How To Fix A Scratched Rim
Quick Fix: Rim Scratch!
How To Fix A Scratched Rim: I was driving my car today and was super bummed to notice a massive scratch on the passenger-side rim. I couldn’t recall hitting anything, and I consider myself the Michael Schumacher of suburbia with impressive APEX cornering, lightning-fast reactions, and pure precision handling (all statements to be confirmed later), so this damage was surprising, although I have some ideas…
The good news – I have a quick fix to share.
TB Quick Hits (Summary):
- This is a quick and cheap DIY solution to fixing a scratch rim
- Gets the job done for your everyday vehicle – these things happen with cars we use daily, so fix it up so you don’t have to look at the scratch everyday
How To Fix The Scratched Rim
Luckily, my Tesla has black rims. I’ve performed this fix several times (not pointing fingers, but there’s really only one other person who drives my car…). I wanted to share this because it’s better than spending $100 at a rim repair shop, and to the untrained eye, it’s hardly noticeable. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect fix, but it prevents me from sighing every time I approach my vehicle. As much as I like to keep my car pristine, accidents happen (no harsh words were said).
THE DAMAGE:
The Rim Fix
I have done this several times before and have always been happy with the results. I purchased a black ink SHARPIE Oil-Based Paint Marker with a Medium Point. The key here is to clean the wheel first. Grab a rag, do not use paper towels as the scratched rim will rip the paper towels (this is coming from experience), and then all the paper towel remnants are on the rim.
Rim Fix Steps:
- Clean the rim
- Dry the rim
- Shake the pen for 60 seconds
- Carefully dab the heavily damaged parts, filling them in with ink.
- Wait for 2 minutes, then wipe it down to remove over-paint on non-damaged areas.
- Repeat this process a couple of times until the scratch is fixed.
- For minor scratches, draw over them, then wipe off the excess ink. Repeat this step once or twice if necessary.
Rim Fix Results
Boom! Done. Again, this is not perfect, but for black rims, it’s a cheap hack. To the naked eye, you can hardly tell. You need to crouch down and look closely to spot the scratch.
A Word of Caution: Please note that this method is not suitable for showroom-quality cars or high-end vehicles like the Ferrari F50 or my dream a Carrera GT. This is simply a fix for my daily driver, and it will suffice until the rim is replaced one day.
With this simple fix, you can save some money and keep your black-rimmed vehicle looking good.
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