Some idiot (being polite) has decided that my car would look much better with a nice big cross scratched onto the bonnet at the front. This scratch goes all the way down to the primer, so I can't polish it out. Has anyone had any dealings with these companies that repair scratches in paintwork. I know its usually bumpers that they deal with, but if it looks ok and its cheaper than having the whole bonnet resprayed I might give it a go. At the minute I'm just looking at using the good old touch up stick to bodge it until I can afford to have it all sprayed. (11/99)
Some reprobate has left a hideous black mark on my bumper. It doesn't appear to have gone through to the paintwork I think all the layers of dirt protected it somewhat - I have been a bit lazy cleaning the car of late and it's always chucking it down here in Manchester). Anyway, I am hoping that the mark will mostly polish out and so what is the most effective method for removing such marks? Will T-Cut do the job or should I avoid that and go for something a bit more subtle? (12/99)
Try WD-40 first - non-abrasive and it'll shift rubbery-tarry marks (12/99)
I've got the touch up "pencil" from Mazda and am thinking of attempting to remove a few stone chips. I suspect the "pencil" is better described as "a bloody huge brush" and will not really be suitable for applying the paint. Does anybody have any recommendations on how to apply the paint without it looking like I've been painting with the brush inbetween my toes? (1/00)
I was going to get one of these from Oxford Mazda next time I go in. From what I remember being told about these they are not the brush type - not sure what they have instead maybe a sort of felt tip approach ? Guess they would be ok on tiny chips with a bit of polishing afterwards. (1/00)
Yes - with a cocktail stick. Means you can work into the smallest of chips without too much messy overlap. (1/00)
I bought what Mazda describe as a touch-up pencil for my Berkeley to patch up the stone chips on the front of the car. How they can call it a pencil I'll never know - it's a pack of 2 small tins, one of paint and one of lacquer (for metallic paints anyway). Each tin has a small brush in the lid, but this brush is much too big for most uses. The best method I have found is to use a cocktail stick to apply the paint, when it has dried sufficiently (a couple of hours), rub it down with a bit of brasso (not shaken) to make sure the paint goes flush to the surrounding paintwork. Although I am not an expert at this and my description above may be frowned upon by some people, I have successfully patched up numerous unsightly chips on the front of my car and when it is polished it looks almost as good as new. (1/00)
You get the paint and the varnish/laquer in two tubes but I never actually opened the tubes up. I think the diagrams on the back implied that they were brushes. (1/00)
I use a small paint brush myself (I think it only has 3 or 4 hairs left) Don't try to fill the chip all at once but fill it up little by little an let the paint dry in between touch-ups. I read once about someone using tooth-pics to apply the paint and pencil tops with some ultra fine sanding paper attached to the gum part of the pencil to 'sand' down excess paint, followed by polishing. (1/00)
Gained a large scratch this morning from a discarded roadworks sign. About 2 inches long and 1/8 inch - 1/4 inch wide just above the sill on the rear wheel arch. Does this need spraying or will one of theses mobile Chip/Scratch repair companies be able to cope with the repair. (3/00)
Sue the b*****ds! I have it on good authority that most local authority highways people will pay up for this sort of thing, provided you get as many details as possible. Try and get photos of the scratch AND the roadsign, write down dates/times, then threaten to sue. (3/00)
Agreed 100%. If you have pictures, description of what happened, location on a map, etc. they just crumble. I did this when I hit a pothole and got 950 quids worth of damage to my BMW. They paid quickly and in full. (3/00)

If it was council repairs you should pursue it with the council, regardless of whether they were using their own people or a subcontractor. My dad is currently going through something similar after being showered with grit/road salt from a gritting lorry going far too fast.

However, if the stray sign was from road repairs done by Transco/BT/water company/etc, you may have to pursue it direct with them. I'm not sure if the council have the ultimate responsibility for this type of highway maintenance. (3/00)

It's more than likely that the sign was left by a public utility contractor and whilst the council has a duty to maintain the highway in a safe condition, it could argue that it had no prior knowledge of the sign.

Basically, if the council could not have reasonably known about the sign, it cannot be held liable (although the person who left it there could be).

However, it may be that the council should have known about the sign - either because it was left by one of its own contractors or because it had been there for a period of time or it had even been told about it by a conscientious passer-by - in this case, you might have a chance.

In any event, you've nothing to lose (subject to my comments below) by sending a letter to the council. This should state the circumstances and (very importantly) the nature and value of your claim. Make it clear what you are claiming for - be very specific.

Request a copy of the inspection records for the road. This puts the onus on the council to respond within a timescale (21 days I think). A point to note is that they must not just blindly deny liability - they have to say why liability is denied. If they (or the claimant for that matter) dont follow procedure, it could help in deciding costs if a claim goes to court.

However, don't forget that every successful claim against a highway authority increases council tax and insurance premiums - and potentially reduces the money available for very necessary road maintenance. Also, all claims take up valuable time and resources to process - again we all end up paying for it. It is worth remembering that every person has a duty of care to themselves and others and many highway claims going to court result in shared liability (and costs!) - often the only people who benefit are lawyers !

The above is just my humble opinion, of course. Please do not take this info. as gospel - I am not a lawyer - only an 'umble engineer, m'lud. (3/00)
I had this happen to me about 3 years ago in a company car. The local highway people paid up cos its their job to ensure their contractors set up the signs correctly and remove them at the end. They did not argue just accepted it. I did have a witness though. (3/00)