Touch up methods

[johno2004]

Hi,

Would like some advice on stone chip touch up.

Have a 1997 CLK320 in metalic blue and there is no rust what so ever on car but it is suffering with age related stone chips and i want to sort these out.

Would it be best to take to body shop or buy colour coded touch up paint and do myself.

Where also can you purchase the correct colour touch up paint ?

Any advice welcome

Johno

 

[jibcl500]

I do mine myself, use a cocktail stick to apply the paint and build it up over a period of days to get the height back, I use rubbing compound to polish it smooth, this can leave the area dull. I tehn polish it back using specialist compounds and polish. The results are good and just about invisible but time consuming to do. I only had 8 to do.


jib

 

[television]

You should not attempt it at temp below 17c as the paint hangs around too long and the solvents can melt and soften the area surrounding it

 

[johno2004]

Thanks for input
Will wait for spring i think, but will get a quote from body shop to see if the price is reasonable and go from there.

 

[42864]

re: your last message about waiting until Spring. Apparently the law changes and ALL paintshops have to convert to use Water Based Paints on the 1st January 2008, so if you want a proper paint job done with good paint (not Water Base rubbish that chips so easily) you need to get in fairly quick.

 

[JEZ.S320L]

Hi,

Would like some advice on stone chip touch up.

Have a 1997 CLK320 in metalic blue and there is no rust what so ever on car but it is suffering with age related stone chips and i want to sort these out.

Would it be best to take to body shop or buy colour coded touch up paint and do myself.

Where also can you purchase the correct colour touch up paint ?

Any advice welcome

Johno

Halfords do an excellent touch-up kit. It has a fine brush, and an even finer pen nib. Around £8'ish.

 

[David Nock]

I've got by and pratted about over the years with touch up paint which gave servicable results, but never got top flight results like a body shop job. And of course metallics are harder to blend in than solid colours.
If your car is worth doing well and for extensive number of chips, I'd go bodyshop route.

 

[st13phil]

You should not attempt it at temp below 17c as the paint hangs around too long and the solvents can melt and soften the area surrounding it

Very good advice.

 

[johno2004]

Tanks for advice,

Will body shops be interested in stone chip repairs ?

 

[A210AMG]

Johno,


Body shops will be interested but would rather concentrate on a panel or at least an area they can mask off and match up. If its the basically the front bumber and edge of bonnet I would suggest getting a quote from a good body shop.

One of my old boss's use to do this to every car he sold, had them sent to a bosy shop and valeted, the cars looked like new when he sold them

 

[television]

You can do this work in the colder weather but you do need a heat lamp, that said, its not easy doing stone chips on the bonnet as you need a stand for the lamp, the main thing to remember is that what body shops do is no magic thing.

You use the touch up with a end of a nail and just put a drop in the damaged hole, then go away and leave it to dry 15 mins at over 20c, then very lightly T cut the spot. Apply another drop, leave for 2-3 mins ar 20c and wipe the spot with your finger to smudge it, then leave for ½ hour (20c) then just lightly T cut again, this base coat rubs of like butter, so not to hard and you will find the the mark is the same colour as the original. Do not apply the cellulose based top coat asthis will make the repair look too dark and you cannot blend it, just leave it in the Base coat, then polish and you will hardly see it.

I tried to take some photos of the process but the result were so good you could not see it, I will try again and write something up

 

[johno2004]

Thanks Malcolm

Where is the best place to buy colour matched paint ?

 

[television]

Thanks Malcolm

Where is the best place to buy colour matched paint ?

The little packs that Halfords sell are good and exact thats if you want a little brush to apply it, cheaper to by an aerosol, shake it well and spray some into the cap, than use you own brush.

The packs are good, but you will never use the clear

The paint code is on the b door pillar, first number

 

[SimonRaf]

Halfords do an excellent touch-up kit. It has a fine brush, and an even finer pen nib. Around £8'ish.

Would def go for this. Got it myself for a previous car. Make it up on the spot and a perfect match.

 

[philharve]

Very good advice.

Hi

This begs the question whether there is an upper temperature?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

Halfords touchup kit

Tanks for advice,

Will body shops be interested in stone chip repairs ?

Hi johno2004

My MB dealer said 'yes' to the task of treating stone chips but they let me know it would cost me dearly and I would be better off doing it myself. The best advice I've ever received from a dealer.

I eventually had the bonnet resprayed and after a year it is still spotless. That cost me dearly too, about GBP350.00, but the bodywork looks like new.

Dealers sell touchup paint as do indies. I have a Halfords touchup repair kit but have never tried it. There are 2 or 3 philes in a plastic container, one contains a rust inhibitor. I think the other two philes contain undercoat and top coat. The kit looks as though it will do the job.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

Hi All

I have a couple of little scratches above and below the fuel filler cap, maybe half-an-inch long, almost as if someone has tried to prize the filler cap open. There's no damage other than the colour coat removed.

Should I apply touchup in layers over a period of days or should I do it in one application? With the weather as cold as it is, I will wait until the temperature is warmer.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[johno2004]

Hi,
Have done a closer inspection on my car locating all stone chips to take to take to a body shop for quote and on close inspection have noticed slight bubbling on one of the rear wheel arch.

The car has done very low milage with all history old mots from 3years and and the condition of the car it looks like it has done the 55k it states.

It is a 1997 on a R plate does this come in the 30 year rust warrante that mb say they give or is the car to old.

Dont want to go to mb dealer and look like a pra** asking for something im not entitled to.

Is it worth a try or would i just be wasting my time ?

 

[television]

Hi All

I have a couple of little scratches above and below the fuel filler cap, maybe half-an-inch long, almost as if someone has tried to prize the filler cap open. There's no damage other than the colour coat removed.

Should I apply touchup in layers over a period of days or should I do it in one application? With the weather as cold as it is, I will wait until the temperature is warmer.

REGARDS

Phil

Only try and use the base coat colour, it shrinks when it dries, so you have to do it in several stages, scratches are very hard due to the shrinking action and the paint pulls back form the sides of the scratch, if you only use the base coat,it will always T cut off..
When we spray cars the scratch has to be sanded out, otherwise it will always grin through

 

[Xtractorfan]

As a bodyshop owner my advice would be, by all means get the touch up paint paint stick from halfords or even MB touch up the chips yourself, let them dry and see how they look, any that are a mess can be removed with a little bit of thinner and attempted again...but it is hard to beat a professional repaint of the panel. if the rust/stone chips are all on the front end , front of bonnet, wings et. you're never gonna make a job of it by touching it up, get a few quotes from different shops, ask if they do work for any of the local garages, and walk away if you are told that half of the car has to be repainted just to match a panel. if they do trade work, chances are they do a quality job. but its not a guaranteed recommendation. and I have to diss the chips quick touch up guys here. you cannot properly touch up a scratch/ stone chip by blowing a half coat of watered down single pack lacquer over it...great ifyou are selling the car next day but dont attempt to keep it too long.........