Paint chip. How do I fix it?

[Jeff240sx]

Well.. "chip" isn't really the word I'd use. It looks like a shopping cart hit it, and the paint was so soft (Subaru paint) that it wrinkled up and came cleanly off the bumper.



The area is about the size of a pencil eraser, and there is some additional damage right next to it, about 2" by 1/4".



I didn't take pics, and now I'm at work, but I'll get some up tonight.



I've looked at paintscratch.com, as they have good reviews for matching the paint color of a factory car. They say that the paint pen is good for areas less than a pencil eraser, and a paint brush is good for areas less than a dime.



I'm wondering if the look and texture will be correct, or if I should go full-on and get a 12oz spray can of prime/base/clear and tape off huge areas to spray the damage down.

Seems like overkill since the marks are fairly small, but I think that spray would be much more even coverage, go on thinner and generally be better.



Looking for some real help. I'm quite unhappy at having to fix a paint 'chip' on a 6 week old car.



:thx

 

[08xB]

Ouch! Just to share with you my experience... I had a 2008 Scion xB. I owned it for ONE month when while driving on the expressway, a big rig clipped another car in front of me, slammed it into the cement median at 70+ MPH causing all the glass in that vehicle break and SHRED my NEW car. I was traveling at about 70 MPH as well so the glass shards hit me at 140 MPH...? Had to have it repainted from bumper to bumper as well as all new front glass, headlights and trim.



Anywhoo... Trying to repair paint on a flexible bumper is a hit or miss proposition. As you may or may not know, the paint ona flexible bumper typically has a flex additive added to prevent the paint from just busting off in the event that the bumper receives a minor bump. That being said, the repair paint probably will not have that. So, if you are able to repair the flaw, chances are, it may "break" out over time. I have done it before.



-josh

 

[Accumulator]

Well.. "chip" isn't really the word I'd use. It looks like a shopping cart hit it, and the paint was so soft (Subaru paint) that it wrinkled up and came cleanly off the bumper.



The area is about the size of a pencil eraser, and there is some additional damage right next to it, about 2" by 1/4"...

I really (and I mean *REALLY*) hate to tell a new member do do the dreaded SEARCH but in this case it's warranted. Touchups take a fair bit of explaining and we've covered it in great detail before. If you find one of those threads you'll have a whole lotta info to go by.

I've looked at paintscratch.com, as they have good reviews for matching the paint color of a factory car...

Sometimes their stuff matches OK, sometimes it doesn't. Ditto for AutomotiveTouchup.com and the others. It's a crap-shoot and sometimes you get lucky, other times you don't.

They say that the paint pen is good for areas less than a pencil eraser, and a paint brush is good for areas less than a dime.

I'd use the appropriate size brush.

I'm wondering if the look and texture will be correct, or if I should go full-on and get a 12oz spray can of prime/base/clear and tape off huge areas to spray the damage down.

The texture/etc. probably won't be 100% (hardly ever is..) but you do *NOT* want to try spraying it with a rattle can. Really. Truly. Don't even think about it (how's that for a strong recommendation ).

Seems like overkill since the marks are fairly small, but I think that spray would be much more even coverage, go on thinner and generally be better...

Leaving aside the issue of spot-in work in general (durability can be an issue and experience means everything), the only way I'd see that working out OK is if you're very skilled with an airbrush and you use that for such work. It *can* be done (again, there can be issues later on, no matter how well it turns out), but the people who can do it are few and far between (and almost alway professionals).



I've used the cans from PaintScratch and their pattern/etc. aren't so great.

I'm quite unhappy at having to fix a paint 'chip' on a 6 week old car.

I hear you, and the first such issue is always the most irritating. But as the (Alfa factory) museum curator said "real cars have paint chips".



Oh, and Welcome to Autopia! I wasn't blowing you off about searching for those threads, you'll see what I mean when you find 'em.