[Johnny O]

I have a good size (OK, fingernail size) chip in the center of my driver's door. Metallic paint, BC/CC...what's the best way to touch up?? After I repair the chip, Im assuming I wet sand the entire door first, cause the whole door has to be cleared later. Then it gets confusing..some tell me to just shoot the repaired area with the base coat, trying to feather it out from the chip outward. Others tell me just shoot the entire door over. Either way, I know I will have to clear the entire door. I would think that if I just do a smaller area and try to blend it, it would show up more if the color was not an exact match, or if it is not sprayed exactly like it was the first time. I know that metallics are a little tricky to re-shoot. Which way would you go??

 

[72silver4u]

Definately blend, I don't know who told you to spray the whole door in color but I wouldn't listen to them, IMO that would be a terrible idea! Research on how to blend well, and you will never see it. Even if the color is slightly off, a proper blend will hide it, whereas panel to panel slightly off looks like crap. Be careful on what advice you take from who!

 

[Johnny O]

Sounds good to me. So, was I right in wet sanding the whole door first? 400 grit?? Is there any trick to the blending? Normal air pressure, more? Less? I'll look up some of the old posts on it. Thanks.

 

[Nicks406]

If you have enough of your original paint left over you can panel paint, but I still recommend blending the chip. Fix the chip first, then you can sand the door with 400 or 600. prime the chip area, sand again, paint. No real tricks to blending, I can do it, but cant describe it.

 

[snowtrav]

I had a mishap with a screw driver will installing the side mirror, I fixed it by adding base coat to some clear coat then applying a couple coats to build it up to level. I then wet sanded ( very carefully) the touched up spot, then buffed.

 

[Bunz-T]

Just finished 3 spots on a fender where the clear reacted. My guy uses an air brush to blend with and it works out great. Fixed a chip on the edge of a door on a 71 vette and used paint out of a can from Tower. It was a silver car and matched great. There are a lot of good people who will help you reasonably and those who want to turn a minor repair into a major to insure a healthy trip to your billfold.

 

[GRN69CHV]

I just touched up chips on my 05 Avalanache. I use a paper match to dab in paint on small chips. Several application until level or slightly higher than surrounding paint. Then wet sand with 1500 to level. Apply clear, then cut/buff. When repairing a larger area (fingernail size), cut a hole in a piece of cardboard the same size or slight smaller than the needed repair, use this as a template. Hold it off the surface, spray the nick through the hole. This allows you to use full pressure to settle the metallics without overspraying the entire panel. Then clear, cutt/buff as needed.

 

[69ssmike]

Repair your chip and sand with 600-1,000, use a grey scotchpad and some Ajax or prepping paste to scuff the entire door. Spray the door with clear basecoat (helps with blending metallics) . Spray your color going out a little farther with each coat. If it is a light color too much clear to the edge will darken the color. Spray a light coat of clear feathering at the edges of the door, spray your second coat wetter over the whole door. The clear will want to run where you have no color, the clear basecoat helps with this though.