Just so everyone knows how kind of a guy Alex is in real life, not only did he pay 100% for all repairs on my car; he's also donating half the ad revenues from these Alpina videos back to me so I can get a lift! Thanks again Alex!
That’s why when a legit street cars episode is released, you immediately stop what you’re doing to go watch. The only caveat is if you’re currently engaged in a Samcrac feature.
Try using a white wool cut pad as your first step after wet sanding. It will get the sanding scratches that you made by the wet sanding out much better. Also, make sure that you are using an aggressive enough of a cutting compound.
What had the guy done for the evil demons to scratch his car? I realize your username is a tip-off but still - and I also realize in some places, merely parking your car is enough to bring this about - but still totally destruction of the paint? I think ther are many people walking this earth who are not good people never will be. Just demons at heart
Hey, man great work! Can I give you a piece of advice on block sanding? Take this or leave it, but when you are sanding down the high spots try to NOT follow the scratch. Try to go at about 45-degree angles (usually 10 reps or so) then switch it up and do the opposite. Basically, you don't want to go horizontal along with the scratch but vertical 45's and crisis cross vertically along with the scratch. But do it evenly so that it is all flat and the surrounding paint and panel are flat which makes buffing it out easier. When you follow the scratch you are in essence creating a dip or "valley" in the paint and surrounding panel which will give the overall paint a wavy effect and will make it harder to buff out because the surrounding paint material will be higher than where the scratch is. It won't matter too much since you are blocking with 2000 but still, it's good practice to get in the habit of. Again take it or leave it and continue on with the great work!
that was my first thought, as well never sand in the direction of the scratch, its a lot harder too see the scratch thats being taken out when the sanding scratches are running in exactly the same direction, , i would also use a trizact or 3000 after the 2000, which will reduce the polishing up time by about 75% and save on materials and sand the trizact or 3000 in a different direction from the scratch and the 2000, at the end of the day as long we all get the same result its all good
This is exactly why I learned how to detail my own cars over the last 10 years. It’s a lot of practice and patience but in the end, it can look professional. Totally worth learning and trying. Have learned paint correction for these types of scratches and rock chips and wet sanding them to an invisible finish. Great job Alex cleaning this awesome car up and teaching everyone at the same time! DIY detailing can be cost savings and personally rewarding! Thank you!
My uncle owned body & paint shops in NYC. This vid would have put him out of business!!! Well done! Appreciate your devotion to saving this baby. FIRE!
I woke up in the middle of the night here in the UK suffering with insomnia and couldn't sleep. Watched this video which totally calmed me down watching Alex fix this car then slept like a rock the rest of the night. Thanks Alex 🤘
That's just nice when things work out like this. Perhaps watching this video re-channelled your brain thoughts, when I get agitated like that sometimes I actually have to go for a walk, in the middle of the night. What could go wrong?
I was a repo man in Florida for many years. It was very common for the owners to key the cars, or even worse to them when they knew the bank was coming for the car. So this key job was probably by them. Real pieces of work out there! Like it's the banks fault! Love your videos and am subscriber now!
This is a great video. After watching, I decided to do the same thing to one of my vehicles to repair a ton of heavy scratches across the entire hood. Worked very well!
What a great "how-to" video! Really shows you how easy it is to totally transform the damaged paint on your car... and he's doing it for a friend! What a guy!
@@The_journeyy More than likely it was the OWNER who did the damage... its very common on cars that are going to get repossessed. The owner has so much bitterness that they damage the car... anywhere from keying the body, to cracking windshields, to draining the oil pan or putting sugar... yes sugar down into the oil gallery Ive seen it alll....
@@deandalapanda No dingbat ...I didn't damage my car..It was a meth addict who did it while I was on vacation and the car was parked at my godfathers house in the garage. My godfather did the kids mother a favor by giving him a place to live Kid made up some burnt out stuff had my godfather removed from his own home and destroyed the house and the destroyed my car and drove it through cornfields..It's not a Michigan car.It spent most of its life in Delaware and Pennsylvania..I repainted the whole car after my mother wrecked it..Hence the abs sensor being cracked..The car also had the top end and turbos done at 78,000..This car was my baby..Yes , Alex knows it was my car....It lived with my Gallardo and my 360 Modena as well as my Mustangs.. You're dead wrong.
@@deandalapanda I said something similar, when I responded to a comment (scroll above) which starts as “Keying a car is such a dirty thing to do…”. The former owner, Dave, reamed me out for it, and then proceeded to go on a rant about what really happened to the car. I triggered him deeply with my comment.
Dude you are a freaking genius!!! Great tip because I was seriously thinking about taking my Acura ZDX to a paint shop after years of drive thru car washes.
Alex, you did a fabulous job with the paint correction!!!! I hope Sam Crack appreciates the hard work that you put into this car!!! Looks 1000% better!!!!
Filling in with clear as well as base color and sanding down is a game changer. The goal on my daily driver is a 10 -- looks OK from 10 feet away. Thanks.
This is the most realistic scratch repair video. I just got an 09 A5 all scratched up and buffed it and you can even still see the lighter scratches. Watching other detailing videos they give you the impression that all the scratches come out. I’m definitely doing it this way now!!!
Worth 38 mins of real situation with good explanation in each stage of buffing and it’s what we the non professional will face when diy with limited tools.
This project is coming along amazing I’m so happy you’re fixing it all, well worth it with the scratch repair and some new gas in it, can’t go wrong!!! “This bmw alpina B7 went from junkyard worthy to showroom worthy”
Before you start check out AmmoNYC (Larry Kosilla) he does touchups with various sized med needles.. now that man is also very amazing at detailing cars But the car he did was a Mercedes cl something in black with a deep scratch along the passenger side
Alex! I can believe the love and dedication you taking to take out those deep scratches. I know when you finish the alpino is going to look outstanding. Also thank you for all idea and link you share.
Alex, really epic video with great step by step details! I have only seen somebody do this once on TH-cam, and yours is 200% better than the other effort. It is really important to show the good, bad, and ugly steps to get the total appreciation for the results. A great service to those of us advancing through these kinds of issues! Really great, Alex!
Great job Alex! I would love to see you continue fixing this car on a budget. Maybe even baking the drivers side headlight so you can buff the inside of it. I think you could really make this car look like it’s only had one very caring owner
As a veteran car restorer as my hobby, I am super impressed with your method of 'Key cut' repair. Your method looks so much easier than my 'blood, swet & tears' method. ha-ha (Admittedly I did not have your amazing aids to clearly identify what needs to be done & then make the job mush easier. ha-ha The Body shop quotes to repair was close to your car's quotes. hmm Many years ago, out of spite, some 'low life' bastard key cut the bonnet & drivers side of my beautiful z32 300 zx TT 2 plus 2 manual. After a couple of days, I started to repair the damage. My way was a lot of extra work & very tedious but the results matched yours. Instead of ceramic polish, I used Turtle wax polish instead of ceramic polish. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent 'How To' video Alex, just what I needed. I have a 2003 M-Sport E39 525i in need of a makeover coz of minor scratches, scuffs etc. Was quoted €4,500 up for a spray job. I have bought a buffing machine, pads and compounds etc and am now confident enough to tackle the job myself, thanks to your easy-to-understand videos. I also liked your vid about restoring the interior leather seats etc. Very helpful. Thanks man : )
Both entertaining and practical, here's a man who's affable nature shines as much as this car's gleaming paintwork. Hats off to you Alex and thank you for sharing this gem of a tutorial.
This with the clear coat is very clever.I have everything needed to fix the scraches on my car and i didn't even think to apply the clear that way.Will definitely try it
@@shawcobra it’s better than nothing, but a full surface decontamination is the way to go. Prep can completely make or break a paint job, paint correction, welding, etc.
I usually add in washing the panel with varsol and methyl hydrate. The varsol removes road tar and methyl hydrate removes tree sap. If that doesn't clean it, then I use the clay bar. I don't like damaging expensive clay bars when a quick solvent will get off most contamination.
Alex, I usually watch your videos on my TV while drinking coffee and eating breakfast, so I can't comment. But today I needed to fire this up on my phone to say just how amazed I am with the work you did on this paint restoration. Absolutely incredible results. I know this must have been a ton of work but the end product is just wild. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
I didn't follow this guide specifically, but this is the process I ended up with after watching 4 or 5 other videos after my kids drug a violin case with a zipper along my Clubman JCW and put a scratch all the way down both front and rear driver's door. It was bad. But after doing this, you can look real hard and see it from certain angles, but only if you really knew it was there in the first place. The Alpina looks awesome!
You should include an early step with a microfibre polishing pad. With enough pressure and some temperature in the pad and clear coat, usually the scratches will get filled in one step. Saves you a lot of touch ups on those medium deep scratches.
So someone just got after my truck, driver side. Thank you for such a great detailed video to show how easy it can be to cover up some scratches and key marks. Thank you very much.
Alex, I was extremely sceptical about this but I'm big enough to admit it was unjustified. I'm absolutely gobsmacked at the results of your DIY fix. You've inspired me to have a go at it myself. Thanks for another great video, happy Easter weekend.
@@maxwellhall8757 yeah I'll be as careful as possible (and also rewatch this video a couple of times). I have two pretty deep scratches on my nose/hood, I'd planned on having it resprayed but I'll give this a good old go first. I'm fairly experienced with minor body work repairs, this should be a nice addition to my skill set of I manage to pull it off.
@@maxwellhall8757if you just did the damage with a clay bar, a bodyshop can likely polish out the marks. I've been polishing for 34 years and I always expect to polish the vehicle if I touched it with a clay bar....I'm surprised they're being sold as a "one step" detail thing these days. I try to use varsol to remove tar and methyl hydrate (alcohol) for tree sap, if I need to clean an area without planning to polish it.
I have fixed many rock chips in my paint. No one would even know (unless I told them) using this same exact process. Just a little know how makes a vehicle stay looking like new. 👍
You really need to get one of the smaller polishers for areas like the spoiler and door pillars. It's not 100% necessary but they make life easier and lowers the risk of burning through (
My only reservation in attempting something like this is that I don’t have a Rupes d/a buffer, the various size backing plates or the pads for the compounding and polishing. Having the right tools for any job is essential but some times costly. I guess when you figure in the $7000 repaint quote even having to purchase a buffer and pads is a drop in the bucket in comparison, and the result is stunning. Beautiful job.
Even if I can’t watch while getting ready for work in the morning, I’ll keep it playing like a podcast. Super informative as well as calming, automotive ASMR
I had to laugh when you were doing the first walk around after it was all corrected and I'm looking at this beautiful blue Alpina, and then remember it still has no back window! Lol! Fantastic job Alex!
Geez I don't own a vehicle haven't owned one for thirty years and probably won't ever again and your one of my favorite TH-cam channels, you just seem to make everything interesting geat job, oh yeah and In life I was a chef not a mechanic but I do believe in fixing everything yourself if you can something I'm trying to instill into my son something hard to do in a disposable world.
You should claybar the car before you polish it. You're going to swirl the hell out of the clear by just hitting it with a polish. Also, when you wet-sand it you want to wet-sand it both parallel and perpendicular to the scratch. Finally, you're only doing it a little bit after you see white in the water. That's the clear coat coming off.
I used to detail cars for 10 years and I couldn’t take peoples bullsh’t anymore and closed shop. My max I charged was $300 I did a full detail. Inside & out. Removed the seats and carpet, washed it with stem and I cut & buff the paint on every car took out crazy deep scratches. Engine deep clean and people b’tched about the price every time they picked up the car. They loved the job
Totally remarkable. I will practice scratch removal on my daily driver before going to my garage queen. I freak when I see a new scratch on any of my cars, and prior to this video had little idea of what I could do about it other than shell out auto body $$. I never would have the confidence to touch a vehicle with sandpaper but you've made it look very easy. Thanks to Avalon King who turned me onto your videos... I'll be a regular on yours. Keep them coming. Thank you!! 👍
It’s an old trick filling the scratches with clear, I’m amazed that very little people know about it. Fill and sand and if wanting perfect fill again and sand. Polish and its 99% perfect for most cases. The Alpina looks awesome!
@@StefanFinster make a patch of clear on a test sheet of metal at the same time you apply on the scratches and test with your fingernail that it is hardened then it's good to sand and polish.
Instructions to the entire process and links to everything! Go save that MONEY! bit.ly/3xjMAV0 CERAMIC COATING FLASH SALE! Code LEGIT2022 DIY STEPS & PRODUCT LINKS! 1. Buff scratch with coarse pad and compound. Rupes buffer kit with all pads and compound - amzn.to/37oRnMb Just the course pads - amzn.to/3xx23Ty Course Compound - amzn.to/3JPAbg1 2. Wet sand with 2000 grit on a sanding block. 2000 Grit Sandpaper - amzn.to/3jK5Ncw Sanding block - amzn.to/3OiWXAs You can also use anything hard and flat behind the sandpaper. 3. Fill in clear coat scratches with clear coat. Clearcoat - amzn.to/3Of1ELA Little dabbers to apply the clear or color. These are great! amzn.to/38VQPhj 4. Add color only if the scratch is deeper than the clear. Touch up paint - amzn.to/3uJzTmC Pick your color or call the dealer for an exact match. You can also get some mixed at an automotive paint store. 5. Wet sand with the block to remove any high spots and then buff with the coarse pad and compound and then a fine pad and compound. Fine Pad - amzn.to/3uLPPVm Fine Compound - amzn.to/3xuNH6j
Someone keyed my car the full length. First thing I did was go over the scratches with a soft cloth and 99% alcohol. I then ran my fingernail over the scratches, any scratch I could feel is a scratch I was filling in. I filled in the scratches with touch-up paint in layers until it was slightly higher than the surface paint. From there I used a sanding block and various fine wet sandpapers. I polished it by hand, I never use a power polisher. When I finished no one could find or see the scratches. Difference is my paint wasn’t a super premium with clear coat so my simpler method did the job.
If this car was keyed just prior to it being repossessed, I wonder if the owner had done it. Reminds me of stories where a house is being foreclosed upon, and the owner knocks holes in walls, ruins the granite countertops and cabinets, and tears out the faucets and fixtures. Pure vandalism. Glad to see this car being brought back to life.
@@probablynot1368 No, the car wasn't done by me..It was done by the meth addict my godfather tried to help who destroyed the car while it was parked in his garage..Looking for cameras, microphones and meth..He also destroyed the house. Drove my car through a cornfield and pretty much killed it..After a full repaint in 15/16 as well as front clip and roof skin due to my mother wrecking it in Lewes, Delaware and the motor was rebuilt in 17...This happened in 2018. Yes Alex knows it was mine. The car was given back to the bank as part of a deal with the home owners insurance to pay it off..It wasn't repossessed. Yes the car was in Michigan, but lived in Delaware...This car wasn't really a multi owner car..I put it in other names due to a business LLC.I decided not to buy I back from the auction bc I bought another B7.
At long last some real world explanation and treatment of scratches. Noone else mentions about the difference in treatment of clearcoat and paint scratches. My new M3 got keyed and thanks to this I'll give it a go myself.
I just recently bought a Nissan 370Z that came with a lot of scratches on it that I have no idea where they came from, however this video has honestly given me the confidence that I could fix them up myself! I’m really excited to try and get the hood and fenders looking good again in the near future.
Looks glorious! I have an E66 750Li that I bought a few years ago with what appears to be some “love marks” from a disgruntled acquaintance. Awesome techniques, and now, I’m looking forward to warmer weather so I can try it out on mine!
I am watching your "performances" all the way from Thailand, - and I am SUPER impressed ! ! ! Originally from The Netherlands, but lived /worked in Canada for some 15 years. So I got used to the very cheap pricing on cars & trucks there. Here in Thailand, imported cars are 300% more expensive, which sort of takes the fun out of it. I drive a Toyota SUV, but really miss my 351 CO Mustang Mach-I which I had for a few years. Anyway;please keep up the great stuff you're doing. Warm Regards from Thailand, Jaap
Amazing results. The title wasn’t the anticipated clickbait. An accurate depiction ‘Fixed all the scratches for $80…quoted $7K…’ Your skill set is truly next level! This is by far the best keyed scratch DIY repair on TH-cam. Bravo!
This is awesome. Such a beautiful car! I recently bought myself a car that has some scratches and 2 dents in the door. With some yt tutorials I think I can get him to look brand new. Thanks for the inspo.
Amazing job. I have learned alot from this job that you have done on removing all the scratchs. The scratches have completely disappeared. 100 thumbs up.
Bro, your dyi stuff is fantastic. Between this bmw and the 540 seats, you make it look 99.9% consistently! This is practical for us with under appreciated yet clean German cars!
Hey man, been a follower for years now, i dont comment a lot, but when you are wet sanding scratches, do it horizontally of the scratch, not following the scratch. When you wet sand the scratch sideways you are removing the side "walls" of the scratch, thus making it less deep. When you do it vertically you arent doing as much, because youre just sanding along the scratch. Keep up the great work and sorry for a bit of bad english, not my native language😊
I just got my BMW keyed (Color - Havana Metallic) and all I gotta do is revisit this video and do the work, keeping the little details in mind 😂 These results of Alex's make me excited, luckily I have just 2 scratches on driver side (left side) doors, but they're pretty deep.
And he got it when I sent the word to the state prison he is now in after doing this to my car and also destroying the house I had it parked in after repainting the whole car and doing the top end and turbos...He was a meth addict my godfather tried to help by giving him a home to live in..Dude tweaked out and ripped everything apart looking for microphones and meth (his words)..Also drove it through cornfields and many more places according to the gps. ...I let it go to the bank after they made a deal w the home owners insurance to pay it off..It wasn't destroyed and then let go to the bank bc I knew it was being repossessedor couldn't pay..You think I'd have my Gallardo and Modena and Shelbys if I couldn't afford an Alpina? I owed 38 on it and in 2018 the book value dropped to 34,000 ...Didn't make senseto keep it after all of this as I had just paid for an undocumented accident from my mother wrecking it which included a complete front clip and roof skin as well as all new paint...Yes,Alex knows that it was my car.
Just so everyone knows how kind of a guy Alex is in real life, not only did he pay 100% for all repairs on my car; he's also donating half the ad revenues from these Alpina videos back to me so I can get a lift! Thanks again Alex!
For just 39 cents a day you too can save a Samcrac. Anything for you buddy!
*Sam you also forget to mention he offered to buy me a new car such a great guy* 😲👏
Bueno
That’s why when a legit street cars episode is released, you immediately stop what you’re doing to go watch. The only caveat is if you’re currently engaged in a Samcrac feature.
Sam your capping!
The fact the car looks this good for less than $100 is still blowing my mind...the camera doesn't do justice, it looks so much better in person!
I still can't believe its the same car. So satisfying!
Looks really great, you did an excellent job. Also, I’m very happy you hired a professional driver for the burnout at the beginning 👍
@@LegitStreetCars this is the most craziest fixed I've seen on a destroyed paint job. Glad you decided to go through with a full restoration.
He did a really good job.
Try using a white wool cut pad as your first step after wet sanding. It will get the sanding scratches that you made by the wet sanding out much better. Also, make sure that you are using an aggressive enough of a cutting compound.
This looks flawless 👍👍 I bought a keyed up X5 for $500 a few years ago. I did the same thing, drove it for almost 2 years and sold it for $2800
What had the guy done for the evil demons to scratch his car? I realize your username is a tip-off but still - and I also realize in some places, merely parking your car is enough to bring this about - but still totally destruction of the paint? I think ther are many people walking this earth who are not good people never will be. Just demons at heart
Hey, man great work! Can I give you a piece of advice on block sanding? Take this or leave it, but when you are sanding down the high spots try to NOT follow the scratch. Try to go at about 45-degree angles (usually 10 reps or so) then switch it up and do the opposite. Basically, you don't want to go horizontal along with the scratch but vertical 45's and crisis cross vertically along with the scratch. But do it evenly so that it is all flat and the surrounding paint and panel are flat which makes buffing it out easier. When you follow the scratch you are in essence creating a dip or "valley" in the paint and surrounding panel which will give the overall paint a wavy effect and will make it harder to buff out because the surrounding paint material will be higher than where the scratch is. It won't matter too much since you are blocking with 2000 but still, it's good practice to get in the habit of. Again take it or leave it and continue on with the great work!
Thanks for the suggestion! I'm about to wet-sand a spot next week and will use the 45-degree tip.
Great advice, very nice put.
I was noticing that too.
that was my first thought, as well never sand in the direction of the scratch, its a lot harder too see the scratch thats being taken out when the sanding scratches are running in exactly the same direction, , i would also use a trizact or 3000 after the 2000, which will reduce the polishing up time by about 75% and save on materials and sand the trizact or 3000 in a different direction from the scratch and the 2000, at the end of the day as long we all get the same result its all good
@@quallzone6219 wok 😊arh🎉
This is exactly why I learned how to detail my own cars over the last 10 years. It’s a lot of practice and patience but in the end, it can look professional. Totally worth learning and trying. Have learned paint correction for these types of scratches and rock chips and wet sanding them to an invisible finish. Great job Alex cleaning this awesome car up and teaching everyone at the same time! DIY detailing can be cost savings and personally rewarding! Thank you!
My uncle owned body & paint shops in NYC. This vid would have put him out of business!!! Well done! Appreciate your devotion to saving this baby. FIRE!
I woke up in the middle of the night here in the UK suffering with insomnia and couldn't sleep. Watched this video which totally calmed me down watching Alex fix this car then slept like a rock the rest of the night.
Thanks Alex 🤘
Awesome and goodnight!
That's just nice when things work out like this. Perhaps watching this video re-channelled your brain thoughts, when I get agitated like that sometimes I actually have to go for a walk, in the middle of the night. What could go wrong?
I was a repo man in Florida for many years. It was very common for the owners to key the cars, or even worse to them when they knew the bank was coming for the car. So this key job was probably by them. Real pieces of work out there! Like it's the banks fault! Love your videos and am subscriber now!
I've been fixing scratches in the paint like this for years! You're giving away the secrets!! Nice work!
This is a great video. After watching, I decided to do the same thing to one of my vehicles to repair a ton of heavy scratches across the entire hood. Worked very well!
What a great "how-to" video! Really shows you how easy it is to totally transform the damaged paint on your car... and he's doing it for a friend! What a guy!
Man it's unreal how much damage they did to the car! You did a great job at making this car look like new again!
People like this do stuff like this to other people's stuff and wonder why they lose in life it's crazy
@@The_journeyy yup karma will get em
@@The_journeyy More than likely it was the OWNER who did the damage... its very common on cars that are going to get repossessed.
The owner has so much bitterness that they damage the car... anywhere from keying the body, to cracking windshields, to draining the oil pan or putting sugar... yes sugar down into the oil gallery
Ive seen it alll....
@@deandalapanda No dingbat ...I didn't damage my car..It was a meth addict who did it while I was on vacation and the car was parked at my godfathers house in the garage. My godfather did the kids mother a favor by giving him a place to live Kid made up some burnt out stuff had my godfather removed from his own home and destroyed the house and the destroyed my car and drove it through cornfields..It's not a Michigan car.It spent most of its life in Delaware and Pennsylvania..I repainted the whole car after my mother wrecked it..Hence the abs sensor being cracked..The car also had the top end and turbos done at 78,000..This car was my baby..Yes , Alex knows it was my car....It lived with my Gallardo and my 360 Modena as well as my Mustangs.. You're dead wrong.
@@deandalapanda I said something similar, when I responded to a comment (scroll above) which starts as “Keying a car is such a dirty thing to do…”. The former owner, Dave, reamed me out for it, and then proceeded to go on a rant about what really happened to the car. I triggered him deeply with my comment.
Man this is probably the cheapest easiest fastest paint repair I have ever seen. With incredible results too ! Well done Alex.
Dude you are a freaking genius!!! Great tip because I was seriously thinking about taking my Acura ZDX to a paint shop after years of drive thru car washes.
Alex, you did a fabulous job with the paint correction!!!! I hope Sam Crack appreciates the hard work that you put into this car!!! Looks 1000% better!!!!
Filling in with clear as well as base color and sanding down is a game changer. The goal on my daily driver is a 10 -- looks OK from 10 feet away. Thanks.
What a transformation Alex! You’re gonna hit 700K subs this week I bet, so congrats. Good stuff as always. Beautiful ride.
Thanks TJ!
This is the most realistic scratch repair video. I just got an 09 A5 all scratched up and buffed it and you can even still see the lighter scratches.
Watching other detailing videos they give you the impression that all the scratches come out.
I’m definitely doing it this way now!!!
Alex is the GOAT of making jaw dropping transformations. Your videos keep us glued to our screens with excitement. Keep it up!
I agree with you , very interesting video captivating to watch .
I used to watch your vids for fun & now im a wholesale car dealer and i absolutely love your videos. very inspiring and educational.
Nice work, Alex! The 'Go to guy' for smart paint repair in the whole of Chicago!! 😊
I'm enjoying this series on cheap repair (but good) work.
Worth 38 mins of real situation with good explanation in each stage of buffing and it’s what we the non professional will face when diy with limited tools.
This project is coming along amazing I’m so happy you’re fixing it all, well worth it with the scratch repair and some new gas in it, can’t go wrong!!! “This bmw alpina B7 went from junkyard worthy to showroom worthy”
Channelling your inner Bob Ross in this one. I can hear it in your voice every time the brush starts moving.
Amazing job, was going to take my E39 to shop to get some minor scratches fixed, not now 😀😀
Love your videos !!!
Before you start check out AmmoNYC (Larry Kosilla) he does touchups with various sized med needles.. now that man is also very amazing at detailing cars
But the car he did was a Mercedes cl something in black with a deep scratch along the passenger side
@@musikdrengen02 AMMO NYC has only 1 video in regards to scratch removals.
I'm gonna fix scratches on my e39 too 🤣
@@legioner9 ive watched so many of his videos its all mashed together now ;)
Alex should keep the whip! That's a nice luxury to daily and a good project for the channel bc that v8 is gonna throw some codes every other week
Alex! I can believe the love and dedication you taking to take out those deep scratches. I know when you finish the alpino is going to look outstanding. Also thank you for all idea and link you share.
Been working with a rupes buffer for years.. I love what I saw in this episode, the genius behind this how to is understated..great job Alex
Alex, really epic video with great step by step details! I have only seen somebody do this once on TH-cam, and yours is 200% better than the other effort. It is really important to show the good, bad, and ugly steps to get the total appreciation for the results. A great service to those of us advancing through these kinds of issues! Really great, Alex!
Thank you so much. I'm so glad you found the video useful!
Man, with that color and all the metallic in it I wouldn't belive this was all paint repair and not a re-spray. Those are amazing results 👍
Great job Alex! I would love to see you continue fixing this car on a budget. Maybe even baking the drivers side headlight so you can buff the inside of it. I think you could really make this car look like it’s only had one very caring owner
As a veteran car restorer as my hobby, I am super impressed with your method of 'Key cut' repair. Your method looks so much easier than my 'blood, swet & tears' method. ha-ha (Admittedly I did not have your amazing aids to clearly identify what needs to be done & then make the job mush easier. ha-ha The Body shop quotes to repair was close to your car's quotes. hmm
Many years ago, out of spite, some 'low life' bastard key cut the bonnet & drivers side of my beautiful z32 300 zx TT 2 plus 2 manual.
After a couple of days, I started to repair the damage. My way was a lot of extra work & very tedious but the results matched yours. Instead of ceramic polish, I used Turtle wax polish instead of ceramic polish.
Thanks for sharing.
This was by far the most satisfying scratch removal ever!!
Excellent 'How To' video Alex, just what I needed. I have a 2003 M-Sport E39 525i in need of a makeover coz of minor scratches, scuffs etc. Was quoted €4,500 up for a spray job. I have bought a buffing machine, pads and compounds etc and am now confident enough to tackle the job myself, thanks to your easy-to-understand videos. I also liked your vid about restoring the interior leather seats etc. Very helpful. Thanks man : )
Both entertaining and practical, here's a man who's affable nature shines as much as this car's gleaming paintwork. Hats off to you Alex and thank you for sharing this gem of a tutorial.
This with the clear coat is very clever.I have everything needed to fix the scraches on my car and i didn't even think to apply the clear that way.Will definitely try it
Don't forget to clay bar before buffing or wet sanding any area around a scratch! Or you'll end up with more swirls and scratches than you had before.
Would a spray iron remover work as well?
@@shawcobra it’s better than nothing, but a full surface decontamination is the
way to go. Prep can completely make or break a paint job, paint correction, welding, etc.
I think he said he washed it with a clay sponge beforehand to decontaminate it
I usually add in washing the panel with varsol and methyl hydrate. The varsol removes road tar and methyl hydrate removes tree sap. If that doesn't clean it, then I use the clay bar. I don't like damaging expensive clay bars when a quick solvent will get off most contamination.
Alex, I usually watch your videos on my TV while drinking coffee and eating breakfast, so I can't comment. But today I needed to fire this up on my phone to say just how amazed I am with the work you did on this paint restoration. Absolutely incredible results. I know this must have been a ton of work but the end product is just wild. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
I won’t lie…I ceramic coated my bathroom sink, seriously the best idea ever lol
Its so good for that too!
I didn't follow this guide specifically, but this is the process I ended up with after watching 4 or 5 other videos after my kids drug a violin case with a zipper along my Clubman JCW and put a scratch all the way down both front and rear driver's door. It was bad. But after doing this, you can look real hard and see it from certain angles, but only if you really knew it was there in the first place. The Alpina looks awesome!
You should include an early step with a microfibre polishing pad. With enough pressure and some temperature in the pad and clear coat, usually the scratches will get filled in one step. Saves you a lot of touch ups on those medium deep scratches.
If you a video with that technique, please share…thanks
I might consider coating myself. Lol!!! The shower door is a game changer!!!! Thanks Alex.
Great job Alex! I always thought this sort of repair was possible. You just demonstrated it is. Nice work. Thanks!
So someone just got after my truck, driver side. Thank you for such a great detailed video to show how easy it can be to cover up some scratches and key marks. Thank you very much.
Alex, I was extremely sceptical about this but I'm big enough to admit it was unjustified. I'm absolutely gobsmacked at the results of your DIY fix. You've inspired me to have a go at it myself. Thanks for another great video, happy Easter weekend.
Me 2...
Beware lol I added swirl marks after claying a black car of mine haha oh well.
@@maxwellhall8757 yeah I'll be as careful as possible (and also rewatch this video a couple of times). I have two pretty deep scratches on my nose/hood, I'd planned on having it resprayed but I'll give this a good old go first. I'm fairly experienced with minor body work repairs, this should be a nice addition to my skill set of I manage to pull it off.
@@maxwellhall8757if you just did the damage with a clay bar, a bodyshop can likely polish out the marks. I've been polishing for 34 years and I always expect to polish the vehicle if I touched it with a clay bar....I'm surprised they're being sold as a "one step" detail thing these days. I try to use varsol to remove tar and methyl hydrate (alcohol) for tree sap, if I need to clean an area without planning to polish it.
I have fixed many rock chips in my paint. No one would even know (unless I told them) using this same exact process. Just a little know how makes a vehicle stay looking like new. 👍
You really need to get one of the smaller polishers for areas like the spoiler and door pillars. It's not 100% necessary but they make life easier and lowers the risk of burning through (
My only reservation in attempting something like this is that I don’t have a Rupes d/a buffer, the various size backing plates or the pads for the compounding and polishing. Having the right tools for any job is essential but some times costly. I guess when you figure in the $7000 repaint quote even having to purchase a buffer and pads is a drop in the bucket in comparison, and the result is stunning. Beautiful job.
The best part about fixing this paint is that you can't do any harm to it, it's already ruined on every panel lmao.
That's right!
Unless you burn all around the touch up trying to buff it back in which is a real possibility. Although if you got to that point send it to Maaco lol
@@LegitStreetCars Alex you did a great job..This literally made me sick when I walked in on this car after this was done to my baby.
yes and no, using the correct technique stops one from making it even worse and will make the results even better.
@@Dave-ur5ub how did it happen? Do you know?
Keep this to flip would be a cool restoration
Even if I can’t watch while getting ready for work in the morning, I’ll keep it playing like a podcast. Super informative as well as calming, automotive ASMR
I had to laugh when you were doing the first walk around after it was all corrected and I'm looking at this beautiful blue Alpina, and then remember it still has no back window! Lol! Fantastic job Alex!
What a car, what a video, what a result! Your patience makes all the hard jobs seem manageable! Bravo!
Best part of my Saturday mornings, look forward to it all week!
Thanks!!
definitely! LSC should really do more videos even with minor stuff, he presents really good and has a calming voice
Geez I don't own a vehicle haven't owned one for thirty years and probably won't ever again and your one of my favorite TH-cam channels, you just seem to make everything interesting geat job, oh yeah and In life I was a chef not a mechanic but I do believe in fixing everything yourself if you can something I'm trying to instill into my son something hard to do in a disposable world.
One of my favourite videos hands down! Keep up the great content man, i appreciate your videos!
Best channel on TH-cam even my wife watched for 10 minutes because she didn't believe he could remove the scratches.
Thanks William's wife!
Awesome, the paint looks so much better!
Nicely done. (I prep Porsche's for full concours.)
This content was awesome. Listening to you makes me feel that I can do anything.
I still love the way these cars look. And those are probably my favorite factory wheels ever made.
You should claybar the car before you polish it. You're going to swirl the hell out of the clear by just hitting it with a polish.
Also, when you wet-sand it you want to wet-sand it both parallel and perpendicular to the scratch. Finally, you're only doing it a little bit after you see white in the water. That's the clear coat coming off.
I used to detail cars for 10 years and I couldn’t take peoples bullsh’t anymore and closed shop. My max I charged was $300 I did a full detail. Inside & out. Removed the seats and carpet, washed it with stem and I cut & buff the paint on every car took out crazy deep scratches. Engine deep clean and people b’tched about the price every time they picked up the car. They loved the job
Looks amazing. Gonna be a beautiful B7 once done.
Totally remarkable. I will practice scratch removal on my daily driver before going to my garage queen. I freak when I see a new scratch on any of my cars, and prior to this video had little idea of what I could do about it other than shell out auto body $$. I never would have the confidence to touch a vehicle with sandpaper but you've made it look very easy. Thanks to Avalon King who turned me onto your videos... I'll be a regular on yours. Keep them coming. Thank you!! 👍
The fact that you got an Alpina that's in such great overall shape is a W on its own
my favorite video so far. really appreciate the elbow grease it takes to restore a car and it looks amazing
Love such an under stated car especially when it came out.
It’s an old trick filling the scratches with clear, I’m amazed that very little people know about it. Fill and sand and if wanting perfect fill again and sand. Polish and its 99% perfect for most cases. The Alpina looks awesome!
just tried and my clearcoat came off in the scratch area
@@StefanFinster use spray clear with brush, and let it cure properly.
@@MJPilote i used the Audi VW stuff you get when you buy touch up. and only waited 3h for it to cure. thoughts? different clear or wait longer?
@@StefanFinster make a patch of clear on a test sheet of metal at the same time you apply on the scratches and test with your fingernail that it is hardened then it's good to sand and polish.
Very useful video--taught me a lot. Thanks!
That car looks incredible. What a transformation
Instructions to the entire process and links to everything! Go save that MONEY!
bit.ly/3xjMAV0 CERAMIC COATING FLASH SALE! Code LEGIT2022
DIY STEPS & PRODUCT LINKS!
1. Buff scratch with coarse pad and compound.
Rupes buffer kit with all pads and compound - amzn.to/37oRnMb
Just the course pads - amzn.to/3xx23Ty
Course Compound - amzn.to/3JPAbg1
2. Wet sand with 2000 grit on a sanding block.
2000 Grit Sandpaper - amzn.to/3jK5Ncw
Sanding block - amzn.to/3OiWXAs
You can also use anything hard and flat behind the sandpaper.
3. Fill in clear coat scratches with clear coat.
Clearcoat - amzn.to/3Of1ELA
Little dabbers to apply the clear or color. These are great! amzn.to/38VQPhj
4. Add color only if the scratch is deeper than the clear.
Touch up paint - amzn.to/3uJzTmC
Pick your color or call the dealer for an exact match. You can also get some mixed at an automotive paint store.
5. Wet sand with the block to remove any high spots and then buff with the coarse pad and compound and then a fine pad and compound.
Fine Pad - amzn.to/3uLPPVm
Fine Compound - amzn.to/3xuNH6j
Oldsmobile Aurora
Someone keyed my car the full length. First thing I did was go over the scratches with a soft cloth and 99% alcohol. I then ran my fingernail over the scratches, any scratch I could feel is a scratch I was filling in. I filled in the scratches with touch-up paint in layers until it was slightly higher than the surface paint. From there I used a sanding block and various fine wet sandpapers. I polished it by hand, I never use a power polisher. When I finished no one could find or see the scratches. Difference is my paint wasn’t a super premium with clear coat so my simpler method did the job.
Dude, that touch up was capital! I have a similar issue, and this vid has been very informative! 👍
Let’s get to 1m subs this year!
That would be insane!
Wow! This video was absolutely amazing. I knew scratch removal was possible but I never knew it was do-able by the average guy in his garage.
Keying a car is such a dirty thing to do, it raises my blood pressure hearing about it..
Such a horrible thing to do.
especially on a custom paint color, “totals the car”
If this car was keyed just prior to it being repossessed, I wonder if the owner had done it. Reminds me of stories where a house is being foreclosed upon, and the owner knocks holes in walls, ruins the granite countertops and cabinets, and tears out the faucets and fixtures. Pure vandalism. Glad to see this car being brought back to life.
Someone used a brick to scratch my bmw last year, just dragging it over my window and hood at night ... people are nasty
@@probablynot1368 No, the car wasn't done by me..It was done by the meth addict my godfather tried to help who destroyed the car while it was parked in his garage..Looking for cameras, microphones and meth..He also destroyed the house. Drove my car through a cornfield and pretty much killed it..After a full repaint in 15/16 as well as front clip and roof skin due to my mother wrecking it in Lewes, Delaware and the motor was rebuilt in 17...This happened in 2018. Yes Alex knows it was mine. The car was given back to the bank as part of a deal with the home owners insurance to pay it off..It wasn't repossessed. Yes the car was in Michigan, but lived in Delaware...This car wasn't really a multi owner car..I put it in other names due to a business LLC.I decided not to buy I back from the auction bc I bought another B7.
At long last some real world explanation and treatment of scratches. Noone else mentions about the difference in treatment of clearcoat and paint scratches. My new M3 got keyed and thanks to this I'll give it a go myself.
Newer, longer videos every Saturday for years. What a time to be alive.
I just recently bought a Nissan 370Z that came with a lot of scratches on it that I have no idea where they came from, however this video has honestly given me the confidence that I could fix them up myself! I’m really excited to try and get the hood and fenders looking good again in the near future.
This inspires me to take on the scratch on my Fusion Titanium and then a total buff and ceramic coat.
Looks glorious! I have an E66 750Li that I bought a few years ago with what appears to be some “love marks” from a disgruntled acquaintance. Awesome techniques, and now, I’m looking forward to warmer weather so I can try it out on mine!
I am watching your "performances" all the way from Thailand, - and I am SUPER impressed ! ! ! Originally from The Netherlands, but lived /worked in Canada for some 15 years. So I got used to the very cheap pricing on cars & trucks there. Here in Thailand, imported cars are 300% more expensive, which sort of takes the fun out of it. I drive a Toyota SUV, but really miss my 351 CO Mustang Mach-I which I had for a few years. Anyway;please keep up the great stuff you're doing. Warm Regards from Thailand, Jaap
You did, in this video, something I love to do as well. Your enthusiasm about the results is fun to watch.! Hope your channel grows more and more Alex
Amazing results. The title wasn’t the anticipated clickbait. An accurate depiction ‘Fixed all the scratches for $80…quoted $7K…’ Your skill set is truly next level!
This is by far the best keyed scratch DIY repair on TH-cam. Bravo!
This is awesome. Such a beautiful car! I recently bought myself a car that has some scratches and 2 dents in the door. With some yt tutorials I think I can get him to look brand new. Thanks for the inspo.
Amazing job. I have learned alot from this job that you have done on removing all the scratchs. The scratches have completely disappeared. 100 thumbs up.
@ammonyc should take notice. THIS is how you repair deep scratches. You did an amazing job and the paint matched 100%
This is the best result for scratch removal tutorial in the history of TH-cam!
Bro, your dyi stuff is fantastic. Between this bmw and the 540 seats, you make it look 99.9% consistently!
This is practical for us with under appreciated yet clean German cars!
Wow!!!! You've turned that Alpina into a gorgeous car!!! It looks amazing!!! Reminds me of a Bob Ross painting episode!! 😁😁😁
Love this Alex. You should call this project "Removing the Alpina Patina".
Hey man, been a follower for years now, i dont comment a lot, but when you are wet sanding scratches, do it horizontally of the scratch, not following the scratch. When you wet sand the scratch sideways you are removing the side "walls" of the scratch, thus making it less deep. When you do it vertically you arent doing as much, because youre just sanding along the scratch. Keep up the great work and sorry for a bit of bad english, not my native language😊
I will be paying close attention to this video. My daughter (2 years old) drew some art work on my wife's van with a rock and on my Audi with a bolt.
I just got my BMW keyed (Color - Havana Metallic) and all I gotta do is revisit this video and do the work, keeping the little details in mind 😂
These results of Alex's make me excited, luckily I have just 2 scratches on driver side (left side) doors, but they're pretty deep.
I am fixing my own car...Thanks to you...I've managed pretty good so far. Thanks a lot❤
So satisfying and well done on the cheap budget. Wish I’d seen something like this when I had my previous car badly keyed
Amazing Alex I have to work on my mother's car and your work encourages me to do what you did. Although she will not even care.
Guys that scratch a car like that are definitely warranted a "Will Smith" slap!! Alex, your work is so darn good...congrats on the the restoration.
And he got it when I sent the word to the state prison he is now in after doing this to my car and also destroying the house I had it parked in after repainting the whole car and doing the top end and turbos...He was a meth addict my godfather tried to help by giving him a home to live in..Dude tweaked out and ripped everything apart looking for microphones and meth (his words)..Also drove it through cornfields and many more places according to the gps. ...I let it go to the bank after they made a deal w the home owners insurance to pay it off..It wasn't destroyed and then let go to the bank bc I knew it was being repossessedor couldn't pay..You think I'd have my Gallardo and Modena and Shelbys if I couldn't afford an Alpina? I owed 38 on it and in 2018 the book value dropped to 34,000 ...Didn't make senseto keep it after all of this as I had just paid for an undocumented accident from my mother wrecking it which included a complete front clip and roof skin as well as all new paint...Yes,Alex knows that it was my car.
It was getting frustrating watching you fix the scratches because my phone is broken! so every time I thought I saw more... Nice job awesome fix
Alex you're making me want to go berserk on my car, great video!