Switch to clear...

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!

 

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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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!

 

Deny! Deny! Deny! ...and then Deny!

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!

 

Calling Anita....

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.

 

Paint Shop Women

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:thumbsup: .

Mark

 

I hereby retract my earlier statement....

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

 

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?

 

Re: I hereby retract my earlier statement....

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

 

Doug,
You're making me think way back. A potentially dangerous thing. If I remember correctly, I finally ended up using toothpicks, a new one each day I made an application. I just remember doing multiple layers, like 10 or 15 all together. Make sure the touch-up paint is thin enough to work with and really, really resist the urge to fill the chip in all at once. I can tell where the paint was applied if I look closely enough and I never bothered to sand the repairs down with the sanding block. But the repairs look like they survived the salty winter. I actually have more chips to fix!!


Mark,
Thank you for the generous offer to do repairs on your car. That really makes it tempting to show up out there in CA. Although I do have one concern. I thought they rounded up all you M5'ers and corralled you or something, you know to keep you all out of trouble. How do you gain access to this corral? Is it like BMW jail or something?


Dave,
You know, I've thought about the repalcement hood concept--maybe I should get a spare or two myself! Congrats on the upcoming liberation of your car.


Anita

 

In the market for a new hood?

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?

sfm5-

As I recall, it was about $2500 for a new hood and front bumper fascia. They then blended the color coat onto both front fenders, and ran the clearcoat all the way back to the front doors.

To an untrained but highly critical eye, it looked factory fresh. Only problem was they left swirl marks on the hood when buffing the new finish out. Good thing I had another wreck (!) as now they've got another chance to buff it right... :crying:

I get my baby back on Monday. I'll let y'all know if it's just as good the second time around!

-Dave

 

Mark,
Thank you for the generous offer to do repairs on your car. That really makes it tempting to show up out there in CA. Although I do have one concern. I thought they rounded up all you M5'ers and corralled you or something, you know to keep you all out of trouble. How do you gain access to this corral? Is it like BMW jail or something?
Anita [/B]

Anita,

The BMW Corral is not the BMW jail. Not that some of the people there have not visited such a place. This is just a term for the individual areas that are segregated at the Concorso in Monterey. They would not want us low life BMW guys parking next to the F50 Ferrari's. .

Now as far as your concerned, if you make it out, perhaps a BMW jail would be justified. .

Mark

 

Mark,
A BMW jail for little old me? Gee, you people would have to be some kind of real bad influences on me for that to happen, because I would never get there on my own. Now you've got me really curious about what happens out there in Monterey.
Anita

 

Any one else with paint durability issues?

The clearcoat on these cars just sucks, in my experience. I could chip the hood on my previous 2001 540 by looking at it wrong, and the hood on my otherwise flawless 2003 M5 has numerous small divots, repaired but still visible up close.

My wife's Grand Cherokee has nary a chip, and it's her daily driver.

 

The clearcoat on these cars just sucks, in my experience. I could chip the hood on my previous 2001 540 by looking at it wrong, and the hood on my otherwise flawless 2003 M5 has numerous small divots, repaired but still visible up close.

My wife's Grand Cherokee has nary a chip, and it's her daily driver.

fairly common ive seen alot of m5's with alot of rock chips, i for one had the paint problem but not anymore got it fixed and now awaiting the clear bra install. personally i have used touch up before worked pretty well but not upclose....

 

I wonder what it would cost to get an M5 stripped to the bare metal and repainted in a solvent based paint rather than a water based eco one?

Anyone have any experience of doing this?

 

Although Eastwood was mentioned earlier in this thread (...3 years ago!), I would also suggest their mini sanding block kit (3 small aluminum sanding blocks 1 flat, 2 curved for different surfaces) and a handy tool called a Run Razor.

The Run Razor allows you to build up the paint above the surrounding area and then quickly level it to close the surrounding paint, creating a fairly smooth transition between the chip and the rest of the paint.

The blocks then do a great job of smoothing the area to a near invisible transition (using 3000+ grit sandpaper and wet sanding the area). Finish off with rubbing compound (wet), some Meguairs Swirl Remover 2.0, some of your favorite polish and wax and presto chango, no more rock chip. :applause:

It's work but it beats forking out $1000 bucks to have the hood repainted every two years.

 

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!

Just a note. My 2003 M5 is a "driven" car (43,000 miles). As in lots of road trips in the wide open spaces ... I haven't found any problems with the paint, other than the damn rock chips ... and a bra wouldn't have helped on many of them ... like they are up near the windshield (two windshields damaged) ... What do you expect if you go 153 MPH?

My car is Sterling Grey, so making a match is virtually impossible, but ... I found a guy in Spokane, WA. Have talked with him over the phone and used his product. It works, and he says that the military is coming up with better touch up products all the time ... ??? ... that's what he said (i.e., Air Force).

It is Langka. (www.langka.com). You still need paint of the proper color. I recommend them highly.

Oh, yes, you'll need an OLD credit card (used in the process).