prius scratches + magnetic grey + toyota touchup paint question

Hi all,

I found my first small scratch on the left hand side bumper. It is a light
scratch that shows the white colored primer below it. I have an idea who
did it but i suppose that is irrelevant at this point in time

I might as well pick up some magnetic gray touch up paint from toyota and
practice underneath the hood or what not but does anyone have any experience
with the product or any other product?

Yea, it is not that bad and most people will not notice it but if I can become
proficient at concealing this effectively I might as well learn!

So many products on the market it is confusing and I would rather trust
toyota to get an exact match of the color but one never knows if this
forum has good experience on the topic.

I did a search of a few pages of older posts but nothing definitive popped up due to my vague search term of "scratch".

Any advice, comments, or thoughts would be very appreciated!

thank you.

You can get a vial of Toyota touch up paint for less than $10. Make sure you give them the correct paint code for your Mag Grey.

I've touched up mine in several places. I've also painted over my hybrid badges on the side and the Toyota emblems with it.

I gave them a call and I they told me the paint will cost 6 bucks with my
10% discount included in. So that is cool.

I had some time to examine the scratches and they are very fine line
scratches that are not terribly long just terribly annoying when you know
your car so well and was basically watching just for this type of incident.

I do understand every car over time will get scratches but darn it, i will
try my best to not get them or cover them up.

Any good techniques to putting the paint on? Getting a better paint brush?
Diluting the paint to make it easier to apply? Any sort of tip like that would
be appreciated!

thanks

There are two tips, a pen tip and a small brush tip. Use whichever one makes most sense in your case. The paint itself is thick and dries quickly. Do not dilute it though.

interesting. i would have never thought of a pen tip. it makes me think applying it
with a needle for example could result in filling the scratch lines very effectively if
you move slowly along the scratch doing a 1/4 inch at a time. after all you do not
want a big glob of paint on the tip. you just want to cover the primer/scratch areas.

thanks!

GS27 or something similar if the scratch is minor.

i think the problem with the prius and dark colors is that the primer is
white underneath. that product would handle scratches in the paint
that do not make it to the metal nor the primer. sorta of like swirls from
washing the car wrong.. that would handle.

i can actually see the white primer underneath due to the angle of the
scratch and I looking down. i simply need something to cover the white
and it will be almost unnoticeable.

thanks for the tip though and i am assuming i read the product website
correctly!

GS27 Scratch Remover can get rid of most surface scratches quickly, easily, and without those expensive repair bills.

I've used the Toyota touch up paint and it's darker. Scratches now look like dark squiggly lines on my car. I'm ok with it, but some people may not be happy with it.

The color code for Magnetic Gray is 1G3.

I have used touch-up paint on my Magnetic Gray Prius, but it's difficult for me to do a smooth, seamless touch-up. It's hard to control touch-up paint -- the paint pen is runny, and the brush on paint (like nail polish) is goopy. When I use touch-up paint I try to smooth out the paint with scratch remover or wax.

I actually prefer to use a Sharpie or a PrismaColor artist marker because you can be very precise with them -- near pin point precision. Sometimes I use an ordinary black Sharpie. Other times I use a PrismaColor artist marker in one of the many shades of gray that they come in (I think artist markers typically come in 20 or 30 shades of gray).

Before you start painting over the scratch, may I suggest that you visit your discount auto parts store and look for swirl remover or a light rubbing compound. Perhaps all that has happened is that the clear coat is scratched and appears white. If polished, the scratches may go away.

very good idea! i will consider that. i bought the toyota paint though in the
exact color by going by the code. I will of course verify right on the inside
door frame again before using.. but i will practice first and if i do not like the
results in a hidden area i will consider this idea. thank you.

what color prius and what color touch up paint? i am assuming you have the
exact match and shook the tube of paint for a few minutes? i do not like what
you are referring too

i misread your post at first and now it makes perfect sense now that i own
a tube of the toyota paint. indeed it does have two tips. a brush and a pen.
thank you!

I also thought of that and it was my very first reaction to it. But after feeling
the scratch and seeing how it raised the paint in the scratch areas on the sides and using a wet paper towel to rub an area... it is indeed a scratch
that has moved the paint showing the primer underneath. I am just thankful
it is minor.

For small scratches I usually use a toothpick instead of the brush or even the pen tip which applies too much paint. Just put a very little paint on the toothpick place it on the ding or scrath and let the paint flow into it, sometimes a second coat is needed if it is a deep scratch.

I've used the Toyota touch up paint and it's darker. Scratches now look like dark squiggly lines on my car. I'm ok with it, but some people may not be happy with it.

this is absolutely correct in my opinion. the paint is a bit darker. i only used it sparingly
in one or two areas on the bumper to see how it looks.

of course i washed the car first and used the ?maguires? 1st step product to clean
the paint. after applying it sparingly to the worst area i then used the other two steps
in the product line. i forgot how much work it was to do those 3 step products with
a wash! geez louise.

too bad it got dark as i was wiping off the last of the dried wax.. and i will report back
tomorrow how it looks in the daytime.

can i see the darker toyota paint touch up stuff after a solid shine/waxing on top and
would i use it again! wait for the report!

I don't have the talent/patience to touch up tiny scratches but have worked on a couple bigger ones. At some light angles the touch-up is invisible while at others it is very visible. Put a clear bra on before any more damge occurs.

you know i have thought about that but for example while waxing the car
i noticed a minor scratch by the back wheel well area on the driver's side.
of course the clear bra would not have protected that from happening and
i think that minor scratch occured at the same time the front bumper ones
did. i have a feeling a yet to be named person living in this household was
taking out the trash or carrying something at knee level... and was very
careless. living in the city always has tight spaces parking wise and i suppose
it was bound to happen when people around the car just do not care as much
as i do.

for 500-600 dollars it might be wise to do it but i have a feeling this was just
something i had to get past. my baby got its first wound and from now on
i just have to realize cars do not stay perfect when you drive 15000-20000
miles a year. that money could be used to pay it off that much quicker.
i really do not want to keep throwing money at a car that during the NH winter
will really see some tough times.. clear bra or not.. on all parts of the body.

i will have to simply think about it.

I second the scratch remover option. I had a black Mazda with what looked like scratches down to the primer. I watched in amazement as the body shop buffed them out. Many times you are seeing the reflection of a ruptured surface causing it to look like primer. Give the scratch remover a try and if that doesn't work then use the touch up paint.

Don't forget to put clear over the color coat.