Yeah you know my new minty Ddiplomat Blue Brougham d'Elegance I just got 4 days ago! ....it got keyed! I just noticed it this morning. I called the police just now, no time for pics yet.

School just got out yesterday, which is when this happened. They always walk through my yard, and I guess they felt mischievous then. F***!

I AM MAD!!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

(Any clue to body work costs to fix a full length key scratch on the driver side, and a half length scratch on the passenger? It goes down to the primer. :mad:)

~Greg

Maaaan that is a ****ing bummer! I bet you'd looove to find the assclowns that did that.

What?!? F*cking punk teenagers! Okay, first thingss being first, I recommend that you intsall a small video camera in a concealed location in the garage. It is no guarantee, but the camera will help in court if these same people return.

I was thinking the same thing. But I hate to use my car as bait, especially when I wont be able to have it fixed. I can't afford to put $1000 of paint and body work into the car - I bought it because it was all original (less the few rust spots, which I only noticed after I bought the car).

I think I'll just cut my losses and keep looking. It was a bad deal anyway :(

What a bummer. Seems like there's a lot of that going around these days. Had the sunroof on my FWB and Honda Accord bashed in a few weeks ago.

Might look better if you try buffing it some. I know, I know, if it's down to the primer it's down to the primer but I can say I've been able to "melt" (and I say that because I really don't know what happened) some scratches out.

Under a high buff, with a buffing pad on a grinder, I was able to get the paint on my 05 Tahoe to cover over or "melt" over some light scratches that were down to the metal work. That was clear coat, base coat. And just did it on a lark after buffing the hell out of it only helped a little. Didn't look perfect but saved me from painting it.

Sorry this happened to you.

As for security - I took down my carriage lights (happened right in my own driveway) and put up the brightest set of motion sensor flood lights I could get. Anyone comes anywhere near the driveway my front lawn lights up like a football field. So bright, I'm getting complaints from oncoming traffic (and my wife.. from when she pulls into the driveway). Oh, and I put out a solar powered spot light to light up my security sign posted in the lawn.

And I've found an old but pro security system setup on craigs - four cameras, receiver, cable, VCR, and monitor. I figure I'm going to start watching what's going on out there at night. I have been keeping watch some over the last two weeks and saw an armadillo, friend of the neighbor looking through my trash, and two different groups of teenagers walking about sometime around midnight. I thought for sure they were the ones but they just passed by and didn't really look all that suspicious when the got closer. I'll get them!!!

That is the one thing that sucks about having such a clean, high profile car. It's bait for all the *******s of the world.

A dishonest person would ensure that the key marks went up through the rust areas, and on the trunk and hood thus requiring a full repaint. Especially if the police haven't been called. Of course, everone is honest.

Four summers ago, someone (or a group) keyed all the cars parked out on my street one night, slashed the tires on most of the cars parked in the street, and broke some windows. That was just on my street. On other streets in the neighborhoods, there were other cars broken into, garages broken into, etc etc. It happened one night and never happened again. Of course, being the youngest driver in the household, my car (the Roadmaster at the time) usually sat out in the street. But for some odd reason, that night I parked the Roadmaster in the driveway where my dad parked and his Mazda 626 fell victim to the vandals. What luck.

Okay the police officer came by and took a report. There isn't really much to go on thus far, but the officer informed me that folks may come forward later. But I dunno... :(

On a related note, yesterday I was leaving my neighborhood on the only 2-lane road out. Someone illegally passed me because I wasn't speeding fast enough :bomb: and they nearly sideswiped me on the small narrow road. I honked, and guess what: my horn got stuck! So there I was going down the road blaring the horn and the guy passed me. I'm sure he thought I was just some cranky old man who wouldn't lay off. Anyways, I pulled off into a drive and with a handy screwdriver, was able to open the fuse box and pull the horn fuse.

That was scary, but I just bet that guy was pissed! :annoyed: Of course, I didn't get a description of the car because I was worried about getting my horn off. So right now my car sits with no horn and an eff'd up paint job :crying2::crying2: But both the officer and I agreed that is the most likely suspect. So he sat at the corner of the road to see if any small white SUV's were passing people today, but odds are no one would do an illegal pass with a cop right there.

Greg

Yea, people here in Orlando drive crazy like that all day long. Passing on the right, left, shoulder, turn lane, you name it if there's space, they'll try to pass you on it. Can be going 15/20 miles up over the speed limit and that's still not enough. And our biggest problem is red light runners. You can count up to 12 cars going through a light (****ers making a left hand turn coming from the other way) these days. Happens nearly all the time. And if one of two lanes comes to an end up ahead, better be prepared to gun it down or everybody and their brother behind you will try to squeeze your ass out. Some say it's the tourists, some say it's the Hispanic culture, I say it's everybody influencing everybody. We're a big soup of people here in Orlando with lots coming from other cultures where the driving is notoriously bad. And not just Hispanic cultures. But people from all over the World.

It's gotten so bad that they're installing traffic cams that catch you and mail warnings and the county is out pacing the state legalizing a red light runner "ticket by mail" scheme.

All that said, when things like that happen, getting your car vandalized, you start to suspect everybody. You really start thinking about things. Suspects. Who you've wronged. Etc. ...Heh, I said ETC (Isn't that another forum!)

Anyhow, hope you get the guy.

Well here's the damage:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01029.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01030.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01031.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01032.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01033.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01034.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01035.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x141/Shutterbug668/DSC01036.jpg

:(

That sucks, what a shame!

Yea, that's awful. Buff the piss out of it. You might be surprised!

I just tried some of this "fine scratch remover" and it kinda worked. Apparently most of the damage was just done to the clear coat and the stuff removed the stuff in the groove. It looked white because what was shaved off was still in the scratch. With that gone, the discoloration is gone in most places that didn't hit the base/primer coats. However, the grooves are still there and they just ruin the reflection, especially in the wrong light.

So maybe I can "melt" them... I do have a 500-degree heat gun! :D

Hey, good luck with that! Was totally surprised when it worked for me. My brother suggested it and I thought he was a complete idiot. Using a grinder, with a buffing pad :) did the trick though. It's RPMs are way higher than that of a buffer and with a little pressure it'll heat up the paint. Do it carefully. And you might get some pretty surprising results. My Tahoe looked like new. No amount of normal buffing could have gotten the deep scratches close to the finished job. I'm not an expert but I think what you're doing is heating up the clear coat (and possibly the paint) enough to stretch and fill in the scratch. Will get it smooth if it works for you.

... don't forget to post some pics.

The best medicine for times like this is to rebound as quickly as possible. I was so proud when I replaced my sunroofs within an afternoon. I hope the same for you!

What a despicable thing for some a**hole to do, had that happen to a '88 Lincoln TC I had. Anyhow, here's a product I've heard of before that *might* fix the damage:

http://drcolorchip.com/

Although if actual damage involves the clearcoat, I'd think a very few mini-drops of clear nail polish followed by the buffing suggested would work a well. Good luck & congrats on a fine looking Brougham!:thumbsup:

I hope whoever done that nasty job does just gets his desert soon

Sorry to hear about that. I read this thread and went outside to put the wagon at the corner of the driveway by the garage... don't want it too close to the street after reading this!

This is when having a dark car really blows......

Its also a area of work where im a pro in. (not keying, lol, removing)

First off the "melting" isnt really melting. WHen you buff or polish them your cutting the edges of the scratches. When you scratch clear coat its white like that. Frome the pics it looks like its all in the clear, not down to primer.

Without being able to touch it its harder for me, but here we go.
Get a medium coarse compound and a buffer with a wool pad. I can reccomend Meguaires 105 Ultra cut compound. Its new and i have ahd good luck with it. Now when you buff them the more pressure you apply the more heat it will create, this is whats going to "melt" the scratches. This is also how you burn the finish and then are forced to repaint the panel. So you have to be VERY careful. It depends how weathered your paint job is. If its deep gloss and has been garaged down there your all set for some buff work. If its like my white brougham, and very thin and weatherd, id do it very lightly.

If it is infact a strong paint job then you can also try a little wet sanding prior to the buff with a 2000-3000 grit. This will cut the edges of the scrathes down more also. Your taking a sharp V like scratch with raw edges (if you can picture, and smooothing it out and polishing the white/exposed clear.

After this you will have to use a swirl free polish on a foam type pad, lower speeds. Keep the pad moist with water. This if for a swirl free finish.

After that Turtle wax makes colored waxes that blend scratches, run over them with that. They are all the basic colors, blue red white black ect. It comes wiith a lipstick like thing, called a chip stick. Throw that away, its ****ing useless.



If it was down to metal or primer, id first carefully fill in the blue, then clear over it. Then wet sand it and buff. But thats alot more wetsanding, and you have to have enough original paint to be able to take it.


Let me know how it works out. But to me they dont look like its something not workable.


Anthony

That's good advice, Anthony. I think I'll give it a try.

But I've got more bad news: Yesterday my dad's car was keyed, just 24 hours after my Brougham was keyed and in the same space! It's just an '04 Chevy Classic but still! And somebody tried to yank the hood ornament off my mom's '92 Deville. What luck!

So I've called the police, and they're going to do some kinda of circuit patrol, but I dunno... I'm thinking about setting up my camcorder to point at the driveway to catch anyone in the act, but I can't seem to get my computer to record more than 13 minutes. :(

Greg

Any really GOOD sporting goods outfit should be able to provide you with a WILDLIFE CAMERA that is driven by motion.
It's the kind of thing that you can nail high up in a tree.
It has a flash gun built in and is usually set up along a deer trail to see if there are any game in the area.
What you would do it place the camera too high up so the b@$tards can't get it and it will snap their picture if they come back.
Prices vary but are usually above $200.00.

Sorry to hear that. Yea, good chance they'll be back - be ready for them.

Hello, I Am A Professional Detaler And Owned Many Car Washe/ Detail Shops.. That Scratch Can Come Out With 1500 Grit Wet/sand Paper And 3m Microfinishing Compound.. If You Have No Experience With This You Can Go To An Honest Body Shop And Tell Them You Want To Wet Sand That Scratch .. They Will Know What To Do From There..... 2 Much Rpms On The Buffer Will Result In Burned Paint .... I Can Go On And On The Do's And Donts .. Dont Let Any Shop Tell You Different .. You Have To Approach The Body Shop And Tell Them What You Want ..if Not They Might Try To Sell You Something You Dont Need , Besides They Whole Key Is Originality .. I Would Never Want To Paint Any Of My Original Paint Cars.... If You Still Find No Hope Feel Free To Call Me At 917 295 0620 ... Good Luck !!

I just had a look at CABELA'S sporting goods, on line catalog.
As an example, they have
Bushnell Trail Sentry 4.0 @ $99.99 which takes 4.0 megapixel photos.
You strap it to a tree branch and it will take a photo of something as far away as 45 feet
Then there's the fancier model, the
Bushnell Trail Scout 5.0 @ $345.99. It takes 5 megapixel photos but also takes MOVIES!
The reviews of this unit shows complaints about the movies being cluttered with CHIPMUNKS!
So I guess it would do a good job of capturing the faces of the scum who keyed your vehicles.
I believe, also, that this one may be infrared so that the "victim" isn't aware of being photographed.
So, shop around and find what would be best for you and your family to get the sickos doing the damage.

Thanks all for the help! Fortunately there haven't been anymore incidents. But when the cop came out a second time, he said the entire neighborhood got hit in those 48 hours. So this is not isolated, but I doubt it will happen a third time with everyone watching.

I will see if I can get those sanding things done to the car, But as time goes on, I see more and more flaws. I've noticed a couple more rust spiders, a couple of touched-up 'holes' and a strange backward dent from something in the trunk. I'm beginning to worry about if getting this car to 'perfect paint' is going to be feasible.

Greg

Same thing happened to my mom at work. Nothing unfortunately ever came of it. She drive a 10+ year old Buick so, to her, it wasn't worth fixing. We tried waxing and buffing but it didn't get it out completely. (Did look decent though).

I keyed my first car before I repainted it for gags back in highschool, but would have never dreamed of f'ing up someone elses. (I mean, I was repainting mine anyway. :))

Sorry to hear about that... that sucks.

Thanks