scratch--how deep is too deep to be buffed out?

[malone]

i have a dolphin grey b6 s4. This morning i noticed a scratch about 4 or 5 inches long about knee level on the driver's door.

The scratch is deep enough that i can see white and my fingernail will catch in the groove. I dont know that much about automotive paint and touchup. What are my options here?

I have a guy in my office parking deck that details cars in the deck that i let look at it. He said he couldn't do anything about it. He said it might have to be sanded down. I really would rather not do that if it isn't absolutely necessary, obviously.

I dont know of any good bodyshops in atlanta. Thought i might ask my dealership who does good work.

Is buffing and sanding the only two options?

[VroomVroom]

I would say so. The general rule of thumb is that if it catches your fingernail, it's too deep to be corrected.

Check around for some mobile painters. I was very cynical about this process, but two of my wife's coworkers have nice cars (Infiniti M and Mercedes E) and they've used one of these vendors. Each had some bumper problems and one had been keyed. I was astonished at the look of the finish, and this was much less expensive (and time consuming) than going to a body shop.

Good luck with everything.

[malone]

took it to my local car detail shop that i frequent. they put a buffer on it for about 5 minutes and got out about 95% of it to where you cant see it unless you are looking for it.