I could use some advice on fixing all the chips/scratches/dings/dents!

[WI_Mirage]

My Mirage came with some exterior and interior abuse. I've done a bit of part swapping on the interior and I'm satisfied where it's at now. I'd like to being fixing the bodywork myself, but have no experience with this. I assume I should begin with the paint chips/scratches on the metal to remove and avoid further rusting.

[foama]

Most of those scratches in the pix are so deep that no paint is left. On the metal parts they would need sanding and repainting, either the entire car or just fixing the spots. On the plastic parts you could first use a hot air gun to get the surface fixed, then it needs a special undercoating before painting. You need a lot of practice to get it done such that you can actually be satisfied with the results!

That is not a job for somebody without experience! If you really want to DIY, you could look at a few videos in youtoob and experiment on painted tin cans or a piece of wrecked fender. If after considerable time you then think you can do it yourself, it will be a lot of work. Good luck and may you have all the endurace you need!

[MCMfan92]

Most of those scratches in the pix are so deep that no paint is left. On the metal parts they would need sanding and repainting, either the entire car or just fixing the spots. On the plastic parts you could first use a hot air gun to get the surface fixed, then it needs a special undercoating before painting. You need a lot of practice to get it done such that you can actually be satisfied with the results!

That is not a job for somebody without experience! If you really want to DIY, you could look at a few videos in youtoob and experiment on painted tin cans or a piece of wrecked fender. If after considerable time you then think you can do it yourself, it will be a lot of work. Good luck and may you have all the endurace you need!

What he said.

HOWEVER, don't think of painting as an extremely daunting task. I work at a body shop and have just started learning how to polish with compound and wool/foam pads. It's NOWHERE near as tough as I expected it to be, and i've learned, if foam doesn't take it out, switch to wool and a rougher compound. If it still doesn't come out, we wet sand with 1500, then 3000, with a DA(dual action) orbital, no pressure, just spray down the surface and sand back and forth fairly quickly until the area hazes over.. THEN we go to wool and rubbing compound, then foam, and stage 2 polish then stage 3.

From my experience in the field (as a hobbyist and now in a professional setting) the roof and front right corner look fairly fixable with the methods above. Get an air/electric DA sander, (one of the round ones), spray the pad and surface with water, and just lightly touch it with 1500 Grit. 10 seconds maybe. Check your work. THEN, if the scratch is still there, do another 10. The biggest mistake people make (myself included, let's not lie), is sitting in one area for too long, and burning through the paint. With a sander, this is extremely easy to do, so be careful. Once the scratch isn't there anymore, go ahead and go from your 1500 grit and change up to 3000.

NEXT, same process, but with 3000 grit. The haze should become more uniform afterwards, and if the scratch is gone (It should be before using 3000 grit. The purpose of 3000 grit is to even out the scratches from 1500 and make them easier for the compound to knock down smooth) move on. If not, keep at it with 1500 and work slowly. Don't rush this.

AFTER that, grab a wool pound and cutting/rubbing compound. SET YOUR POLISHER TO 3000 RPM. NO MORE. A pea size dot every six inches or so on the work area should be plenty, but a) work in sections on the roof, compound is a bugger to get off if it dries, and b) if you start buffing, and the wool pad grabs AT ALL, add more compound. You don't want soup up there, but you want something that the pad will glide on. If it dries and gums up, and starts dragging the paint, you're asking for damage to happen. Keep it lubricated.

Work the whole area. When you're done, you should have SHINE and NO SCRATCHES left. It will still be a little hazy, and thats when we move to step 3, a foam pad and polishing compound. Same drill as last time, but make an X from 1/4 inside the edge of the foam pad to the other edge with compound. Put the pad flat and spread the polish around, then pull the trigger and start polishing, staying at 3000-4000 RPM. Again, work in small sections at a time, and wipe any excess off with a microfiber and water.

That's really it. For everything deeper, like said above, you're looking at AT LEAST sand and repaint, maybe some plastic filler here and there to even things out. BUT, you CAN do it, and you WILL feel a huge sense of pride when it's done.