Clear Coat Pen Alternatives

[Larry_M]

I have a couple of very fine scratches in the clear coat of my 2020 AS. Airstream is out of their clear coat pens. The local Toyota dealership sells their clear coat pen (part # 00C 002580000C21). Is that an acceptable alternative to the Airstream one?

Also, would Dawn dish soap be a good product to remove any existing wax before using the clear coat pen? I don't want to mess up the surrounding clear coat since the scratch is so small.

[mikeinca]

Before you try touching up with a clear coat pen, let me ask; can you actually feel the scratches with your fingernail? If you can't, they may just be surface scratches in which case you should consider a mild polishing agent.

I have had excellent results with Meguiars Ultra Finishing Polish in removing fine surface scratches from clearcoat finishes both on my vehicles and trailers. If the scratches will come out with polishing you will almost always get a better looking result than with a paint touch up. Even if the scratch doesn't come out completely it will often look good enough that it may not warrant further attention.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-Mirr...s%2C203&sr=8-2

[SeaLevel]

Originally Posted by Larry_M

I have a couple of very fine scratches in the clear coat of my 2020 AS. Airstream is out of their clear coat pens. The local Toyota dealership sells their clear coat pen (part # 00C 002580000C21). Is that an acceptable alternative to the Airstream one?

Also, would Dawn dish soap be a good product to remove any existing wax before using the clear coat pen? I don't want to mess up the surrounding clear coat since the scratch is so small.

I've touched up our AS with an automotive clear coat pen and it worked fine. It's held up for a couple of years now already.

Dawn would work to remove existing wax. I used it once on our entire AS - when we got back from AK and it was extremely dirty and road tar splattered. It worked good for that, and then I put on new wax.

[SSquared]

I had the Airstream acrylic "pen" and used it several times. When it dried out, I got a clear coat paint at an auto parts store. I have used it for a few years now, and the product seems to hold up well. The product I have is Rustoleum Fast Fix 2 in 1 Paint & Primer, 0.5 oz package. It has a little paint brush applicator, and also a pen-type tip.


One bad thing about this product: the bottle can leak if you let it lie on its side.

[Larry_M]

mikeinca, Unfortunately, yes I can feel the scratch. It's a little deeper than a swirl but not enough to dig into the aluminum. The really bad part is... it's self-inflicted! It's parked by our garage and I ever so slightly brushed it with the plastic garbage can. I was really surprised by how soft the surface actually is. It doesn't take much to scratch it. It doesn't bother my wife nearly as much as it bothers me. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. She said, this is nothing just wait till a branch rubs it or a rock nicks it! Thanks for that pick-me-up!

Sounds like the auto clear coat will do. Just gotta be careful I guess.

[mikeinca]

Originally Posted by Larry_M

mikeinca, Unfortunately, yes I can feel the scratch. It's a little deeper than a swirl but not enough to dig into the aluminum. The really bad part is... it's self-inflicted! It's parked by our garage and I ever so slightly brushed it with the plastic garbage can. I was really surprised by how soft the surface actually is. It doesn't take much to scratch it. It doesn't bother my wife nearly as much as it bothers me. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. She said, this is nothing just wait till a branch rubs it or a rock nicks it! Thanks for that pick-me-up!

Sounds like the auto clear coat will do. Just gotta be careful I guess.

Sorry to hear that, Larry. Unfortunately this kind of thing happens to all of us. I once had a new BMW and was doing something with the radio aerial (back when cars had such things) and managed to gouge the A pillar! It must have been some kind of rite of passage event as I don't think I ever put another scratch in the vehicle. Maybe you'll have the same good luck going forward!

[John&Vicki]

Those of us with older trailers call them battle scars. They will happen.

[BeemerPilot2]

A friend’s Dad came home with a megabucks Ford F-350. Before our ooos and ahs stopped, he went into the barn, came out with a ball peen hammer, smacked the right front fender, and said “There - I don’t have to worry about THAT any more.”

Truer words...