Expensive scratches -- or are they?

[1998Exp]

Just learned a hard lesson not to let a new driver behind the wheel of my 1998 Ex. My lovely daughter managed to 'decorate' it with a bunch of horizontal scratches on the left side rear door. For a scale, the longest one is about 5". There is no dent and the scratches did not penetrate the primer, just the paint was damaged.
We visited three body shops in the area, and the quotes ranged from about $900 to $1200. Their computer-generated estimates called for a lot of disassembly and for working on the front door as well (which wasn't damaged at all), just to 'blend the color properly'.
I know that I can take this to some third-rate shop and do this on the cheap, but my truck is in very good shape, and I don't want to mess it up. Any advice will be appreciated, and, if by chance you know a good and reasonably priced outlet in the Seattle area, great!
https://lovestotravel.smugmug.com/Other/Auto/i-vrdS3gq

 

[chefduane]

Can't really see how deep they are, but it looks like they might buff out with some good compound and wax.

 

[1998Exp]

Sadly no: it's all the way through the paint to the primer.

Can't really see how deep they are, but it looks like they might buff out with some good compound and wax.

 

[Flash]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ01Gb1pmyU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv5gTgA3OpM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4SNN8PjdmQ

 

[koda2000]

If you can get your finger nail in the scratch, it ain't buffing out. Your vehicle most likely has a 2-stage paint job on it (base/color coat and a clear coat). If the clear coat is slightly scratched it can usually be buffed out, but the clear coat on production vehicles is quite thin and if you buff through it you'll end up with a dull spot. Plus the clear coat wears down with age, getting even thinner. Body shops will usually need to repaint an entire side, or several panels, of a vehicle to blend in a repaired area. Typically the older the vehicle's paint job is the harder it is to blend in new paint to make the repair less noticeable. Metallic paint is even harder to get right because of the way the metallic partials lay-down during painting. I'd suggest you just live with it rather than spending $1200 (on a vehicle that isn't worth much more than that) only to possibly end up with a repair that is noticeable an stands out more than the small scratches you have now. Besides, if your new driver continues to drive your vehicle, this wont be the last scratch they put in it.

I raised 2 daughters. When they got their licenses I immediately bought them older (but safe) vehicles of their own so that they could mess them up rather than my cars (which they both did regularly).

 

[1997XLTRollover]

I would hit that with a nice compound and buffer, that will get some of it fixed and call it a day. You could find a nice junkyard door but even then the paint probably won't match well.

Could always make your daughter pay for it and learn a nice lesson.

 

[funfool]

why not get some touch up paint. Just a small bottle with small fingernail brush.
Have your daughter help, heck have her look up on the internet for instructions and let her ram rod the project.
Just do the best you can, it will look much better then it does now.
Others wont notice it.
Just smile when you do see it, and remember the fun.
It is a 17 year old car full of memories.