Clear coat layer on paint chip touch-ups. Did you use it?

[Anita]

I 've been following the paint touch-up protocol outlined by Car Care Specialties, Inc. in their car car tips info section that involves applying multiple layers of paint, etc. to a chip reapir. I've completed applying about 8 layers of paint to my 5 hood chips. Two of these chips were acquired on our way home from the purchasing dealership--down to the primer no less! At least I wasn't the only one driving my car that day.

I think I need about 3 more layers to get a surface that will be decent enough to sand. When doing these repairs have you used the clearcoat paint as your last few layers? Did you use the Finesse Block to remove the raised areas of the repairs or something else?

My main goal is to seal the surface, especially where the primer is showing, but of course I would like the repairs to look good. Don't ask me what gave me the guts to start painting away on my car, but I felt it was better than having the hood repainted (?) as the body shop had wanted to do, or having a technician or someone else put the dreaded one time touch-up-paint-brush-blob on my car.

[Teutonaddict]

Anita-

Since you've got a good color coat laid down, I'd transition to the clearcoat to bring the level up (and over) the surrounding finish. Then you can sand it down flat.

I've got some serious stone chips acquired over the 47K miles my Beastmistress has propelled me--I just haven't had the time to do the job. I DID buy a great stone-chip-repair kit from the Eastwood Company (www.eastwoodco.com); it has little micro q-tip applicators, and a 3M finger-sanding disk. Pretty cool.

One warning, however: these current BMW clearcoat finishes are sh*tty when it comes to chip-resistance, so prepare to repeat this ritual a lot. There was a marked deterioration in finish durability between my 98 E39 540i/6 and my 00 E39 M5. I believe BMW started widespread use of its water-based primer during that interval.

Anyways, I can now scratch my Carbon Black down to the primer with an inadvertent brush of my keychain, or a light, glancing blow with my wedding band. My 98, on the other hand, looked as good when I sold it after two years as it did when I bought it. I guess that's the price of progress.

Good luck!

[de Witt]

You should be sanding the clear coat (laquer, as it is sometimes called), not the paint. The reason you do so many different coats is to get a layer of paint that is even as possible. With that flat build-up of paint, you can apply the laquer in a same fashion, but it does not have to be as even as the fashion in which the paint was applied:


- surrounding paint
= existing clear coat
# touch-up paint
* touch-up laquer

***<----SAND
*******<---SAND
==****==
==****==
----###----
----###----
----###----
----###----
----###----
----###----
----###----
PRIMERPRIMER

You can use a clay bar, which is less abrasive, in the later stages of the sanding processes.

[louv]

An excellent tool for applying touch up paint: Insulin syringe. No, really! Find a diabetic friend (or other source of needles...) and load it up about a 1/4 of the way with touchup paint. Then gently apply. It produces tiny, controllable drops.

Load up another with clearcoat.

Please dispose of properly. Otherwise they'll wash up on the Jersey shore.

Oh, and don't poke yourself... unless you want an Imola Red tattoo.

[atomic80]

I bought a set of auto sharp pen which comes in the exact color that you specify. There are a number of different tip sizes available. I've tried it and it works great!

There even is a clearcoat pen too.

I have tried the syringe idea too and it works like a charm too!

[Anita]

Thank you all very much for the info. Are the paint pens that are refered to the ones sold at paintscratch.com? What is the shelf life of those pens once they are opened? Does the paint get too thick to work with at some point? Thanks for the syringe tip also. I do have some doubts that I will come out of that process unscathed though ( I say this looking at the 2 gouges on my fingers when my cordless screwdriver slipped and at the needle rip on my thumb from doing the hand sewing on my kid's costume) I will give it a try in the future though. I know you need to sacrafice for your M5.

As for the durability of the paint on my M5, I did talk to BMW NA after I noticed the large number of chips my car was recieving. They said they had no knowledge of any paint quaility problems (this was about June 2002). And when I brought the chip issue to the attention of my "service advisor" he looked at me as if I had sprouted even more horns than I normally do when entering his office and told me my problem was known as "road rash". I'm like, "Yeah, Yeah. I've driven enough cars to know this is unusual and I don't want you guys to DO anything to the car, I just want you to document it to create a paper trail and let BMW know what's going on." Any one else with paint durability issues?

Thanks!

[Teutonaddict]

Originally posted by Anita
As for the durability of the paint on my M5, I did talk to BMW NA after I noticed the large number of chips my car was recieving. They said they had no knowledge of any paint quaility problems (this was about June 2002).

I wouldn't expect them to own up to any diminished quality of their finishes. It took them losing a multi-million dollar class action suit about ten years ago to even get BMW to admit that they had been refinishing new vehicles without informing buyers when the factory paint was ruined in transit.

They're probably over-sensitized to the liability issue from that experience.

It was when I toured BMW Manufacturing's Spartanburg factory that I learned about the eco-friendly primer and paint system. Eco-friendly, but user-nasty!

[doug]

Anita,

How did your paint chip repairs turn out? I am in the same unenviable position right now! I want to do the repairs before I bring the car in for the clear bra thing. Hopefully, I can make the repais so it is not at all noticeable. Oh yeah, did you use the paint pens from paintscratch.com, or a syringe? Thanks.

[MAH]

Anita,

Because you are becoming an authority on the paint subject. Perhaps you could fix my chips if you attend the Concorso in Monterey in August. I'll bring the paint .

Mark

[Teutonaddict]

I know I said earlier to do the touch-up thing, but since that time I've acquired two new hoods (bonnets). Not the best way to address stone chips, but pretty effective nonetheless!

Seriously, I've had two unfortunate incidents (one my fault; one not) that required new hoods. The good news is that those nasty stone chips are gone!! And I believe that the local bodyshop does NOT use the same water-based primer that the factory uses, so hopefully it will be more durable.

I also still have an unused Eastwood paint chip repair kit at the ready!

If the planets are in alignment, I should get my Beastmistress back on Friday. Yippee!!

-Dave

[sfm5]

Just curious -- how much does a new hood run? And then i assume you had it painted, clear coated, etc? How much is it total?

[MAH]

Originally posted by Teutonaddict
I know I said earlier to do the touch-up thing, but since that time I've acquired two new hoods (bonnets). Not the best way to address stone chips, but pretty effective nonetheless!

Seriously, I've had two unfortunate incidents (one my fault; one not) that required new hoods. The good news is that those nasty stone chips are gone!! And I believe that the local bodyshop does NOT use the same water-based primer that the factory uses, so hopefully it will be more durable.

I also still have an unused Eastwood paint chip repair kit at the ready!

If the planets are in alignment, I should get my Beastmistress back on Friday. Yippee!!

-Dave

Dave,

it would be interesting to not over time if your new hood brcome less "chipped" than the rest of the original painted area on the front of your car. This would just confirm what most people believe to be inferior paint.

I really don't care about the environmental aspects of it. If I have to have the car painted, does BMW really believe this does not cause additional pollution? Oh I forget, that would be me causing the pollution and not them. Cute.

Mark