Paint touch up on bare metal?

[montyp80]

My Model Y trunk opened through the app while phone in the pocket, while it was parked in the garage. The section of the trunk kit the metal nut on the garage door and left a small scratch/chip. I color was removed all the way through the metal. Can anyone suggest what is the best way to fix this?

 

[fholbert]

For next time.

I bought some foam, the type that insulates pipe, and zip tied it to the garage door where the trunk lid hits. No issues with the door going up and down.

 

[jcanoe]

Clean the area with a mild detergent solution and microfiber cloth so you can see the extent of the scratches. The hatch is made of steel so the damaged area could start to rust if the scratch is through the primer. The exposed black color may be primer, not metal. You can apply a bit of car wax to protect the scratched area until you are able to perform the repair. (You would strip off the wax before applying any primer or paint.)

You can sand the spot lightly and apply touch up paint. You can purchase the correct touch up color paint kit from Tesla; also Dr Color Chip and TouchUpDirect. Dr Color Chip and TouchUpDirect have short instructional videos that demonstrate using the touch up products for best results.

 

[TarmacSurfer]

Clean it, paint it, forget about it.

Once it’s protected from exposure to moisture and air (oxygen necessary for creation of iron oxides).

Rust never sleeps. Attack it now.

 

[GData]

DIY bottle of touch-up paint for $10, which will protect against rust. But the repair will look bad unless you know how to do it correctly. Which means taping, priming, painting, sanding, clear coating, sanding.

Or hire a mobile paint-chip repair person