Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics touch up paint

i noticed yesterday that there are little specks of paint missing on the side of the car, presumably from road debris(sp). is there a better way to apply touch up paint to the spots. ive used it before on other cars and it is really goopy and hard to apply smoothly(kind if like white out). im not worried about the paint not matching due to fading. i removed the svt badge a couple months ago and there was no difference. anyways thanks for any help.

if the nicks aren't down to the bare metal, what you can do is to clean the nick up with some fine sandpaper and wet rags (or varnish remover if it is badly stained with adhesive (as was the case when i took off my door ding strips)), and then fill the nick with several layers of paint until the nick is flush with the rest of the finish (allowing each layer to dry for about 10 - 20 minutes between applications and the final coat for 24 hours). to minimize goopy bubbles, i've found that a dabbing motion yields better results.

when you're done, add a few layers of clear coat using the same process until the finish is flush with the rest of the surface, waiting a full 48 hours after the final coat is applied. then, using a very fine 1000+ grit sandpaper made for wet sanding, wet sand the final layer down using straight sanding motions (and not circular) to smooth-out the paint. finally, use a little rubbing compound or scratch remover on the area. it's a bit of work, but if you do all of those little nicks and scratches at once, it won't be too bad.

Leigh

wow thanks so much. on my previous attempts with my girlfriend's p.o.s. 89 corsica, we just slapped it on and it looked like crap.

yeah they are down to the metal, i can see the silver. im really mad, cause ive kept my car so clean, but the previous owner must not have. it did have like 51k miles on it when i got it.
thanks again though, you saved me alot of time money and frustration. i gave you a five star rating, its about the best i could do.

well nevermind i cant give you five stars, well whatever, thanks again you rule!

don't worry about the rating, but i appreciate the thought. an aside, my parents are originally from Rolla MO so i feel like a Missourian at heart.

i just wanted to add that if it's down to the bare metal, you can still achieve good results, but you will have to first score the metal with coarse sandpaper (~150 grit), and then give it a light coat of an automotive primer that is made to bond to the metal. then follow with the touch-up, and go from there.

i know what you're going through; no matter how much care i put into my car's exterior, i always get little nicks and scratches. it's unavoidable, and the low quality of the factory paint doesn't help.

Two last things: 1) is that I've used Dupli-Color (by Sherwin Williams) clear coat and primer in combination with the Ford touch-up paint with good results. 2) it might also help if you use masking tape to tape-off the area you're going to work on so that you don't accidentally sand or paint more than you have to. well, good luck!

You should check out Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge quality paint, if you think Ford is low quality.

But back to the touch-up, try to get a very fine paint brush. Take the paint and put some into a dixie cup. Then take the very fine brush and barely dip it into the paint. Thin it out a bit by running it along the side of the cup. After just apply to the car, until smooth.

Oh, I didn't say that Ford's the worst . . just that it could be a lot better. My first car was a a Chrysler and the paint literally peeled-off of the hood. The Ford, at ~18k, is starting to craze in some places on the hood, fender, and roof. They'll repaint the roof under basic 3/36, but the rest is up to me.