Tree branch scratch or key scratch ? options

[Isa0324]

Hi, hoping for some advice if anyone has experienced similar

Over the weekend i went down a small narrow country lane when a car with a trailer was approaching driving along the opposite side of the road, i believe the trailer itself was to wide to be on that road so in order to avoid hitting the trailer, i had to go tight to my left and heard it when i went through some tree branches.
It was either the trailer or tree branches.
The mrs noticed slight scratches all along the left of the car, which I did not worry to much as they should come out with a bit of machine polishing.
Today I noticed a deeper scratch ( which has gone through the paint slighly ) on my bonnet about 30cm. ( which at first seemed like a key scratch ) left hand side of bonnet closer to bumper.

question is ; could the tree branches go deep enough to make it seem like a key scratch?

2, would I need to respray the whole bonnet or can a smart repair be done? If so what could be the likely cost? its a mercedes e class 2018 black colour.

I am planning to move the car on in 3-6months so don't want to go all out in making the car look like it came out of a showroom as i already spent a bit detailing when i got it 2 years ago.

I do believe it was caused by the tree branches and i did not notice it.
I mean it would make me feel a hell of a lot better knowing the tree did it than some C*** with a key.

 

[Isa0324]

Hopefully this images can be seen

 

[Spider10]

A branch can do that i had a volvo v70 which i drove down a country lane and had to get to close to a blackberry bush and it made more of a mess than that so it is feasible
Hope you sort it

 

[RAB36]

Even though you say you can feel it has gone through the paint its still worth sanding the scratch with 2000 wet and dry paper and machine polishing back up I've taken out some scratches i thought were clearly to deep and I've been pleasantly surprised, worse case scenario your improve it and possibly take the eye off it, if not then id not recommend a smart repair on a bonnet well not that bonnet, there's no lines to go off it will just look obvious and $hit, budget for anywhere between £250-350 for a bonnet repaint.

 

[ioweddie]

I think its been keyed...Sorry...Tree shrub wood would not do that in my opinion...unless it was concealed barbed wire..

 

[A.J.]

That looks nasty. A tree or shrub just would not penetrate the paint surface like that unless there was something hidden in the tree like barbed wire or similar. I think if you mess with it yourself unless you have extraordinary skills you will make it a lot worse. I would start by talking to the Smart Repair guys first, it is surprising what they can do these days. I fear it may need the whole bonnet to be re-sprayed though

 

[Isa0324]

That looks nasty. A tree or shrub just would not penetrate the paint surface like that unless there was something hidden in the tree like barbed wire or similar. I think if you mess with it yourself unless you have extraordinary skills you will make it a lot worse. I would start by talking to the Smart Repair guys first, it is surprising what they can do these days. I fear it may need the whole bonnet to be re-sprayed though

I spoke to someone from a company called chips away and he said you can’t smart repair a bonnet and I was quoted 450+ vat. For a full respray + machine polish. I will get a few more opinions .
he did say a tree branch can do it and it’s something we often come across .

it’s funny though as when the sun shinning the scratch is noticeable but when the suns away , it is not.
and the scratch itself starts of faint and in the middle about 5 cm it goes deeper and goes faint again. If I make any sense.

I don’t want to believe someone would key my car for no apparent reason

 

[st13phil]

I don’t want to believe someone would key my car for no apparent reason

It doesn't look like deliberate vandalism, but its direction doesn't chime with passing tree branches which would tend to result in a scratch running front to back, not across the bonnet. It could quite easily have been innocently (but carelessly) caused by someone inadvertently dragging a handbag with studs on its base across the bonnet as they walked round the front of the car in a carpark.

That said, frankly the cause is of less relevance than the cure. A detailer may be able to largely hide it with a combination of wet sanding and machine polishing, so it would be worth checking that option out first, but you need to be prepared for a full bonnet respray.

 

[Martin 1]

Very difficult to tell if it's gone through the colour, the cheapest way to tell is to use a Magic scratch pen, it leaves a thin clear lacquer, if it's just gone through the clearcoat the scratch will all but vanish. Very cheap and well worth a try. Good luck.

 

[vijilants]

You may want to try filling it using a Loew-Cornell Fine Line Fluid Detailing Paint Touch-Up Applicator Painting Pen and then polish it down.

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[Benzowner]

Unless I am looking at it wrong, those scratches look a long way in from the side of the car on the bonnet. What is the side of the car like? Must be really mashed if it was tree branches.

 

[Fastcar155]

Hi, hoping for some advice if anyone has experienced similar

Over the weekend i went down a small narrow country lane when a car with a trailer was approaching driving along the opposite side of the road, i believe the trailer itself was to wide to be on that road so in order to avoid hitting the trailer, i had to go tight to my left and heard it when i went through some tree branches.
It was either the trailer or tree branches.
The mrs noticed slight scratches all along the left of the car, which I did not worry to much as they should come out with a bit of machine polishing.
Today I noticed a deeper scratch ( which has gone through the paint slighly ) on my bonnet about 30cm. ( which at first seemed like a key scratch ) left hand side of bonnet closer to bumper.

question is ; could the tree branches go deep enough to make it seem like a key scratch?

2, would I need to respray the whole bonnet or can a smart repair be done? If so what could be the likely cost? its a mercedes e class 2018 black colour.

I am planning to move the car on in 3-6months so don't want to go all out in making the car look like it came out of a showroom as i already spent a bit detailing when i got it 2 years ago.

I do believe it was caused by the tree branches and i did not notice it.
I mean it would make me feel a hell of a lot better knowing the tree did it than some C*** with a key.

Hi , just a word of warning about Chips Away , my local man would not do a repair because he would have to do the repair outside / Chips away does a proper paint shop near me so may have one close to you.

These are franchise operations that operate by post code areas.

 

[Isa0324]

It doesn't look like deliberate vandalism, but its direction doesn't chime with passing tree branches which would tend to result in a scratch running front to back, not across the bonnet. It could quite easily have been innocently (but carelessly) caused by someone inadvertently dragging a handbag with studs on its base across the bonnet as they walked round the front of the car in a carpark.

That said, frankly the cause is of less relevance than the cure. A detailer may be able to largely hide it with a combination of wet sanding and machine polishing, so it would be worth checking that option out first, but you need to be prepared for a full bonnet respray.

Trying to get my detailer to have a look at it, getting really impatient as I want it sorted.

Unless I am looking at it wrong, those scratches look a long way in from the side of the car on the bonnet. What is the side of the car like? Must be really mashed if it was tree branches.

So say if your facing the the car standing in front of it. The scratch is close to the grill on the right hand side of the bonnet ( as your facing it ) and yes the side of car does not look great but a polish in my opinion will sort it as not gone past the paint .

This is why I think it was when I hit the side where the tree branches/bushes or whatever, the bonnet was the first big impact and managed to move away probably enough avoiding further damage to the side . Or I might be completing wrong.
Like I said I don’t want to think someone has done it.

before I noticed it ; where I’m working, I left the car parked outside this specific house. Beautiful house I must say... There was no dropped kerb. But on that same road your had marked bays for parking. Where I left it it had no marked bay but it was not a dropped kerb or any parking conditions.
All free parking on the road

I strongly doubt it could be them as it’s not a rough area. Basically it’s a nice neighbourhood with better cars on the drive

I mean can minted Essex people be petty and scratch someone’s car because they don’t want it parked there ?

 

[Spider10]

Imo if it has been keyed the sc----m who did it would of made a proper job of it usually full length of the car

 

[ShaunB]

Hi, hoping for some advice if anyone has experienced similar

Over the weekend i went down a small narrow country lane when a car with a trailer was approaching driving along the opposite side of the road, i believe the trailer itself was to wide to be on that road so in order to avoid hitting the trailer, i had to go tight to my left and heard it when i went through some tree branches.
It was either the trailer or tree branches.
The mrs noticed slight scratches all along the left of the car, which I did not worry to much as they should come out with a bit of machine polishing.
Today I noticed a deeper scratch ( which has gone through the paint slighly ) on my bonnet about 30cm. ( which at first seemed like a key scratch ) left hand side of bonnet closer to bumper.

question is ; could the tree branches go deep enough to make it seem like a key scratch?

2, would I need to respray the whole bonnet or can a smart repair be done? If so what could be the likely cost? its a mercedes e class 2018 black colour.

I am planning to move the car on in 3-6months so don't want to go all out in making the car look like it came out of a showroom as i already spent a bit detailing when i got it 2 years ago.

I do believe it was caused by the tree branches and i did not notice it.
I mean it would make me feel a hell of a lot better knowing the tree did it than some C*** with a key.

If you're not planning on keeping the car, then try a crayola crayon to mask it up and hopefully it will stop you noticing it so much

 

[Spider10]

If you're not planning on keeping the car, then try a crayola crayon to mask it up and hopefully it will stop you noticing it so much

That's a new 1 to me does the 5yr old come with the crayons and should read hopefully the new buyer doesn't notice it I personally couldn't do that

 

[Isa0324]

Well I’m doing a road trip around Europe and balkans in august. Could probably paint the whole car with £450+vat

 

[Germgh0st]

I'd recommend trying ChipEx, it's not expensive, won't make it any worse and could sort it for you. I used to use it on my first Focus ST which was blue and very prone to road rash. It's takes a bit of time and patience but once I was done you wouldn't notice it.

 

[Rubyred]

Can you not take it to a local body shop and get them to wet sand it and then machine polished.
Had this done with my bonnet recently and it came up really well, no more scratches. Cost £90. Just go and see what they say, it won’t cost anything for a quote.

 

[RAB36]

Can you not take it to a local body shop and get them to wet sand it and then machine polished.
Had this done with my bonnet recently and it came up really well, no more scratches. Cost £90. Just go and see what they say, it won’t cost anything for a quote.

Exactly what i said and that's what id recommend to a customer if they come to me and to be honest it would take 15 minutes to do that bonnet so probably only charge a tenner.