1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: First (large amount of) Paint Chips

Dr. Colorchip. That is why I get a clearbra on my MINI's.

 

I use OEM touch up paint. Clean the chip with alcohol and touch up the dips with a fine brush from a craft store. I get mine in the art section at Micheals. The brush that comes with the OEM paint is too big unless you are painting a fence.

Shake paint well for a min.
Blot a piece of a paper plate with OEM paint.
Touch up the chip with a fine brush using the paint from the paper plate.
Do not try and fill the whole chip at one time or it will get blobby.
Make two or three touch ups over a few days allowing the paint to dry in between. This will avoid the paint touch up blob as you are allowing each layer to shrink as it dries and you are filling in the chip.

 

Before adding the stripe fill in the chip. The strip will settle into the hole there and look bad. Plus you want protection from rust forming.

 

I have done this for a few friends with great results.

One guy had a scratch down the passengers side door from a shopping cart.

He filled it in over a week and I wet sanded it down with 2500 and 3000 and buffed it out and you could not even see where the 3 long scratches were. Oh it was on an Astro Black vert too which has metallic black paint.

 

This. Depending on the number of chips you have, Dr. Colorchip has your paint fixed in no time. Each kit comes with oem paint too.

 

I've used paint pens with little success. They cover the spot, but leave a bump. I guess I do not have the patience it takes to fix paint chips correctly. I'm keeping the rust at bay & for me that is good enough. I sort of think of of all the chips & stuff as patina on a fine antique. Maybe one day I'll have to have the bonnet & bumper resprayed.

 

I have seen people use Dr. Color chip with poor results. I look at that product this way, the car looks good from across the lot like girl in a bar. Then you walk over and take a second look up close and are let down. Ugh what happened to the pretty girl from across the bar? Where did she go?!:idea::lol:

I touch chips up a little at a time when I get them and only sand them twice a year before the Dragon and in the fall. I think my 7 year old original paint still looks great with all the touch ups and wet sanding a few spots.

 

:cornut: Shoot out his front tires!

Jason

 

I bought a Dr Colorchip kit for my last car. It was a huge waste of money.

Dave O is giving excellent advice. :cornut:

 

Even though I'm not great at touch up painting I find the paint pens easier to use & less messy.

 

Wow glad you are OK. Look at your roof & make sure there isn't a target painted on it.:wink: I find that many large vehicles just seem to tailgate & cut me off. Be very vigilant & expect someone to do something stupid. You will not be disappointed.

Glad the new MINI tatt buffed out.

 

Honestly! Yes! For one, my dad's a truck driver and he says that it is really an issue with small cars cutting them off and so they retaliate. Most people don't understand that semi's don't stop very well and when you're in traffic and you cut them off it really makes them mad. Not that you did anything of the sort, but there are people that give us a bad name and so they think all small car drivers are like that. Minis are also really hard to see because most have a black top and are short, it just looks like a piece of the road. I actually have more issues with mini-vans and mid-size cars. Also, people in trucks and stuff find it really funny to mess around with us; I'm not sure why, but it has happened to me on a number of occasions until I blow past them and give them the one finger salute and maybe a j*rk off sign (mostly reserved for mustang drivers but it works).

Just a word of advice try to steer clear of any big truck; pass quickly and make yourself seen, and do not float around someones blind spot. For those nincompoops who don't know; a blind spot is usually on the rear corners of a car; you stay there and something bad is bound to happen. I usually ride the line till they get the point and get away from me. Ok, I'm off the soap box.

I like OEM but Dr. Colorchip is good too. It's all about how you address it, you really have to take your time and do it right if you don't want to spend the big bucks.