How Too:Touch-up Paint

[Ecivilized]

I have a 99 Mercedes the color Black 40. there are chips in my finish, some deep to the metal and others very light that I want to touch up. what is the best method, what should I watch out for and how long does it usually take to cure. My location Washington DC. Temp in August usually HOT however it has been a mild summer to date 70's in am- low 90's during the day.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Ecivilized,

Meguiar's doesn't make anything for chip repair but there are other companies out there that do. Rock chip repair is very tedious and difficult work, it takes patience and practice to be good at it. The best advise I can offer is to never use the paint brush that is usually supplied as a part of the lid, and instead visit a artist supply store and look for a fine tipped paint brush such as a #000 tip brush.

The smaller tip will allow you to only place touch-up paint into the chipped area and not the surrounding paint. Also, apply only a little paint and then allow the paint to dry really well before adding more. It's easier to add more later than it is to try to remove a big glob from applying too much at one time.

Hope this helps...

Mike

[Buellwinkle]

Since Meguiars doesn't offer a product, let me suggest three choices, they work well but differently. The quick temporary fix is to get this lipstick looking thing from Turtle Wax. You rub it over the chip and then wipe off the excess. Lasts a few washes, looks OK (better than dabbing on paint) and is quick. Secondly, apply your favorite black touch up paint, wait a day and apply Langka, this is a chemical that levels the paint to make it flush. The last method I used for years on black cars but only lasts about one or two washes, get black permanent marker, color in the chip and wipe the excess of with your finger.

But I hear your pain, I had an MB with 040 paint, soft like butter, chips and swirls like butter too. But you will have hundreds of chips and hundreds more waiting for you in the coming years. I think trying to keep up with it is futile with touch up paint.

The newer MBs have the nano paint which is very nice, just 1 or 2 chips in 6 months, dealer washed each week and even Mike Phillips couldn't find swirls on a bright sunny day. You can tell the nano paint cars because they have a C in their paint code, like C40 for black.

[scrub]

Take a look at this article. Repairing Chips & Scratches

Good luck. Happy holidays!