Fixing/retouching paint chips

Freefaller · 15 Jun 2006 at 17:27

I'm sure we've all suffered this at one point in car ownership - the dreaded stone chips / paint chips one gets after a while.

I'm noticing more and more despite never driving too close to cars or trucks - maybe there were there before I bought the car but discretely covered with temporary touch up stuff?...

Anyway, a couple of the spots are quite deep chips and I'm not too sure where to start as far as sorting them. I doubt it's just a case of using the same coloured paint as I'm sure you've got to scrub away a bit of the crap old flakey paint around the chip (they really are small tiny chips - but I can see a bit of "raggedness" around the main part of it). Or will that do? I don't have the patience or the skill really do sand things down etc - certainly not for the sake for a half a dozen or so chips. But I would love to protect it from getting worse.

At the moment a respray is out of the question as I can't afford to do it really - and if I do it I'd do the entire car not just certain parts of it.

Anybody got any amazing tips and tricks? Or at least point me to the right area?

Maybe at the RR day people can have a look and give me their opinions

MichaelHo · 15 Jun 2006 at 18:08

thought of trying chips away?

http://www.chipsaway.co.uk/

Freefaller · 15 Jun 2006 at 18:34

Never heard of them!

Thanks will look into it

AndrewP · 15 Jun 2006 at 19:06

The Halfords repair kits aren't too bad for ~£10, you get primer, colour and lacquer and a wee glass fibre doodah for clearing around the chip. Colour match isn't fantastic for bigger chips but for little ones its OK.

Full list

Noxis · 15 Jun 2006 at 19:15

I bought one of these last week:

http://www.paints4u.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=5015

Not tried it yet but it looks top notch including detailed instructions on what to do. Even includes a VHS video.

I went there after someone recommended them on here for good colour matching. Get scratch remover stuff, drill bit with like foam attachment, paint brush, applicator sticks (like match sticks without the flaming bit) laquer, 100ml of paint, very very fine wet n dry and a foam block to wrap the wet n dry around.

I am trying it out this weekend

The way I figure it, have a bash myself if it goes pete tong can still pay people like Chips Away.

Doonhamer · 15 Jun 2006 at 19:30

How can you ensure colour match though. My six year old Focus looks pretty sorry for itself with loads of stone chips but the paint will no doubt have faded so how can I sort myself with paint that wont stick out as badly as the stone chips?

Noxis · 15 Jun 2006 at 19:33

Doonhamer said:
How can you ensure colour match though. My six year old Focus looks pretty sorry for itself with loads of stone chips but the paint will no doubt have faded so how can I sort myself with paint that wont stick out as badly as the stone chips?

I am sure someone better can answer but as I understand it some polishes restore faded paint? slightly abbrasive to take the top coat off or something...