Minor Scratches / suspension

[bellis@ensr.com]

  After a small absence from the list, I have a few questions...

	First of all - I was trying to slide in between a light pole and 
another car, but I cut my turn too tight, and slightly scratched the sides of 
my car. (Owch. owch owch). I did not bend the door or dent it in any way - 
the black strip around the outside really really saved me. Alas, I still have 
an area of minor scratching - about the size of a hand, maybe a little 
bigger. What is a good thing to do the get rid of these? The scratches got 
through the (lago blue) colored section of paint, but not down to bare metal. 
Can I get some abrasive polish, and fill in the scratches, or will this mess 
up my clearcoat? Currently, I think I will just let it sit there until I get 
ready to sell the car, then either touch it up with some touch up paint, or 
get a local auto-body place to make it look better.
Comments? Suggestions?


	Secondly, my front suspension is shot. It provides just about NO 
dampening over bumps and potholes (ouch), and rides sort of like a Cadillac ( 
lots of movement ) with bad suspension. What do you reccommend for a 
replacement? I talked with the dealer/service guys and they said I needed new 
struts/shocks/stabilizers/just about everything. They quoted ~$500 for the 
front(with OEM equipment).
	 I would like to go ahead and get progrssive rate springs, and am 
unsure of the type of shocks to get. I am considering getting a pair of 
Rallying shocks, as I live on a dirt road with many bumps, and go fast. 
Any brand-recommendations for the above equipment? Also, what should I expect 
to pay for struts/shocks/stabilizers/whatever else?

Thanks in advance!!

Brooks