first severe scratch...gary how to fix this???

[cruisergeo]

[xx(] I tried and I tried to keep this from happening.


Its on the passenger side front fender.



On my way home from work on the highway, a small piece of gravel fell off a truck, I watched as it come closer, bouncing a couple of times I tried to slow down enough to let it go to one side or another, to no avail.
It was almost as in slow motion, for a moment I was sure it was going to bounce in front of me and go under the cruiser...no such luck.

Gary what would be the best way to repair this?

BLUE

[IRPT]

Cruisergeo, what a shame! You can try the Langka paint chip repair kit, http://www.langka.com/index2.htm

Being that your PT is Inferno Red makes it a little more difficult to repair and not be noticeable.

[turbomangt]

I share your pain, I have some chips as well, have not got around to touching them up. Here is a list of options for you to pick from.
1. I heard about this paint pen that is out, have not used it, but here good things about it, perhaps IRPT can provide the link to that.
2. I have the same color as you, this is a 3 stage paint system. (which is why they justified charging $200 more for the color)The mopar touch up (which I have not seen for inferno red) more than likely is in one bottle. I'm sure they blended the color. which means you won't get a good match. When I had my cowl hood painted, I asked my body shop to give me some extra paint, it came in two bottles. One is a silverish light red. The other is dark red. That is what makes up the color, (they call it 3 stage because the clear is 3rd in the process) I would go to a body shop close to you. have them make up the exact color in two bottles like I did. It shouldn't cost more than 20 bucks and you will get 10 times the amount of paint the dealer sells you.
3. The most expensive option is to have it air brushed.
4. Lanka? I have tried that product, did not work the way they advertised.

my choice would be to get the paint, get some small artist brushes, laquer thinner. I have the process you should use posted on Links home page for under detailing tips, I will try to cut and paste it here.
If you dirve you car, this stuff is going to happen, take it with a light heart. not worth getting upset over it, I have been there, it could be worse. Gary

[turbomangt]

Here you go, don't forget to check home page for tips, most people don't know its there, I cut and copied it for you. Gary

Tip #7: Paint Chip Repair Made Easy
None of us can avoid those darn paint chips. They annoy us every time we wash our car when we see them. They also seem to grow in size and dimension every week.

Well, we can do something about it, short of a costly body shop visit. Here are some things you will need first: factory touchup paint, a pack of artist brushes (you can buy these at any craft store for under 5 bucks) a can of Acrylic Lacquer thinner, old rags, piece of cardboard, and a small container.

I tell people is to wash their car first. The reason for washing is that many times a blemish may be removed during the cleaning stage, thus you won't not need to touch it up.

Begin by taking some of the thinner and pour a small amount into a container. Shake your touch up paint well (most factory paint is thick).

Have your small piece of cardboard and an old rag next to you. Put about a dime size amount of paint on the cardboard, pick out a brush the correct size that will match the size of the chips you are working on.

The problem with the brush supplied with the paint is that it is large enough to paint your garage doors, NOT your chips. Always remember this, "less is best". You can avoid those unsightly "blobs" by using less paint.

Take your brush and put it in the thinner, dab dry. There will still be enough thinner in the brush to thin the paint. Apply the brush to the paint, moving it around. You will be thinning the paint just enough to make it easy to work with.

Now go to your chips and lightly touch them. *NOTE, the paint will dry fast on your brush; you might only get to one chip at first before the brush gets dried out and the paint gets stiff. Just simply start process over again, and move on to your next chip.

Once you get the hang of it, you might get 2-3 chips done before you need to thin again. After 24 hours, you have the option of putting a coat of clear on (nail polish works for this as well) which you can get at an auto supply store.

Some have told me that leaving it just with the paint works fine, without the clear. Try a hidden area with the clear first and see how it looks before you move on.


Gary KOuba

[IRPT]

Gary, cruisergeo
The Paint pen you mentioned is by AutoVisual, here's the web address: http://www.autovisuals.com/
The paint code for Inferno Red is 'WEL'. The paint code for Clear coat in the pen is 'CLEAR'. I have these and they are OK but not great, best used on very small nicks. These pens are $17.00 each plus shipping (overpriced in my opinion).

You can also get Inferno Red touch up paint from your dealer, small bottle of Inferno Red that is applied with a small brush built into the cap is part # 05013697AA, this actually works pretty good for small chips. I have used this with the Langka paint chip kit and gotten fair results.

Inferno Red touch-up in a spray can from the dealer is #05013698AA, Clear coat in the spray can is part # 04443632.

[Goldmember]

I found the touch up kits to be really different in colour from the original paint

[turbomangt]

Just a few bits of info on dealer touch up. It does have a shelf life, unopened is about 18 months, opened only a couple of months. When I got my two part mix at my body shop, it was a better match than the dealer stuff. Like I said our inferno red is a 2 base coat system. you CAN"T match that in a single stage bottle of paint.

[IRPT]

quote:Originally posted by turbomangt

Like I said our inferno red is a 2 base coat system. you CAN"T match that in a single stage bottle of paint.

Agree, but even having the paint mixed it's not going to be an exact match. You can get good results with the touch-up paint for small items. Not exact but pretty darn close. I did my eyebrows with the touch-up paint and you can not tell the difference.

[bobs turbo pt]

i have the mopar touch up its not to bad!!

[Sci-Fi]

Just to add to the above comments, after washing your car, I use prepsol or denatured alcohol to make sure the wax is stripped off in and around the damaged area. IF Necessary, use a round toothpick or a small dental/pottery tool to clean the chip and chip edges of any foreign debris and/or raised/loose paint. For small chips, I use a round toothpick (just the tip, about 1/16"-1/8")and dip it into your touchup paint and scrape off any excess. It will seem like you have only painted the tip of the toothpick, but as you place the toothpick into the chipped area, a very small amount of paint will flow from the toothpick into the damaged area. It may take several "coats" to fill in the chip, but thinner coats are better than one big blob. As you buildup the layers and as it gets almost even with the surrounding areas, you can substitute/start using clearcoat to finish the job. As always, wait for each layer to dry. There will be some paint shrinkage, so take your time and when the paint is built-up to the point where its level with the surrounding area, you are done. Without seeing the chip, you may have to use a bit of primer if you see metal before using touchup paint. Larger and deeper chips may require sanding and polishing (by hand or machine)to level the paint/remove sanding marks and when you are done, you should not see where the repair or damage was originally at.

Hope this helps.