OK, so thanks to a recommendation here, I have my Dr. Colorchip paint fixing kit on order (they recognized the Signal Red paint code!).

Any tips/tricks for using it to make it look great? I don't have major rash, but some in front and few chips in the rear that I want to blend in. Thanks!

 

Gina,

It is a very simple process that can produce amazing results!! Here are some of the steps that worked well for me.

1. Wash the car to get rid of any dirt/dust
2. Wipe over the areas that you want to work on with some 20% IPA solution or a product like CarPro Eraser. This will remove any wax/sealant/soap residue that may still be on the surface. Having a clean paint surface is critical to success.
3. If you have any swirls or scratches near the area that you want to work on, now is the time to polish them out.
4. Put on some nitrile gloves (one comes with the kit) and shake the paint jar vigorously then using one of the little applicators that come in the kit, put a tiny drop adjacent to the chip you want to fill. This is important, do not try to dab the paint into the chip, it will lead to poor results.
5. As soon as you have put the drop of paint on the surface, using the side of your (gloved) thumb, smear the drop across the chip. This will fill the chip and flatten out the drop.
6. Let the paint dry for at least 3-5 mins but up to an hour is fine.
7. Shake the Sealact solution (comes in the kit) well then dab a small amount onto the supplied cloth and very gently wipe back and forth over the smear. Do not use much pressure, let the solution do the work. At first the cloth will be grabbed by the smear but as you keep wiping back and forth the friction will diminish.
8. Stop when all of the smear around the chip is removed. You are done

Couple of tips.

The above works well for small bits of road rash. For bigger chips you may have to do the process several times in order to build up the paint to level the defect. I would wait a day between applications otherwise you just end up rubbing off what you had put on before! Resist the temptation of trying to fill a big chip in one go, it doesn't work very well.

If you end up going around the car and touching up many chips, do yourself a favour and put a little bit of painter's tape next to each spot. Believe me, if you don't, you will end up missing a spot or two and trying to remove them after a week or two is very difficult. (Ask me how I know this )

It really is very easy if you take your time. I just finished a full detail on my car with colour correction and using the Dr. Color chip worked out really well. Can you see the repairs?

Cheers,

Allan

 

Wow - I'm nowhere near looking to do that, but it's amazing! Thank you for the tips...I'm going to wait for a cooler, totally clear day to try.

 

One more question - did you just dilute generic rubbing alcohol to get to near 20% for the prep step?

 

Yes that's correct. Any Isopropyl Alcohol will do, they are sold in various dilution strengths. The bottle I most recently bought was 70% solution. To get about 20%, I put 9 oz in a 32 oz spray bottle and filled up the rest with distilled water.

Cheers,

Allan