Correct way to repair a paint chip?
 

I have two chips that really need addressing. One is about the size of the end of a pencil eraser (ouch). The other is just under half that size. They are both in prominent locations, so doing the repair correctly is important to me. I would like to have a repair that is practically indiscernable from the paint around it, if possible.

Know of any websites with detailed instructions?
Have any good tips?

Keith you have mail

Other inquiring minds want to know the same.

Oh yeah, I'm watching this thread like a hawk!!! Lets have some ideas posted here!

Ernie

I have a chip the same size(pencil eraser) and it drives me nuts everytime I see it. there is a big glob of touch up paint in it, and it draws your eyes to it. I would be very interested to read what the experts have to say. Rick, can I have mail too?

This is what I do with paint chips. Granted most of the guys here probably would not do it this way,but it is a quick easy "fix" for me that hides the chips pretty good.... My paint is Rangoon Red and my sealer is a banana looking light yellow so the paint chips show up.... Most of my chips are on the two rear quarter panels behind the rear wheels....

Tried some of the touch up paints but could not find a real close match,went to my 17 year old daughters gaint finger nail polish case,found an exact red match....Not only is it easy,it has the little brush to brush it on with....

This method does not fill the paint chip totally to the original paint unless yo let it dry and put many coats on,but it certainly hides the yellow sealer which sticks out like a sore thumb....

I would suggest to anyone getting their car painted or repainted to bring such an empty clean bottle to the paint shop and have them fill it with left over paint,that way you will have a supply of touch up paint that you know will match....Also, most sealers can be tinted with up to 10% paint by volume,not a bad idea to tint the sealer to your top coat color,that way paint chips do not show as bad....

David

Did attend a class on this many many years ago thru Ford, use what ever paint you have left and fill in the area with paint using a brush, use a razer blade and scrape the excess paint off the high area. Hold your blade to be body so that the blade is standing straight up this will keep you from digging into all of the paint and will only scrape the high area. Keep applying paint untill the chipped area is full and level with the rest of the painted body after the last scrape use a fine rubbing compound to polish. The whole process takes some time put the finish will work. The gentelman that showed me worked for Ford and did this to new Lincoln's at the plant many years ago.

Hope this will work for you.

Jim

This will work if you have a solid colour. But I don't think that there is an easy fix for paint that has metal and/or pearl particles in it. The problem , even if you get the exact same color match, is that the particles in the paint may lay down differently than the original paint job and thus reflect light differently making it look like a different shade of color.

My next paint job will be a solid colour. Although the mettalic and pearl colours look great, they are difficult to keep looking nice on anything but a trailer queen show car.

Paul

I have had decent results by: knocking off the sharp edges of the chipped area with 1000 grit paper (wet), then using a paper matchstick cut at an angle as the paintbrush, fill in chip. This may take several coats to build up the chipped out area. When it is as filled as you can get, wet sand the spot with 1500 grit. After all that, you have a dull spot that need polishing. You may need to thin the touch up paint to get it to lay down right and not form a bubble.

I am no painter, just a mechanic, but this has worked pretty good for me in the past.

What about using some of that Hobby Shop clear coat over the touch up? It comes in real small bottles.

Ernie

First, sand off all current paint over entire car. Then begin by spraying color over previosly sanded area...

Seriously though, I found this product on the net - http://www.langka.com/index2.htm

I haven't tried it myself, but for $20, it seems worth it. The worst part of fixing nicks is the bubble of paint left from the application. This seems to solve it.

Check out this website - there is a great article from an expert on 300 SL restoration on how to fix paint chips.

http://www.scottgrundfor.com/ideas/ipaintchips.html