bluestreak63

Does anyone know which vendor has the best/acceptable touch up paint? Looking for Daytona blue color.

Mike67nv

You didn't say if your paint was original or in what condition, but it would be sheer luck if any off the shelf touch up paint matched your car. Any good automotive paint store should be able to make up a quart to match. Just bring in your car or a large painted part and ask them to try.

bluestreak63

Not original, but repainted back in the 70/80s. For what I've seen in original Daytona blue, it's pretty damn close, if not the same color. Don't need a quart, just a small amount.

Are all the aftermarket vendors using the same formula, so pick whoever has the cheapest?

Basically just touch up. A knick here, a knick there, etc.

Frankie the Fink

You think its close but you'll be fooled...doesn't take much fading or one batch of paint a bit different and you'll see it (try matching Riverside Red). And the vendor shades will vary from one outfit to another....and they'll all call it Daytona Blue.

If you want the cheapest then just order anything. If you want the best match take a headlight bucket ring or rear valance to a quality paint shop for a perfect match....

65 vette dude

I bought a painting pen from Paint Scratch, in Goldwood Yellow. The color matched my 65 almost exactly.http://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/select-color.cgi


P.S. By the way. I used the painting pen. Very easy to use, and the results were excellent.

Official NOCO

Frankie is right. Two close colors can seem exactly the same, until they are in the sunlight side by side. Take the time and money to do it right!

AkrHack

If it were me, I'd go to an automotive paint store that has a spectrophotometer. They will point it at your car and it produces a formula for paint that matches your car. The minimum amount you can buy will likely be a quart and should cost between $50 and $100 depending on the color.

RatDog

Genicolor (www.genicolor.com) was giving away their paint pens to forum members a year or so back (they also make it in a spray can). I ordered one in Paint Code 972 (Ermine White) and the results were OK. But my car is white so white latex house paint applied with a dead chicken would probably have worked as well.

I've also used DR ColorChip in Paint Code 972. I was very happy with the results. I like the application procedure of DR ColorChip because you build up the paint in the chip in a series of steps to fill the depression. Filling the chip so that it's even with the surrounding paint and doesn't leave a blob is equally as important as getting the right color. That's an art I haven't totally mastered.

I've only done this on very small chips.

Steve

wmf62

I have seen 'traveling detailers' use a hypodermic syringe with a bit of the correct color in it to carefully apply touchup paint to chips and scratches; or you can use a toothpick...

Bill

RatDog

I've used a toothpick. Hadn't thought about a syringe. I'll have to give that a try.

Superfine Microbrushes from Hobby Lobby work well, too.

Steve

Frankie the Fink

You want those little tiny brushes the gals use to gussy up their fingernails with drawings of stars, unicorns, Minnie Mouse or whatever - they have the finest tips going....

https://www.amazon.com/15pcs-Nail-Ar...aint%2Bbrushes

RatDog

I think they use those microbrushes for that. The brush tips on the ones I have are smaller than the head of a pin.

Steve

RatDog

This is what I'm talking about:

https://www.amazon.com/CraftyCrocodi...s=microbrushes

Steve

67vetteal

Good chance your car is painted in Acrylic Lacquer. But no matter what it is painted with I suggest you use Hibernia Restorations by giving then a panel such as the Rear Exhaust Panel to match. Not cheapest way but right on the money matching. Al W.
http://www.hiberniaautorestorers.com/

Chuck Pelton

A forum member is the wholesale supplier of 1 oz. touch up paint to all the major Corvette dealers. He only uses PPG paint and has all the correct formulas from 1956-2013. The company has been in business for several years and he will sell direct to members. You can contact him at 248 331-7084. He ships same day.

Frankie the Fink

Whatever works Steve - I'm not a big fan of the foam tip brushes - give me the bristles please. For the smallest dings, thinning the paint is essential along with making darn sure the chip is free from polish, dirt and other crud. Off-the-shelf factory touch up systems will not always match weathered paint so just be aware of that...

It may take several 'shots' of paint after it dries and shrinks to fill a bigger ding...I'll overfill it and usually wet sand it back with 2000/1500 grit and I've had excellent luck with that approach but, it can be nerve-wracking. Sand through and you'll have a bigger mess to deal with...

Mike Geary

I use the same process with one exception that greatly reduces the chance of a sand-through.

The excess build-up on the perimeter is scraped down to almost flush with a razor blade. I put a slight curve in the blade to prevent corner digs,

Patience is the key. Let the touch-up cure enough that it can be shaved down.

I've tried the nib files and run blockers, but this works better for me.

The key to the sanding step is using a HARD backer to minimize removal of paint adjacent to the repair.

Frankie the Fink

Yeah...thats one technique but requires a bit of a deft touch. I've accomplished the same thing with this product; I always have a spare bottle around:

https://www.amazon.com/Langka-LANGKA.../dp/B000BAT622

bluestreak63

Let me tell you where this stems from. My own damn idiotic fault. Didn't have a cover on it and the lawnmower was perpendicular to the rear of the vette. I was changing shoes (don't we all keep separate shoes for fertilizing?) and I lost my balance and grabbed the closer thing...the handle to the lawnmower. Which proceeded to go down from the weight of me grabbing it and and one of the nuts on the side gauged the tail right on, if not a little above, the rear point, to the left of the right tail light. I'll try to get a pic soon.

But it went through the paint into the fiberglass. Not deep, deep, but you can def see fiberglass and it's about the size of your thumbnail.

Is this something a shade tree mech could correct acceptably? I know it would be professional body shop, but that would probably 5-600.

Frankie the Fink

You could certainly try to fill the hole and repaint it.
"Below the belt line" and especially "below the bumper" repairs are more forgiving than in other places for touch ups. I look at it this way - take a shot and if it turns out OK you're good, if it doesn't look OK then you try again or worst case you can still get a pro to do the work..