Paint Chip Repair

photo by Nyboer Creative

By Aaron Turpen

The paint on your vehicle protects the body work from rust and corrosion. It is also the primary aesthetic to the car's exterior looks. So when paint chips happen, you often feel compelled to fix them immediately. These unavoidable chips are often easily repaired at home.

Your dealership will have the exact match paint for your car's exterior – often even for very old models. The paint will have a serial number which is listed on the nameplate on the inside door post of the driver's side door. If your vehicle is older, however, its paint may have faded from its original. Some dealerships offer paint matching and will mix touch up paint to match your current exterior fade.

Applying Touch Up Paint

There are several methods for applying touch up paint, depending on the type of chip and its size. We went more in-depth with this in another article, but the idea is relatively simple: use a brush for small spots, use something more professional for larger ones.

In all cases, the success of your touch up attempts will hinge largely on how clean the area is. Be sure that it is completely free of wax coverings and dirt before applying paint. Always buff (by hand or with a rotary buffer) the area once the new paint is dry and apply several coats of wax to help protect it.

Overall, repairing paint chips is not too difficult once you've learned how to do it properly. Most home DIY mechanics can learn to do paint chip repair by simply practicing on unseen portions of their car (inside doors, underneath panels, etc.) to get the hang of it.

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