Front end paint chips
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2018
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Front end paint chips
hello, Justin bought a lemans blue 06 vette! Love the car but has a few paint chips on front bumper and hood. Do you recommend taking it somewhere or doing it myself? I’m OCD and don’t mind the chip it’s just the white color is noticible. Please help!!! Lol I’m in Detroit area. Anyone know of any good places that won’t break the bank?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
I do not know of a shop in your area to recommend.
As for you doing it yourself....it all depends on how you want the outcome to look.
Cleaning these areas well and CAREFULLY using touch up brush and touching them up yourself is possible.
As for sanding the areas and blending the paint and clearcoating the bumper and hood all depends if you have the capabilities to do that and the equipment and place to do that successfully.
As for if a shop will 'break the bank' or not all depends on if you are looking for quality work. Quality works takes time.... and time is money.
DUB
As for you doing it yourself....it all depends on how you want the outcome to look.
Cleaning these areas well and CAREFULLY using touch up brush and touching them up yourself is possible.
As for sanding the areas and blending the paint and clearcoating the bumper and hood all depends if you have the capabilities to do that and the equipment and place to do that successfully.
As for if a shop will 'break the bank' or not all depends on if you are looking for quality work. Quality works takes time.... and time is money.
DUB
Last edited by DUB; Oct 14, 2018 at 09:54 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
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my 2-cents -- buy one of these - Loew-Cornell Fine Line Painting Pen -- https://www.ebay.com/itm/Loew-Cornell-Fine-Line-Painting-Pen/123299963015?epid=691209753&hash=item1cb 5402087:g:eaQAAOSwGnxba5LF , and watch this video --
you should be able to get touchup paint from the dealer, or from the paint code, from any specialty supplier. I watched a detail guy demonstrate this at a corvette show about 15 years ago - took me awhile to find the painting pen, but I've had my best success with this method.
you should be able to get touchup paint from the dealer, or from the paint code, from any specialty supplier. I watched a detail guy demonstrate this at a corvette show about 15 years ago - took me awhile to find the painting pen, but I've had my best success with this method.
Last edited by Joe C; Oct 13, 2018 at 03:02 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
Using this pen or even a two or three hair paint brush is do- able on solid colors. Which this video showed then doing it on a solid color car.
But when applying a metallic or pearl color the dynamic changes and when touching up even the smallest of chips. The touch up paint..... even if it is a exact match can cause for it to go darker due to the metallics and pearls are not being atomized or dispersed as if it where shot out of a paint gun....and that is when thinning the paint and applying it very thin so the metallic/pearls can lay out is how I do it.
Touching up a solid colors is basically a no-brainer.....metallic/pearl colors or even a tri-stage color is something COMPLETELY different. IF the person is looking fro a touch up that can not be easily detected.
DUB
But when applying a metallic or pearl color the dynamic changes and when touching up even the smallest of chips. The touch up paint..... even if it is a exact match can cause for it to go darker due to the metallics and pearls are not being atomized or dispersed as if it where shot out of a paint gun....and that is when thinning the paint and applying it very thin so the metallic/pearls can lay out is how I do it.
Touching up a solid colors is basically a no-brainer.....metallic/pearl colors or even a tri-stage color is something COMPLETELY different. IF the person is looking fro a touch up that can not be easily detected.
DUB
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
It depends on how thick you applied it and what your current air temperatures are at.
In a few days should be fine but I do not know how thick of a blob you applied if you did that at all.
This is when you apply the same amount of paint you used on your car and put it on something else and TEST that panel first before you go to your car. If it works there...then it should obviously work on your car that has dried longer....assuming you do not take your test panel and put it in the sun if your car is stuck in a cold garage.
DUB
In a few days should be fine but I do not know how thick of a blob you applied if you did that at all.
This is when you apply the same amount of paint you used on your car and put it on something else and TEST that panel first before you go to your car. If it works there...then it should obviously work on your car that has dried longer....assuming you do not take your test panel and put it in the sun if your car is stuck in a cold garage.
DUB
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Race Director
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Using this pen or even a two or three hair paint brush is do- able on solid colors. Which this video showed then doing it on a solid color car.
But when applying a metallic or pearl color the dynamic changes and when touching up even the smallest of chips. The touch up paint..... even if it is a exact match can cause for it to go darker due to the metallics and pearls are not being atomized or dispersed as if it where shot out of a paint gun....and that is when thinning the paint and applying it very thin so the metallic/pearls can lay out is how I do it.
Touching up a solid colors is basically a no-brainer.....metallic/pearl colors or even a tri-stage color is something COMPLETELY different. IF the person is looking fro a touch up that can not be easily detected.
DUB
But when applying a metallic or pearl color the dynamic changes and when touching up even the smallest of chips. The touch up paint..... even if it is a exact match can cause for it to go darker due to the metallics and pearls are not being atomized or dispersed as if it where shot out of a paint gun....and that is when thinning the paint and applying it very thin so the metallic/pearls can lay out is how I do it.
Touching up a solid colors is basically a no-brainer.....metallic/pearl colors or even a tri-stage color is something COMPLETELY different. IF the person is looking fro a touch up that can not be easily detected.
DUB