Gents I have a few minor chips and scratches mostly to the lacquer but in one place the lacquer has been removed in a scratch - so no dents or dinks. My paintwork is like glass with no swirls so I am looking for suggestions i.e. is this an into the body shop for each panel to be resprayed or is it the sort of thing chips away or similar can do - I really want it to be back to being immaculate

Sandy, my experience of "smart repairs" & "chips away" etc are from owners that purchased there car looking shiny all over and 3-6 months later the smart repairs all sink and go dull (even fade in some cases) so... I would suggest a more expensive trip to a good bodyshop would be in order if you want the finish to last the cars foreseeable life

Craig as I thought glad you said that as it stops me wondering

Used by motor traders the length & breadth Sandy... I don't doubt members will come forward and say "i had a good job done by such & such" but the more of the smart repairs i see, the more i don't like the long term results (if you care about your cars long term appearance)

Good body shops aren't as expensive as you think, I had my whole bonnet resprayed for a couple of hundred quid (and I think that was a bit expensive but Ive used the guy before) as I didn't like the stone chips. I also had the grey bonnet grill done (colour coded) at the same time as I didn't like the cheap grey plastic look . Geoff

A bloke at work has some lot he pays monthly for his Jag to be looked after its one of those smart repair outfits - a few weeks ago he had some stone chips on the bonnet and when they came they said they don't do bonnets and touched up the chips with a pen what a mess like a lot of things I guess he had been on a 2 day course which made him an expert - tradesmen all the way

I think the important point is GOOD tradesmen Sandy... Find someone who has been in the same premises for 5yrs + and comes recommended... We see paint shops come & go so quickly! Make a quick buck and shut down when all the long term complaints start coming in...

You only get what you pay for in this business!

Well said Craig - I think buy cheap buy twice really applies here. I use the same guy the local Nissan deal uses for both bodywork as well as spoilers (soft plastic) fitted to Jukes like SWMBOs.

Find a good one  Geoff

Finding a good one is as usual the difficult part best get looking unless anyone can recommend in the heathrow area

Try the detailing forums, there are ways to fix small chips and scratches at home with a few specialist tools... If it looks pants then get it done at a body shop....

As Craig and others have said, stay away from smart repairs.... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Well to my eye that doesn't look like it's damaged the colour coat underneath the lacquer. I would try a lacquer pencil - one of the touch up kits with a brush. Fill it in, which will take a couple of coats at least. Then flat it back with 2000 wet & dry. Machine (or hand) polish to finish.

Worth a try before throwing a couple of hundred quid at a door repaint.

Not a bad call that funny I will take an engine out and rebuild it but when it comes to paint or body work I am useless well to be honest never tried

Yeah, I used to be the same. Built quite a few engines over the years, mostly for clubman rally cars and I was exactly the same with paint until I bought a kit from polished Bliss. Makita rotary, several pads, polishes, paint gauge etc and I've never looked back. It's not a dark art, just needs common sense and patience.