Stone Chips

[Mickle]

What have you guys done to cover your stone chips up? I've got a Sonic Blue touch-up pen but I don't want to use it just yet unless I find out that if I do, a company like chips away can undo what I've done and make it like new again.

[Dave]

Where did you get your touch up pen from, I would quite like one?

[Mickle]

Got it from a main dealer, had to order it in though so best to phone beforehand. Cost about £12

[sillysi]

I had chips away do my bonnet, in total the guy counted 75 chips! They fill each chip with paint from a spray can and then use a cutting compound to remove the excess paint. The match and finish is much better than you could acheive with a touch-up pen. He could not fill the very small chips as the paint would not stick in some of the holes. The guy was very genuine and told me what he could and could not do. If you have a lot of chips then I would recommend using them, if only a couple then the touch up pen is probably your best option.

[Mickle]

Sounds good Si. I haven't many chips at the moment, just 3 or 4 big ones. I guess I'm asking if I fill them in, do you think Chipsaway (at a later date) could use some cutting compound on my attempt at filling them and make it look good or should I just go straight for the Chips treatment.

Also if you don't mind me asking, how much moola?

[EddieC]

I noticed yesterday when washing that I seem to have a lot of chips on the front lip spoiler which are showing as white.
seem to remember a thread about people getting the front end sorted under warranty .. any suggestions??

[sillysi]

Mickle,

The bonnet IIRC was about £75. If I was you I would touch them up yourself ooeerrr! You need to clean each chip and then fill with paint until it just spills over the chip. Let it dry for a few days and then mask the area and use a cutting compound very gently to remove the excess paint. The masking is very important otherwise you will start to remove the lacquer from the undamaged paintwork and it will leave a dull patch. When this is done you can put a little bit of lacquer over the finished chip and jobs done. It will never be as good as a full respray, there again I have seen a few bad resprays but if you take your time then it should be pretty good

Si.

[Mickle]

Cheers for that Si

So literally when you say mask the area, you mean put lowtack sticky tape on it and cut a small hole so the filled chip shows and nothing else? Then I'll just be rubbing the chipped bit?

[sillysi]

That's how I did it and it comes up a treat. As the paint is new and still soft after a couple of days it does not take much rubbing to smooth it down. I use Autoglym cutting compound as it seems to be a little bit softer that T-Cut.

[Mickle]

Will give it a go at the weekend (as well as installing sti rears) :D

Cheers

[jag]

crash your car, pay the excess and get a whole new fresh respray as well as four new wheels, and at the moment, gearbox and axels too...

[Mickle]

lol:D

[Viv]

crash your car, pay the excess and get a whole new fresh respray as well as four new wheels, and at the moment, gearbox and axels too...
Well, I suppose now I've graduated to a protected no-claims discount.... :lol: