrete barriers.

I did similar to a brand new car a few years ago. I tried to fix it myself ... cost myself lots in trade in price. Take it to a professional and get it done right
Pete

 

[Alfafannj]

Bring it to a shop and have it professionally repaired is my suggestion.

 

[lgbalfa]

Bring it to a shop and have it professionally repaired is my suggestion.

Agreed.

 

[divotandtralee]

Agreed .. pros have their methods with an air brush.. Chalk it up to 10 dinners out... You can always say it's COVID that you don't want to go out and do the cooking for your spouse...and the dishes.

 

[deepwoof]

HI everyone - thanks for these suggestions. My first thought was to hope for scuff transfer, but alas, no - it was a scratch-off. I stared at it for a while, stared at the paint can ... and decided to go for it. Amazingly, it worked quite well. It isn't visible really, esp. given the placement on the edge of the panel. If you crouch down right up next to it, you can see that there's a line with a slightly different surface. I used a regular small fine-tipped paint-brush and was as careful as I could be and was able to keep it regular and even. If there's a next time (god forbid) I might try a small sponge brush to minimize strokes and maximize smooth application (I don't have an air spray). No doubt a pro would have done an even better job, like invisible. But I'm happy with the result for now. It turns out that if you're careful, you can touch up minor things - I had a few other flecks here and there, and it makes a big difference, esp. if they are on edges rather than broad smooth surfaces (that's trickier and my inclination is to let some things just be).