[Sniz]

I spent a few hours last week fixing rock chips on the front of my car.....had around 30 or so, most all down to the primer and about half the size of a pencil eraser.

I followed directions I found on autopia and on here to clean the chips out, wash w/ a stripping soap, then build up paint over 2 or 3 coats so its over the cars paint. Wet sanded w 1500 grit sand paper making sure there was plenty of water at all times.

the problem I am having is 3 fold

1) I cant get all the sanding marks out...using Menzerna SIP and an orange pad. almost all are gone, but not all...I cant stand it.

2) the paint seems to have pulled "up" around the chip, doenst look flat anymore.....weird.

3) the paint in the chips doenst match the existing paint very well......its Montego Blue touchup paint I bought from the dealer?

Should I re-wetsand w/ 2000 grit and repolish?

end result is the car looks much better, cant see the chips, but because I'm really anal and look at my cars paint like i'm blind (head 5 inches away from paint) it bothers me.

[Sniz]

ok here are some pics. Obviously from any type of distance w/ out a halogen you cant see these "problems", but I can....so i'm not happy!

[UncleWede]

The second photo looks way too red, did you mix the paint sufficiently? Did you put clear over it yet? touch-up alone does not equal factory + clear.

[Sniz]

I think I mixed it enough, possibly not. No clear on it, but the kit did come with clear.

Can I still apply the clear? I would need to re wetsand right? Looks like I need to do that anyway.....agh!

[picus]

Are you using a PC or Flex or rotary? If the first two you're not going to get 1500 grit marks out with SIP. Add some clear, sand with 2000 grit (or 2500-3000 if available) then re-compound. Don't get too aggressive at this point as it's hard to say how much clear you've removed.

[Sniz]

Originally Posted by picus

Are you using a PC or Flex or rotary? If the first two you're not going to get 1500 grit marks out with SIP. Add some clear, sand with 2000 grit (or 2500-3000 if available) then re-compound. Don't get too aggressive at this point as it's hard to say how much clear you've removed.

ok will do, thanks!

[picus]

Oh, and fwiw, BMW touch up paint is complete and total ass. Aside from jb they never match (you should see my sparkling graphite, on a paint reader is 14 shades too dark for my car... hah!); so odds are they won't come up perfect, but should be a lot better.

[Sniz]

Originally Posted by picus

Oh, and fwiw, BMW touch up paint is complete and total ass. Aside from jb they never match (you should see my sparkling graphite, on a paint reader is 14 shades too dark for my car... hah!); so odds are they won't come up perfect, but should be a lot better.

any recommendations as to better touch up paint, made me mad.

[Sniz]

oh and Picus, I was using a PC RO, not a rotary.

[tintivilus]

I've tried this a few times now so I can throw in some tips for beginners:

1) Picus is completely right.

- 1500 is definitely too coarse to polish out with SIP and a PC. In the future go 2000+. I even picked up some Unigrit 3000 for next time.

- You have to really really thoroughly mix touchup paint. On the Steel Blue (E46) I have even if you shake it all day there are little surface swirls of something (flake?) in the bottle. You need to pour a little into another container and swish it around with a brush to get a decent blend.

- Watch out for edges. You'll take them down to primer before you know it.

- If you start to screw something up, just let it go. Every time I've tried to go back and fix something I've made it worse

ps: I used paintscratch.com for touchup paint but their sanding "kit" sucks balls. I haven't tried their Montego yet, though... maybe this weekend.