Toyota Tacoma Tailgate Repair

[Desertnate]

This summer my father-in-law asked if I could do anything to make the tailgate on his truck look better. At some point he had not pulled the trunk quite far enough into the garage and the door scraped tailgate as it closed. The next time we went down for a visit, I brought along a few products and tools to see what I could do.

When I took a good look at it, here is what I found.








I cleaned and clayed the tailgate. From there, a couple test spots were performed and found I'd have to use a two step approach in order to get the best results. I relied on the proven combo of Meguiars UC on a LC Orange pad and UP on a white pad.







I wasn't able to get 100% correction. The scratches were simple too deep and the big one showing white was deep into the primer. However, may of the other marks were completely removed or minimized to where they were not visible unless you were very close and knew where to look. My father-in-law was thrilled with the results, which was the most important part. I have a feeling on our next visit I'll be on the hook for a full detailing. Only fair since I cleaned up my mother-in-law's car on a previous visit.

[Buster906]

What DA did you use

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[TheCougarGuy]

Nice work!

[rmagnus]

Looks great. He should be thrilled. Once a scratch goes through the color coat you have to use paint to bring it back.

[Desertnate]

What DA did you use

My crude, yet trusty old Harbor Freight DA.

Nice work!

Thanks!

Looks great. He should be thrilled. Once a scratch goes through the color coat you have to use paint to bring it back.

Thanks. He was thrilled to see most of the damage disappear. The biggest one you still see in the pictures was pretty nasty, and I let him know going it I couldn't fix it. There were some other scratches you could barely feel as well. They were minimized, but if you took a flashlight to the truck or got up close you'd still see them. This trunk only gets used for runs to get lumber or short errands, so I wasn't going to eat away all the clear coat hunting for perfection.

[Buster906]

Nothing wrong with a HF DA

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[marshallz3m]

Hit that deep scratch with a dr color chip or the like and let it cure. Go light, and build it up in layers. Stop when you reach “good enough”... remember that the enemy of good is better. Good luck!

M.

[JDGolden]

Major improvement. Sometimes that's all you can ask for and be truly happy with.

[Desertnate]

Hit that deep scratch with a dr color chip or the like and let it cure. Go light, and build it up in layers. Stop when you reach “good enough”... remember that the enemy of good is better. Good luck!

M.

I hadn't thought of using Dr Color Chip on something that large. Great suggestion. I've never done touch up paint. This might be a good, low-threat, opportunity.

Major improvement. Sometimes that's all you can ask for and be truly happy with.

I always try to be pragmatic in my approach. Sometimes perfection isn't possible, or the pursuit of perfection may not be worth the risk/long-term effects (i.e. compounding a good amount of the clear).