Rock Chip Touch-Up Options

[The Critic]

As some of you may know, I recently got a 2011 Prius with the Winter Grey Metallic. I have only had the car for a week and just returned from a 700 mile trip. I have an appointment scheduled for a clear bra next Saturday, but it appears that I got a rock chip from my road trip.

Rock chip:

I bought a tube of the touch-up paint brush/pen from the dealer and tried to improve the chip using a toothpick and the pen's ballpoint tip. So far, this is what I am able to do:

As you can tell, the fill by the touch-up paint is not completely flush with the original finish. I would guess that it is about 90% there--so the touch up paint is just slightly below the original finish.

I have no intentions of wetsanding the finish (because I don't trust my own skill) and I also understand that the appearance will not be perfect since it is a touch-up. Also, this is the first coat, and the bottle says I need to apply two.

What do you guys think I should do? Should I go back and apply a second coat, which will most likely cause the touch-up paint to be slightly higher than the original finish? Should I leave it alone? My main concern about leaving it this way is that if one were to run their finger across the surface, the sharp edges of the original paint can still be felt, and I am afraid that one can cause further damage to the existing finish around the chip.

Thanks.

 

[oilboy123]

I would add another coat

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
I would add another coat


+1 Not a bad job at that. W/o going through a lot of labor I don't think you could have gotten it much better. One more coat is probablty going to get it the best it will be. Nice job!

 

[doitmyself]

Depending how picky you want to be, it is not difficult to make those repairs almost invisible. It might take 2 more "coats" to bring it up a hair above the original paint since there is so much solvent in the paint.

First, I always clean the chip with diluted alcohol on a Q tip to make sure there is no wax or stuff to affect adhesion. If the chip is down to metal, my first dab is primer for better adhesion, keeping the primer inside the crater.

The repair paint will be much softer than the original for many days. Simply rubbing it softly with a smooth cloth (T shirt) with a bit of paint safe lubricant will smooth it down to become invisible with the original. Use a lubricant with minimal abrasives, something like those "Scratch X" products are very mild. Rub softly, you are not trying to compound the paint. In a few weeks, a light buffing with your car wax with make it disappear.

 

[JHZR2]

I like to get the absolutely finest tip brush from an arts and crafts store, and apply with that. Much better control...

 

[Hokiefyd]

I'd do another coat. I typically put 3-4 coats of touch up on a chip. You can let the paint blob bubble up slightly. It'll dry much flatter. I've had success with getting the touch up paint repair close to perfect then using some polishing compound on a buffer. That usually makes it look pretty undetectable.

 

[FZ1]

Sorry,man. I would prefer to get the paint flush.

 

[chrome]

With the touch-up paint I have used, they usually "shrink" a bit after they cure. So on the second coat, even if it appears at first to be higher than the original coat, it will drop once it cures.

I would do a second coat.

 

[hattaresguy]

If it bothers you that much pay someone to fix it. They need to build it up and wet sand it down, with a bit of polishing.

I wouldn't recommend practicing this on a new car.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
If it bothers you that much pay someone to fix it. They need to build it up and wet sand it down, with a bit of polishing.

I wouldn't recommend practicing this on a new car.



+1

After failing miserably dozens of times, I just picked off all the touch-up paint I installed, clayed the hood with a somewhat aggressive clay and took it to the dealership-affiliated body shop. They touched it up in a few minutes for free and it looks way better than what I could have achieved. The guy used kind of brush because there were a few hairs on the hood.