Touch up paint

[350F]

I keep meaning to ask this...

My car is black so obviously any rock chips look really bad. My brother and I had a black 98 Grand Am for the last couple years as a daily driver for going to college. (recently sold it) But we had bought some black GM touch up paint for it and never used it. Would this be the same shade of black?

Even if its not, i'll get the right stuff. But what are some tips on using it? I probably have 4 or 5 rock chips on my hood i'd like to fill in. Any sort of prep I should do or just wipe it clean and apply it?

[coupe]

There is ALOT to this. So much infact i dont feel like writting it all out. Best thing to do is go to autopia.org and search there. Its not an easy process at all.

Your better off just living with the rock chips, real cars have rock chips.

[350F]

Originally posted by coupe
There is ALOT to this. So much infact i dont feel like writting it all out. Best thing to do is go to autopia.org and search there. Its not an easy process at all.

Your better off just living with the rock chips, real cars have rock chips.

:lol:

Thanks I'll check that site out. But believe me, even a glob of black paint would look better than the rock chips IMO.

The paint is in a small little tube that has like a ink pen tip. I figured it would be pretty easy to apply.

[HornetGT141]

The joys of roads and highways in STL. I have quite a few on my hood too, picked up some Dupli-color from Autozone the other day to fix it. :P

[tenspeed]

The Dupli-color site has scratch repair instructions too.

[Blackhawk]

You probably shouldn't use the touch up for anything too big, the paint won't be perfectly color matched and will stand out. If the chip isn't down to the primer or bare metal I'd leave it. Otherwise, tape the area off, get some primer on it, and touch the spot up.

[Lubricant]

lol, black is black, i spraypained a patch on my car and coated with laqer, then rubbed down with rubbing compound to blend it all in, it looked too shiny at first, but it got weatherbeat and now it blends in with the rest of the car

[Blackhawk]

Lube, most touch-up systems I've seen say not to use on a spot bigger than a dime or nickel.

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by Blackhawk
Lube, most touch-up systems I've seen say not to use on a spot bigger than a dime or nickel.

For most applications. Now, if you are actually decent with painting, you can get away with a rattlecan job on something bigger than that. I've done a few things with dupli-color rattle cans, and have it come out pretty good.

[05blk_velvet]

look at the paint code for your car. make sure the colour tube you have is the same. if not you can go to any GM dealer or Car store (Canadian Tire here, I dunno what stores in the US) and get one. Its easy to apply. Make sure the area is CLEAN. Wash it with soap and water, and dry thoroughly. If you use the tip of the applicator, just dab it on like a bingo dabber onto really tiny chips, etc. If you are going to use the brush, you have to be sure you brush it on like a brush, DO NOT DAB IT. If you do this it will be all blobby and not look smooth. You brush it on similar to painting finger nails (ya right, now many guys can relate to that!) haha. Then just let it dry =) It's true though, you should only use touch up paint on small scratches/chips.

[coupe]

Originally posted by Lubricant
lol, black is black, i spraypained a patch on my car and coated with laqer, then rubbed down with rubbing compound to blend it all in, it looked too shiny at first, but it got weatherbeat and now it blends in with the rest of the car


You couldnt be more wrong.


Its funny you guys think its as simple as *just put some touch up paint in the chip* :roll2:

[Blackhawk]

Cassandra, I have the right color touch up paint for my car, but it isn't anywhere close. It isn't the right color from age, sun damage, and probably because I *supposedly* have the uncommon alternative to the paint so it'll be a bit off. The stuff I have is lighter and shinier than the actual paint, so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

[levey]

I've done it. And Coupe is right. It's not something ya want to do if you haven't done it before. Sure...You can touch up small spots and have them look decent from a distance. But...If ya want it to look good...Don't try anything larger than a small rock chip. Even then you will have to wet sand, and buff the hell out of it. And that process can't be guaranteed every time. Just a bit too much sanding...and you are screwed. I'm not an expert by any means. I'm just going by what I did.

[coupe]

Originally posted by levey
I've done it. And Coupe is right. It's not something ya want to do if you haven't done it before. Sure...You can touch up small spots and have them look decent from a distance. But...If ya want it to look good...Don't try anything larger than a small rock chip. Even then you will have to wet sand, and buff the hell out of it. And that process can't be guaranteed every time. Just a bit too much sanding...and you are screwed. I'm not an expert by any means. I'm just going by what I did.


I see it all the time. People put a small dab in the chip and it looks like ass. At least the rock chip is earned and not an *oops*. You can ALWAYS see the *dab* they put in the chip and it soon pops out and your back to square 1.

REAL VEHICLES HAVE ROCK CHIPS!

The proper way? At least the way i would do it and many pro's that do this often would.

Clean out the chip with isopropyl alcohol or laguer thinner or 100% mineral spritits.
Place the touch up paint in any manner than gets it into the chip evenly.
Waite 5-10 hours so the paint can settle.
If it settles lower than the surounding paint then reply.
Keep doing this till its level or real close to it.
Apply clear the same way as the color.

Once you get it to the right level you will have to:
Wetsand to fully level it to the surounding paint, this may take 1000 grit all the way to 3000 grit. What you will need will be based on your experiance and where your at with the chip at this point.
Then it will need to be compounded and polished. This will depend on where your at after the wetsanding and this will depend on your experiance and knowing the next proper step.

When your done i can guarantee you it can still be noticed. You may get lucky becuase i have seen some amazing work and even those guys will tell you it was pure luck it came out that good.

[Blackhawk]

I tihnk the only place touch up paint is really needed is where it got down to bare metal, I have three or four such spots on my hood and fender that I need to get soon.

[Nighthawk243]

Originally posted by Blackhawk
I tihnk the only place touch up paint is really needed is where it got down to bare metal, I have three or four such spots on my hood and fender that I need to get soon.

True... Its better to have shitty looking touchup than to have to deal with rust later on.

[coupe]

Wish rust worked that way.

[Blackhawk]

I think he means surface rust, which for me is more unsightly on my silver car than touch up paint.

[coupe]

No such thing with sheet metal

[Blackhawk]

Learn something new everyday I guess. I don't deal with rust much, even with body work.