who has bothered correcting road/rock rash/ chips

[jrkoupe]

our cars being so low( and having soft paint) often get horrific road rash/chips if driven often and not babied

just saw this today:



http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...-touch-up-car/

those pens look really good.......better than those plastic pointy thingys

so who has touched up these areas (on hood specifically) and what product did u use /like?


part of me likes the road rash as kinda a badge of honor/hi miles.

[BimmerBreaker]

I wear my rock chips with pride...

But I've had good luck with the pens in the past. Not sure I'd have the patience for that little tool he uses in the video, the brush is pretty easy, I just get some paint on then wipe off the excess. Not the same pinpoint accuracy as his tool but as long as you wipe off the excess before it dries the end result will be very close I imagine.

Or consider that our cars with high mileage are not museum cars... nothing wrong with respraying the hood and bumper if you have to

[jrkoupe]

I kinda agree w/ how u feel

when the car had 45k I hated the chips........now at 232k I kinda dig them

[KJ79]

I wear my rock chips with pride...
But I've had good luck with the pens in the past

BimmerBreaker, which company did you order your pens from in the past? I am looking to get a good color match to fix some rockchips myself, and need a rattle can for a larger 2" area on the lower lip/almost under front bumper.

I just ordered from Automotive Touch Up, and it was close. I did their test card, covered half with clear coat, left other half without. Theirs is slightly darker in each circumstance. In the engine bay, in the trunk, and even the frame in the subwoofer enclosure I was elbows into last night, theirs is darker. Now I know that that area hasn't faded or seen the day of light in ages. And I believe those are areas without clear coat applied. I would expect it to be a pretty close match. Close, but not cigar. And with the clear, it is just slightly darker than the outside paint as well (which I know darn well will fade over time, to be expected honestly, which is why I ran the test with out clear on the test card, it should be apples to apples a spot on match on the factory "non-clear" parts of the vehicle I would think.)

Has anyone had good luck color matching with a rattle can or brush on-paint pens? I might just have to chip off a little more of the bumper to bring into a local paint shop to match and get a spray gun. Or, like you suggested BB, just bite the bullet and professional re spray. After 20 years, it could really use it

Thanks all!

Cheers,
KJ

[Bladecatcher]

I've used Dr. Colorchip on my GTI and it turned out really well. There is a slight learning curve and the result is not as good as a respray, but until you're right up on it you can't see the chips. No blobs either.

The roadster isn't bad on the metal, but the front plastic valence has taken a beating in the last 19+ years. Respray would be the only option.

[KJ79]

I've used Dr. Colorchip on my GTI and it turned out really well. There is a slight learning curve and the result is not as good as a respray, but until you're right up on it you can't see the chips. No blobs either.

The roadster isn't bad on the metal, but the front plastic valence has taken a beating in the last 19+ years. Respray would be the only option.

Have it in my Amazon cart already!! Was just looking at that. Great to know. Thank you so much Bladecatcher!

[BimmerBreaker]

I've tried pretty much all the paint pen type things. None of them seem to ever be an exact match. Even cars that are garaged constantly will have their paint change very slightly in time, the touchup pens are all designed to match the original "fresh" paint.

[KJ79]

I've tried pretty much all the paint pen type things. None of them seem to ever be an exact match. Even cars that are garaged constantly will have their paint change very slightly in time, the touchup pens are all designed to match the original "fresh" paint.

Gotchya, thanks! I kinda figured as much, something had to be happening. Mother Time. Good to know, thanks again!

[Randy Forbes]

BimmerBreaker, which company did you order your pens from in the past? I am looking to get a good color match to fix some rockchips myself, and need a rattle can for a larger 2" area on the lower lip/almost under front bumper.

I just ordered from Automotive Touch Up, and it was close. I did their test card, covered half with clear coat, left other half without. Theirs is slightly darker in each circumstance. In the engine bay, in the trunk, and even the frame in the subwoofer enclosure I was elbows into last night, theirs is darker. Now I know that that area hasn't faded or seen the day of light in ages. And I believe those are areas without clear coat applied. I would expect it to be a pretty close match. Close, but not cigar. And with the clear, it is just slightly darker than the outside paint as well (which I know darn well will fade over time, to be expected honestly, which is why I ran the test with out clear on the test card, it should be apples to apples a spot on match on the factory "non-clear" parts of the vehicle I would think.)

Has anyone had good luck color matching with a rattle can or brush on-paint pens? I might just have to chip off a little more of the bumper to bring into a local paint shop to match and get a spray gun. Or, like you suggested BB, just bite the bullet and professional re spray. After 20 years, it could really use it

Thanks all!

Cheers,
KJ

Your local automotive paint store can mix & load an aerosol can for you too. All the better if they're willing to do an exact match of your paint, but allow up to an hour of both of your time (helps when the counterman is in the right mood too...).

[KJ79]

Your local automotive paint store can mix & load an aerosol can for you too. All the better if they're willing to do an exact match of your paint, but allow up to an hour of both of your time (helps when the counterman is in the right mood too...).

Ha about the mood! Totally. Not on a Monday, right? I do think that this is the best route in the end. I know of one automotive paint store in the area that will match it, but won't put in an aerosol, (or didn't a few years ago) but I'll make a few phone calls, I know you are right, somebody does. Thanks Randy!

[Mr Bingley]

As with anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with stone chips. Dabbing touch up paint topped with dabbing touch up clear from the factory touch up paint kit is one right way to address them, until they begin to show to the point that you can't stand it. The other is to have the hood stripped down to bare metal and re-prime/re-paint it, together with the front bumper, doors (to remove door dings), mirrors, and across the front lower quarters, blending into the tops. And, after color sanding and buffing, having Expel or similar product applied over the bumper, front of the hood, mirrors, and lower quarters to prevent future chipping. Other approaches are the wrong way, although it's your car and you can do what you want with it. Sadly, our cars are prone to chipping due to their low stance, and the water based primer and paint they used in the Spartenburg plant.

[Schreier]

The BMW factory touch-up paint kit for rock chips has worked great for me. The kits can be found and ordered using BMW part numbers (my Oxford Green Metallic II kit was 51910419757). They are two-part kits that come with the color base coat and clear coat.

Some recommend that when kits come with the color base and clear like that, it's best to mix them together and just apply it as one coat. That didn't work that well for me; the paint got extremely "goopy" and cured in a matter of seconds instead of a couple of minutes. But I never applied the clear coat anyway, as it looked fine without.

As far as applicators go, I find toothpicks to be the best applicators, if your paint is thick enough. For thinner paints, you might benefit from something like EZ Dabber sticks (https://www.autobodytoolmart.com/ez-dabber-p-17790.aspx). But most paint brushes are far too large, including the enormous ones attached to most touchup kits.

The best tutorials I've seen on rock chip technique are done buy the guy who runs AMMO NYC. He is obsessive over car detailing, but that's why he's the one detailing multi-million dollar McLarens and F40s.

[jrkoupe]

schreier

did u notice the vid I linked......and did u notice the man doing the work?

- - - Updated - - -

As with anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with stone chips. Dabbing touch up paint topped with dabbing touch up clear from the factory touch up paint kit is one right way to address them, until they begin to show to the point that you can't stand it. The other is to have the hood stripped down to bare metal and re-prime/re-paint it, together with the front bumper, doors (to remove door dings), mirrors, and across the front lower quarters, blending into the tops. And, after color sanding and buffing, having Expel or similar product applied over the bumper, front of the hood, mirrors, and lower quarters to prevent future chipping. Other approaches are the wrong way, although it's your car and you can do what you want with it. Sadly, our cars are prone to chipping due to their low stance, and the water based primer and paint they used in the Spartenburg plant.

I wouldnt term it right vs wrong......I would say there is a really god way to just do the chips alone, but of course one can always go hog wild and do what you spell out.....for like 2-3k...lol

[Schreier]

schreier
did u notice the vid I linked......and did u notice the man doing the work?

Derp on my part. But you have to admit, he's very good!

Answering your question about the pens: nah. I think it's overkill. I get very good mileage from plain ol toothpicks. Maybe if you do 1,000 paint corrections a day like he does, though.

I've never done the thing where he sands down the chip first, though. Seemed a bit risky and the payoff didn't seem especially worth it (I can always go back and touch up the spot if the touchup comes loose).

[jrkoupe]

haha.....its all good.

he does have a rep to keep.....so the cool tools all help his quotes...$$$$$

hes local to me........good guy.

[magnetchief]

I used a colour match paint and tooth picks.
Do it over a week or so. Mark each spot so I can quickly build up the layer each night.
Car looks like it has a disease.


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[Mach Tuck]

Ha Ha, I just had my bumper and hood and rockers re-sprayed by EuroWerks in Pompano. They had hundreds of chips, way more than a pen or Dr. Colorchip would handle. She looks as good as new. While she was there she had the drivers seat bolster finish repaired. Also, had John replace the constant pressure valve seal, guibo, and a faulty DSC module replaced.


I'm McLovin it.

[jrkoupe]

magnet...........those colors dont match!

[magnetchief]

magnet...........those colors dont match!

Lol. Colour coded by date.
Let's me keep track on what chips I have worked on.
After two weeks they were all removed.
Car looks pretty good with the naked eye.


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[BimmerBreaker]

Lol. Colour coded by date.
Let's me keep track on what chips I have worked on.
After two weeks they were all removed.
Car looks pretty good with the naked eye.


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Do you put one of those on every time you get a rock chip?

[magnetchief]

Do you put one of those on every time you get a rock chip?

Lol. No I spend an hour identifying every chip with a colored tab.
Then clean, prep and apply a tiny amount of paint.

Each night I arrive home from work. Clean the chip and apply another small amount of paint. Over a week I gradually fill in the chip.

The colored tabs are just so I can find the chip quickly.
After a few applications it gets harder to see the damage.
I'm a little anal. Also use a magnifying headset to clearly define the chipped area.




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[jrkoupe]

...." a little....."..???????

is that arctic?.........wondering what paint you used?..brand etc....thnx....I have arctic

[328 Power 04]

Hmm, the confetti front almost works on that car.

[KJ79]

Hmm, the confetti front almost works on that car.

Especially if it was a Clown Shoe!!

[magnetchief]

...." a little....."..???????

is that arctic?.........wondering what paint you used?..brand etc....thnx....I have arctic

Either a micro dabber or sharpened tooth pick. Yes, a little. Basically very small drop shared between all the chips.
Yes Arctic silver.
Brand? Can't recall I'm out of country at the moment so can't check.


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