Ah CRAP...A Rock!

[jmschoep]

NOOOOOOO, MY PAINT.

There's a cement factory or something on my way to work, and it finally happened, rocks. I got a very small nick in my windshield, too chips on the hood, and one on the side body trim.

The one on the side is the worst, it almost looks like the rock tore the pasint off. It's maybe 5-6 mm long and 2-3 mm wide. I'm not too worried about that one cause I can just replace the trim panel (that runs along the center of the doors).

I really worried about the ones on the hood. They are all the way to bare metal! one around a 1-2 mm circle and the other a little bigger, maybe 2 by 3-4 mm.

I've never had a car I cared enough about to fix the paint on. And this cars (03 Corolla) white so it shows every badly. Whats the best way to fix the chips on the hood- I'm a little afraid of touch up paint cause I think it will show brush marks, or just look bad since the chips are so deep.

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!

[Chris Corolla S]

I feel your pain.

I have an '01 Corolla w/ black paint job and clear coat.

it was great just a year ago but no so great now.

I work in San Francisco and my job has a dirt road

My hood had about 7-10 chips in it down to the primer (light grey).
Only one or two went through to metal (bright silver) these are the ones to worry about, because they could lead to rust.

I fixed mine using Toyota touch-up paint. The colors match perfectly.
yet it is very hard to avoid seeing brush strokes/over lapping.

Basically, you can't tell at all from about four feet away, but when you get close it's like little divits that are the same color. :cry:

Just be really carefull if you use the touch-up paint. Try and get a sharper brush than the one in the bottle and use multiple layers untill it matches the thickness of the rest of the paint. Scratches are much harder because they are so thin, it is impossible to only paint in the scratch.

I also had a pretty good sized gouge out of my side body molding, but it looked better than the hood chips when I painted it. I think it is easier because it's plastic.

I think the T-U paint works fine because you don't notice unless your nose is in the paint job. I plan to repaint the car totally when I pay it off in 2005 or whatever.

Funny no one else at my work seems to have excessive chipping. : oh well, let us know what you decide to do.
PEACE-

[wunderboy]

Use some spot-puddy to fill in the scratch's or pin-holes/dents, than apply your touchup piant, or a couple of quick blasts from a spray can. (you might want to prime it first) Than buff it. You should be able to buff the irregulars in the paint out with the right solvent. The spot puddy is the key, just use a little, scrape it on and it will dry quick. Remember, the more you use the more you will have to paint = the bigger the spot to see as unperfect, and not part of the original job.

[jmschoep]

I can see grey on both chips and one of them theres a different color greyish mark where it's deeper. is that all the way through? either way doesn't matter for rust, I live in PHX

I'll try to get some pic of the scratches posted.

thanks

[jmschoep]

This is just one of the scratches I'm going to see if I'm doing this right.

OK this whole picture thing isn't working-- someone want to explain it to me?? :evil:

[wunderboy]

If there is bare steel showing, all you need is a little rain, or a run through the car-wash and "tada" rust.

[jmschoep]

Great it's monsoon season here. I've already had it washed. (I couldn't see the chips thru all the dust) Put I had a hand wash and wax done. It rained the next day :evil: go figure. That coat of wax should protect it right???

[wunderboy]

Relax, as long as you dont let it go for the next year your fine. But if there is bare steel showing I would attempt to fix it as ASAP as I said above. But its your car..

[jmschoep]

I know, I know- It's just rocks make me sooooo mad! I think I'm going to collect up all the rocks I can find and throw 'em at each other to teach them a lesson!!!!!

[Flashmn]

Paint it on with a model paint brush, then let it dry..
after that take some rubbing compound and rub it really good (but not too much, so you wont damage the surrounds).. after that, clean the rubbing compound off and use a good wax

should look more/less ok :P