Chuey

Hello all!

I have a few chips I would like to touch up and I was just wondering which one the board prefers. I've read quite a few rave reviews for Dr. Colorchip, but I've also heard that the touch-up pen from the dealership works just as good. The price difference isn't the most drastic in the world, but it is enough to make me pick the cheaper option if it does a comparable job. Also, has anyone had any experience with the automotivetouchup.com products? Thanks for your input!

C300Sport

Once you get a little practice with DR Colorchip, it can look much, much better than a touch up brush. Really just no comparision.

12_benz

I just used Dr. Color chip the other day. Great results, I really like their product!

global33

I have used Dr Colorchip for several smallish stone chips near the front fenders and on the driver side door. The color (palladium in my case) is a perfect match. Their method of applying, swiping, waiting, then careful dabbing with their solution to remove excess paint takes a bit of practice but you can repeat on the same chip until you like the result.

RLE

Neither, as far as I'm concerned. The MB touchup kit using a brush invariably leaves too much paint and I gave up on them long ago.

I also bought a Colorchip kit for my metallic black W203 and found that the results were not very good since the chip did not fill in enough to obscure it. And, I ran out of the magic white fluid long before the black "paint" was gone.

What I am using now is a paint pen from www.paintscratch.com which is much like a Sharpie rather than a brush so you can apply just the right amount of paint and it matches.

Another good thing about the paint pen (this brand) is that they are inexpensive and much cheaper than Dr. Colorchip.

Keep in mind that the lighter colors are much easier to repair than the darker ones in my experience.

Chuey

Hmm.. dr. colorchip is starting to sound like the better choice. However, the "needing to practice" factor is a bit unnerving. lol Will I need to clear coat the finished repair afterwards?

MBRedux

Dr. CC works best for straight dead-on small rock chips. Not scratches. You can build up the layers until the entire chip is flush and even. Touch up pens suck IMO. Good luck.

C300Sport

I agree with you in that it takes a bit of practice/work to get the paint perfectly level with some of the chips but once you get more proficient you will need a lot less blending solution.
With that being said, you would need about 10 extra bottles of blending solution for the amount of paint they give you...especially if you leave a lot of excess to buff off with the solution.

Carlow202

+1 on Dr Colorchip. I use palladium silver as well and the match is great...although...the more i use it, the more chips i notice on my car to fill in haha.

Chuey

For those of you who have used Dr. Colorchip, do you apply a layer of clearcoat after you've finished the touch up?

12_benz

No, you just dab, wipe, wait to dry, then buff with blending solution, then buff with microfiber cloth. Takes 10 min tops

Chuey

So the blending solution acts as a protectant for the paint? Also, would I need a primer if the chip reaches the metal? Thanks!

global33

The solution is a paint solvent to reduce any "blob" left behind. You essentially apply paint and then gently remove extra paint where it's not needed to achieve a more even look. It sounds more complicated than it is- they have some videos on their website so you can see what it's all about. There is no clearcoat with this system, but then again you're not paying $$$ a body shop would charge for a full paint fix. Keep in mind also that your bumper is mostly plastic (if that's where your chip is).

Chuey

Sadly, the chip is on the hood. I want it to match as close as possible. Without a clearcoat, will it still shine? Would it come off after a waxing?

MBRedux

Dear Chuey,

You have asked the same questions over and over, which is okay, but the way we all learn is by doing. Sometimes we make mistakes yes, even if we take other peoples advice, and sometimes we learn to do it even better, by giving it a try and figuring it out for ourselves.

The best advice is to buy the Dr.CC, and to first try it out on another not-so-noticable chip on your car. If it's to your satisfaction, then do the hood. If not, go buy some std. touch-up paint and do the same test. However, the problem with std. touch up paints is that they thicken over time so the end result looks like a pimple instead, especially after lobbing on a layer of thick clear goo over the color.... yuck. Good luck.

Chuey

I understand that my questions seem a bit repetitive, but I hope you understand that it's because this is my first Benz and I want to take care of it the best I can. If that means to ask the same questions a few more times than necessary to boost my confidence in doing the repair, then so be it. I do appreciate the advice you have given and I think I'll try my first repair on a less conspicuous spot first. Will update as I progress!

MBRedux

Now that's the spirit! You'll do fine!

Chuey

Ok, so I finally took the plunge and and went with Dr. Colorchip and let me say.. this stuff is amazing! It does a great job covering up chips while blending with the rest of the car. However, as a noob, problems of course came up. I forgot to use the blending solution on one of the spot and now it's dried. Is there any way to remove?!?!

Scat01

Yes there is, I had this happen on my wife's Lexus (silver is tough to see), found it a week later while detailing and I called them for advice - Simply use mineral spirits along with the blending solution, I put a small amont of each on the cloth and gently used the back and forth motion until it leveled off into the chip - same process as the solution...

RLE

A bit of lacquer thinner on a cloth will take it all off and you can start over. No, it will not damage the original paint.

Personal experience.