Aaarrrgghh! Keyed, need advice

Hi all -- Need your advice. One very pissed off Porsche owner right now. Came out of my brother's tennis club to find my car had been keyed on left front QP, left door and left rear QP (with a dent to boot). Short but deep key marks. Some stupid spoiled little tennis brat, probably the kid my son whipped in his match. I guess I could post pics, but anyway, my question is, what should I do? Car is a '02 996 Cab, in Orient Red Metallic -- a very metallic deep red paint. -- Do I need to do a complete repaint? My understanding is that the orient red metallic is VERY hard to match. -- Can I get some sort of loss of value claim from my insurance due to the fact that I have to repaint the whole thing (and resale would be hit?) -- Any recommendations from people with similar situations? I have USAA insurance which is pretty good and I believe that comprehensive claims do not count against my record , but I need some professional advice from all you experts out there. --

AHHH! That just absolutely stinks! Damn f' ers!!! I can't offer advice but if interested I remember a couple threads from one very unlucky 997 owner that got keyed twice. Hopefully the info in there may help you during this annoying episode. Keyed once Keyed twice

You could try and see if there's some nail polish that will match it until you find a suitable alternative. Unfortunately, unless you want a significant value hit when/if you want to sell your car you should have the panels (at least) repainted. If it's just one side, you can have them match it as best as possible, then go over onto the hood and deck lid and paint half of those, but not going down to the primer/metal like where the keying was done, (just the colour). Instead of doing that, when they paint the car and only paint half of the uneffected panels next to the repainted area it's a lot less noticable to the eyes. Then when they go to wet sand it, it will kind of mesh where the two paints collide. As soon as a clear coat goes on, as long as it was done professionally it should be golden! I was told this by a guy who teaches others how to paint cars, so maybe it's worth looking into. The Kid,

You shouldn't need to completely repaint the entire car, they should be able to fix the scratches. Does the tennis club have security cameras? Just a thought to check. Really sorry to hear about that... truly sad.

Even when not "buffable" (scracthes are deep, down to the metal/white) they can just fix the scratches? Anyone recommend a Porsche expert body shop in So Cal, ideally South Bay or Long Beach? I took mine to the one recommended by Pacific Porche for a repain of the bumper which got scratched and it took forever for them to get it right...

There may be security cameras in a building or on the lot.. maybe you could find out who did it.

security cameras? Maybe check as see who ad court time track them down and....

Sorry to hear that, I'm thinking Porsche drivers win the "keyed the most often" contest, hands down. I came out of my house the other day, and someone had written "F*CK" in toothpaste all over the right rear QP. I guess it comes with the territory - I've gotten philosophical about it...

I've had work done at Class AutoCenter in Signal Hill . They were recommended by Circle Porsche in Long Beach, and a few of my friends have taken their Porsches there for collision repair work. Check them out!

Anaheim Hills Auto Body on La Palma. Have painted my vehicles and 4 others I know (high end vehicles). Not the cheapest but awesome work.

******, sorry to hear. It be nice for someone to actually catch one of these jerks.

no, u don't need to repaint the whole thing, Metallic color shouldn't be hard to match. if u really want to repaint your, do take some pic of the damage before the job. it will help when resale.

Sorry to hear about that. Damn Jerks! I find myself walking quite far after I've parked because I don't want to be in a situation like that. If it is a busy place I find myself going out to just check on the car. If you think they might do it again, it would be great to set up a sting operation and catch the Jerks.

Those of you who recommended So Cal body shops, are they also the best place to take the car for the attempted removal of the scratches (without a repaint?) I don't know where to start, whether I should start and insurance claim or see if they can be repaired without a major job...

If you have comprehensive on your car, your ins company should repaint the affected panels, only charge your deductible [mine was $250], and not raise your rates. The same thing happened to my 97 Jetta when some ***** at college keyed it for no apparent reason [probably because it looked like I cared about my car]. Ins company repainted half the car, I was out $250, and my rates didn't change at all. The only thing you have to show on comprehensive is that damage was not a result of a moving vehicle and another vehicle or stationary object. Good luck! [FYI, my insurance co. is State Farm]

I'd probably go check out as many body shops as possible. Knowledge is king. See the type of cars they work on, facilities and staff. Figure out what it may take to fix your car and get a comfort reading from the people and facility who will take care of your car. No need to rush. If it is more than your deductible (I'm guessing it probably is) then go with the insurance co. The clear coat application is very critical as well (if not the most), educate yourself on how the various shops will match paint and apply the clear coat. In my case at Class Autocenter, they fixed my front bumper for scratches, some on the clearcoat others needing sanding and a coat of paint. I did this work prior to applying a clear bra. My car's color is also tough to match (i.e. GT Silver metallic), and overall they did a very nice job.

Best place for high end cars is Avio Coach Craft in West Los Angeles - I'm really sorry to hear about the car.

Every Dealer uses specialists for minor paint repair. These guys are mobile and usually visit Dealerships on a regular basis. Call your Dealer and ask them whom they use. Then call the guy and have him take a look at your scratches. Based on your description there's a good chance that they can repair the scrathches at just a small fraction of the price for repainting your car. You may want to take pictures of the damaged areas to prove to future prospective buyers that the repainted areas only had superficial damage. I don't believe that after the area is repaired, that it will affect the value of your car.

The guy at Avio (the owner will answer) is also honest enough to tell you whether or not you should have him do it - I am not affiliated with them - just a happy prior customer - you'll find positive feedback on them by other members here - www.aviocoahcraft.com

The guy at Avio (the owner will answer) is also honest enough to tell you whether or not you should have him do it - I am not affiliated with them - just a happy prior customer - you'll find positive feedback on them by other members here - www.aviocoachcraft.com