IS - 3rd Gen (2014-present) Discussion about the 2014+ model IS models

Touch-up paint on rock chips?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-18-18 | 03:52 PM
  #1  
yohan81718's Avatar
yohan81718
Thread Starter
Pit Crew
 
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 116
Likes: 6
From: CA
Default Touch-up paint on rock chips?

I have tiny rock chip on my front bumper. Since my car is UW (only a month old), it's very visible. What do you guys normally do when things like this happen? Touch-up paint? Process?

I regret not getting PPF right when I got the car =(
Old 06-18-18 | 03:59 PM
  #2  
Burrcold's Avatar
Burrcold
Advanced
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 562
Likes: 74
From: Toronto
Default

Buy the touch up paint from the dealer. I don't like using their paint pens since it goes on so thick and usually is too large for the area. Take a toothpick and dab it in the paint and touch it to the chip. Let it dry and then keep repeating this until you build up to the surrounding paint level. Let that dry and do two coats of the clearcoat in the same way. It takes longer but you get a much cleaner result (....and then go get PPF)
Old 06-18-18 | 04:05 PM
  #3  
E46CT's Avatar
E46CT
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,850
Likes: 2,229
Default

if you drive the car like its intended (a sports sedan) you're going to get quite a few more of those chips in the coming months. Just get a paint pen from eBay (by Lexus) and touch up as needed, a dab. It's not worth stressing out and getting up close with a magnifying glass over one chip. Cause like i said you're going to accumulate quite a few. I usually wait for the small chips to gather quite a few and touch them up all at once.
Old 06-18-18 | 04:07 PM
  #4  
yohan81718's Avatar
yohan81718
Thread Starter
Pit Crew
 
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 116
Likes: 6
From: CA
Default

Originally Posted by Burrcold
Buy the touch up paint from the dealer. I don't like using their paint pens since it goes on so thick and usually is too large for the area. Take a toothpick and dab it in the paint and touch it to the chip. Let it dry and then keep repeating this until you build up to the surrounding paint level. Let that dry and do two coats of the clearcoat in the same way. It takes longer but you get a much cleaner result (....and then go get PPF)
Okay I will check out on your method including clear coat. Thanks!
Old 06-18-18 | 04:08 PM
  #5  
yohan81718's Avatar
yohan81718
Thread Starter
Pit Crew
 
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 116
Likes: 6
From: CA
Default

Originally Posted by E46CT
if you drive the car like its intended (a sports sedan) you're going to get quite a few more of those chips in the coming months. Just get a paint pen from eBay (by Lexus) and touch up as needed, a dab. It's not worth stressing out and getting up close with a magnifying glass over one chip. Cause like i said you're going to accumulate quite a few. I usually wait for the small chips to gather quite a few and touch them up all at once.
I totally agree but I'm in my honeymoon phase with the car and I'd like to baby the car for few more months.
Old 06-18-18 | 04:14 PM
  #6  
E46CT's Avatar
E46CT
Lexus Test Driver
 
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,850
Likes: 2,229
Default

If you want to go hardcore on your bumper chips then this is the way to go among enthusiasts:

https://www.drcolorchip.com/store/ch...r-products.php
Old 06-18-18 | 07:30 PM
  #7  
TOPENDMS's Avatar
TOPENDMS
Former Sponsor
 
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 117
From: CT
Default

Check youtube for touching up rock chips. I think the 'trick' is to use the end of a match to apply or other trick-of-the-trade applicators to reduce the amount of paint applied, not the pen.
Old 06-18-18 | 08:00 PM
  #8  
pret's Avatar
pret
Rookie
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 6
From: az
Default front bumper rock chips

2016, owner 2.5 months, got it this way


front bumper


close up


close up


passenger side front bumper by vent
Old 06-18-18 | 08:42 PM
  #9  
HOMER350's Avatar
HOMER350
Racer
 
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,589
Likes: 315
From: SoCal
Default

Originally Posted by pret
2016, owner 2.5 months, got it this way


front bumper


close up


close up


passenger side front bumper by vent

Mine looks like this...a but worse (70k miles BLACK car with 100s of white chips). Can't even see it 10+ feet away but its awful all the same.

I'm having a detail guy come clay bar and polish the car while at work. Thinking to just spend a couple hours with touch-up paint before he gets to it.

Really also curious if this is the best method besides repainting the bumper???
Old 06-18-18 | 08:50 PM
  #10  
TOPENDMS's Avatar
TOPENDMS
Former Sponsor
 
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 1,461
Likes: 117
From: CT
Default

Originally Posted by HOMER350
Mine looks like this...a but worse (70k miles BLACK car with 100s of white chips). Can't even see it 10+ feet away but its awful all the same.

I'm having a detail guy come clay bar and polish the car while at work. Thinking to just spend a couple hours with touch-up paint before he gets to it.

Really also curious if this is the best method besides repainting the bumper???
Not sure I would bother repainting over this type of 'damage' until it meets a certain "unbearable-anymore" threshold. It's just going to happen again? You could always just avoid highways and high speeds
Old 06-18-18 | 09:42 PM
  #11  
pret's Avatar
pret
Rookie
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 6
From: az
Default

Originally Posted by TOPENDMS
You could always just avoid highways and high speeds
I am not sure that is possible (:
Old 06-18-18 | 09:46 PM
  #12  
pret's Avatar
pret
Rookie
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 44
Likes: 6
From: az
Default

Originally Posted by HOMER350
Really also curious if this is the best method besides repainting the bumper???
I would sand down everything where the chip is through the clearcoat....which is that whole bottom rail for me ):
Old 06-19-18 | 09:13 AM
  #13  
taktiks's Avatar
taktiks
Driver
 
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 128
Likes: 14
From: CA
Default

My front looks like swiss cheese from all the rock chips, even worse that it's a black car. I ended up using Dr. Colorchip, but it's still quite noticeable, as many of the chips have raised edges, and it will never be smooth again. It's my daily driver, and my commute is on a road with lots of trucks, so it is something that I've just accepted. I'm just waiting another year or two when it becomes unbearable, then it's off for a respray and clear bra.
Old 06-19-18 | 10:08 AM
  #14  
HOMER350's Avatar
HOMER350
Racer
 
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,589
Likes: 315
From: SoCal
Default

Originally Posted by TOPENDMS
Not sure I would bother repainting over this type of 'damage' until it meets a certain "unbearable-anymore" threshold. It's just going to happen again? You could always just avoid highways and high speeds
Yup that's pretty much what I've concluded to as well so far.
Next time get some clearbra / protectant wrap to help mitigate.
Old 06-19-18 | 10:34 PM
  #15  
wforty94's Avatar
wforty94
Rookie
 
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 85
Likes: 7
From: CA
Default

my black lower front bumper area has a sandblasted look that you can't really touch-up as they are small micro chips. every year or so i get the car detailed and a lot of it is paint corrected and polished out.

i touch up the larger "real" chips with OE lexus touch-up paint. just use good judgement, sometimes the touched up chip is more obvious than if you were to have left it alone.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
wolfman001
NX - 1st Gen (2015-2021)
13
06-26-19 07:11 PM
integroid
Automotive Care & Detailing
5
11-12-16 09:02 PM
binelus
Automotive Care & Detailing
4
11-09-03 10:39 PM
ecc
RX - 1st Gen (1999-2003)
1
10-26-01 03:10 PM




All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:35 PM.