how do YOU fix your paint flaws, chips, etc...

[speedfreek88]

ive got a few chips in my front bumper and smaller random ones around the truck. i was thinking how i should fix all of them yesterday and having someone spray the pieces has me kind of worried about matching up the DSG and metal flake in the paint. i know i have to fill in some deep cuts and have my whole front bumper repainted and i have to buy a new grille shell (if you have a spare let me know!) so that will need paint too... im just trying to decide if itd be a good idea to just pull off the other pieces (mainly the ground effects) and let my guy paint them while he's at it or tackle it myself.

how do you personally go about fixing small paint imperfections? do you just leave it alone and try to ignore it, use a small easy fix paint pen or brush and save the cash, fix it yourself with a small paint gun (spray paint and those bottles you put with one of those aerosol cans and small setups fit here), or do you just go all out and have a pro repaint the piece? im not talking about those tiny pinhole chips you get from time to time... im just curious about the big flaws about the size of a pencil eraser head and up.

 

[SVT2122]

It would all depend where on the truck it was, what kind of defect it was, etc...

I have a tiny bit of curb rash on one of my wheels thats driving me insaine, I'm going to be getting it repaired next spring. But than there's a few hair line scratches I can live with, I'm just to lazy to sand them out myself.

 

[_XXX_]

Automotive Touch Up Paint Custom Matched

Check this out good stuff I had a nasty scratch from my dumbass electricians ladder. Used this followed all directions rubbed it out after with a fine compound... you wont see it if I don't point it out and stare at it... good enough until you decide you want to paint the whole truck for show quality..


G.L.:beer:

 

[SID297]

I've gotten pretty good at working with touch-up paint (lots of practice on my Jeep).

 

[miclightning]

for chips and scratches that are too deep for a buffer to fix.

I do the following:

Clean area with 50/50 alcohol/water
Dry
Apply thin coat of touch up INSIDE the area
(Repeat touch up paint process until the touchup paint is above the clear)
Wet sand in one direction until paint is all one level
Polish


Ive done this quite a few times and it comes out like new. Wet sanding can be very intimidating though, because your paint will look WAY worse before it looks better


- Sean