Is the entire paint surface completely scraped off during car touch-up painting?
4 Answers
Car touch-up painting involves completely scraping off the entire paint surface. Here are the detailed aspects regarding car touch-up painting: 1. Reason: Repainting increases the thickness of the paint film, and the repainted area will be higher than the original paint surface. Therefore, the original paint must be removed before repainting. If the original paint is not removed, it will be difficult to polish the subsequent paint. 2. Precautions: The car's primer is an electroplated layer and serves as the main anti-corrosion layer of the car, which must not be damaged. If the car's primer is damaged, the underlying steel plate of the car will gradually corrode and become prone to rust. For minor scratches that do not reach the primer, polishing can be directly used for restoration.
I've had minor paint scratches repaired a few times. Actually, touch-up painting doesn't require stripping the entire paint surface - that sounds like a major overhaul. In real practice, for small scratches or minor paint chips, mechanics typically just sand down the damaged area, remove old paint debris, then spray matching OEM paint or touch-up paint, followed by polishing to restore a smooth surface. This spot repair saves both time and money, usually completed within 1-2 hours without removing entire components. However, for large rusted areas or poor results from multiple previous touch-ups, complete stripping and repainting might be considered - but this is extremely troublesome and costly, equivalent to redoing the entire panel. I always pay attention to parking conditions to avoid dings and reduce paint repair needs. Maintaining car paint is actually quite important.
As someone who often washes and maintains my car myself, I understand that touch-up painting isn't about scraping off the entire paint surface and starting over. It mainly depends on the extent of the damage: for minor scratches, just local sanding and cleaning are needed, then apply a specialized touch-up pen or small paint can, and polish after drying; only larger areas of paint loss require spray gun treatment for that section, without redoing everything. Completely scraping off the paint can damage the original coating, accelerate aging, and may even affect the car's anti-corrosion layer. Repair shops generally don't recommend this unless absolutely necessary. Doing it yourself isn't expensive in terms of materials, but it's technically demanding – poor spraying can lead to color mismatch or bubbling. It's more reassuring to leave it to professional technicians who have the experience to determine the best repair method for both aesthetics and durability.
I think car touch-up painting is quite straightforward: there's no need to strip the entire paint surface, as most cases only require treating the damaged area. Like when my car had a corner scratched while reversing, the technician simply smoothed the scratch, applied touch-up paint, waited for it to dry, then polished it – it looked as good as new. The entire process focused only on the problem area without touching other parts, saving both money and effort with great results. If you insist on stripping the entire paint layer, it would cost more and harm the car unnecessarily, unless the rust is too severe and requires a complete refurbishment. Remember, minor issues only need minor fixes – don't overcomplicate things.
