Td5 D2 bodywork - Vandal Scratches (1)

Scratches and dents are often the outcome of using a Land Rover in an off road situation. They can often be accepted as a badge of honour, 'bravery dings', or self-inflicted wounds! It seems OK for the owner to inflict them, but they can cut real deep when inflicted by others.

There is a lot of animosity out there directed at 'off-roaders', 'Chelsea tractors', 'gas guzzling 4x4s' and whatever other label a petty narrow mind can connect with. Thoughts alone are fine, but there are always two sides to a coin, angry people do angry things..

Hx was 'keyed' early on during my ownership while I was still in the 'jeez what a good looking beast' phase! Nothing like a sharp shock of reality to restore a balance. 

This scratch is on the nearside rear qtr panel just above the crease line. The rear bumper wrap-around can be seen at the lower right.

This scratch is on the n/s rear door shoulder

These photos were taken in strong sidelight with road dirt and dust clouding the panel surface.

This is a close up of the rear qtr. panel scratch.

Luckily (if that's what it was), the scratches did not go deeper then the primer, but did remove the lacquer and colour coat. The trailing end of the upper scratch only cuts through the lacquer coat and in theory it could be 'buffed' away.

To effect the repair, I need to replace the colour and lacquer layers and blend them to the surrounding panel.

ANATOMY OF A SCRATCH. 

The paint finish on the body panels consists of three separate layers applied to the base metal panel. The first coating has a protective and priming function to the base metal. Next comes the colour coat followed finally by the lacquer coat which can be polished to a glossy shine. In the diagram below the lacquer layer is represented by the yellow top layer.

  -  A scratch that only damages the top layer can easily be repaired. More lacquer can be added to replace the lacquer scratched out or alternatively the surrounding lacquer can be rubbed back to remove the scratch. What course to follow really depends on how deep the scratch is. Remember that the lacquer coat is also a protection for the colour coat beneath,  so its relative thickness should be maintained. The glossy polished finish is a property of the lacquer coat as the colour coat itself is nearly always dull and matty without its lacquer coating. 

  -  This scratch is deeper and has gone through the lacquer layer, the paint layer, and into the primer layer. This is the condition of the scratches on Hx. The 'white' colour of the scratches on Hx is probably a mix of the damaged paint and primer layers..

  -  The deepest level of scratch will go all the way through to the metal of the body panel and exposing it to the atmosphere will quickly allow corrosion to get a hold and if left untreated it will 'spread' under the surrounding paintwork to form the characteristic 'bubbling' of paintwork.

The scratches on Hx have been there for over 4 years without any escalation of their condition. That leads me to believe the anti-corrosion prevention is still active in those areas.

METHOD OF REPAIR.

Decided I will 'spot out' the scratches by using a very fine artists brush (and a steady hand) dipped in colour matched paint to build up the paint layer within the scratch 'trough'. Once all the primer is hidden, more lacquer can be applied to build the level up to the surrounding finish.

This will be time consuming, requiring patience and a steady hand, but it won't be achieved using left-over aerosol paint as it is too thin to be 'worked' by a brush.

SELECTING THE PAINT

'Touch-up' kits usually contain a much thicker paint that is better suited for brush application. They come in little tubes or phials and the lid often has a small brush attached for the application of the paint. Often paired with a similar sized pot of Lacquer, they are the better choice to quickly re-build the surface level.

'Touch-up' kits are still readily available direct from Land Rover. Hx is an 'Alverston Red' paint code 696 and if I don't want to pay dealer prices, there are plenty of online sources to purchase from, but personally I would recommend going to a specialised Autopaint suppliers (not Halfords!) who can match to the exact tone of paintwork. 

Bear in mind that all paint fades over time. A 'factory fresh' paint tone will vary after 15 years of lying in the Sun. Usually the difference is quite subtle and goes unnoticed until its re-spray time. 

When I got the paint mixed for the wings and door panels, I was shown how to compare the existing 'tone' of an exposed body panel with the original 'tone' of the 'hidden' door jamb (an area that is always shaded from UV sunlight.) The guy was armed with a set of small paint swatches 3 or so 'tones' lighter and darker then a standard '696' Red. The difference wasn't startling, just very subtle. 

In the end though, I sourced my 'standard' touch up paint and lacquer from the Internet for £6.49 delivered. I ordered it off E-bay late on a Monday afternoon and they arrived first thing Wednesday in two small 5ml glass phials with screw lids c/w integral applicator brush attached.  

...tbc...

 'Vandal Scratches 2'