most effective way to repair paint chips?

[Saso]

Hi everyone I am totally new to this site but am very impressed with the level of interaction happening between everyone.

I just picked up my 07 coupe MT6 (black on black) and absolutely love it to death but have already noticed a couple of surface scratches (nothing serious) and a chip in my paint which is really bothering me. I was wondering if anyone had any advice they could give me to help me with the repairs? Any methods, brand or type of paint used would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[zozoka1212]

welcome to nico.

congrats

Go to the Canadian Tire and buy the black paint repair and the clear coat repair sticks. They cost about $20+. That is what i used to repair mine. I had one right beside my grille. Hardly noticeable since it is fixed.

Don't forget to post pics.

zozoka

[soul_hfk]

who makes the kit? i have mad chips from just 1 winter ...... i have my Dodge Durango for 7 yrs and the paint looks better damn 07G the grill and paint looks like it was in a war

[ampsucker]

clear coat scrates usually buff out. autogeek.net sells a product called optimum compound that i use and it works good on clear. use a mild cutting sponge pad with that stuff and most surface imperfections will come out. be sure to wash and clay bar before you buff so imperfections imbedded in paint would not get rubbed in by buffer.

for chips down into the paint, first clean the area to remove any wax/grease/crud/etc. use good grease cutter soap or alcohol q-tip etc. you want to strip the wax off this tiny area. then, get paint to match. if you can't find the touch up paint for your color, your local shop may mix you up a small batch. i just took the paint code from my old car in to our local o'reilly's auto parts store and they custom mixed my color in a small bottle with applicator brush for only 8 bux.

dab that on being careful not to go "outside the lines" too much. then, let dry. after 24 hours, buff with optimum compound and polish and wax as usual. should be a pretty good repair.

to prevent chips, you might consider a 3m clear bra. cost is a couple of hundred bux to protect the leading surfaces (nose, back of mirrors, etc.) but will not yellow and won't rub paint like the old style bra.
Modified by ampsucker at 2:44 PM 4/25/2007

[zozoka1212]

They replaced my grille under waranty at 3k mile. I have 5.5k mile in it looks brand new.

zozoka

[soul_hfk]

thz amp very helpful

[Saso]

Thanks for the Great tips and I will try and get some pic's posted as soon as my ride is camera ready. I thought about the 3M protection but I was told that on a black car the dirt tends to show up reletively sooner giving it a two tone look, can anyone relate?

One more thing, do you recommend going to the dealership for the paint to get an exact match or can you pick the paint up anywhere?

[ampsucker]

yeah, i can relate. a clear bra on black may show up a bit more than other colors. still, it may be the best option as opposed to dealing with chips and bugs stuck into the clear coat and paint.

for matching paint, check dealer first. they should just give it to you in exhange for not harassing them about the weaka$$ paintjob they just sold you that is already chipping. (heh, heh...) if they don't have or it's too pricey, check the rack at the local auto parts store. you might get lucky and find the match if they stock your color.

if not, custom mixing is you only option. just get the paint code off your vin plate (or where ever they put it these days) and take that along with year and model to a good parts store. i would call around. i've been quoted quite a wide range for custom mixing small amounts of touch up paint. even the same shop sometimes it depends who you talk with. the amount you need shouldn't cost more than 10 bucks or so. don't let them mix up a whole quart for you. it will run some pretty pennies and will dry out before you use a thimble full.

[Saso]

Haha, thanks for the great tip's Amp.

I think I should go down to the dealership and harass my sale's guy considering he got a pretty sweet deal from me. It's like trying to squeeze water from a stone but I will definitely try.

[Saso]

Thanks for the tip's as well zozoka, I will check out crappy tire and see what they have.

[zozoka1212]

he he he

crappy tire ... I like that

zozoka