Hey every one im looking for the best advise from exspairiants fixing little scratches and dings from rocks .

Is buffing out scratches a good way to go or could it mess up the original paint with compound or getting original paint from dealership and going that rough?

 

Well, the paint is really thin on the Fits. I just bought a small can of Honda touch up paint which does alright for the small little rock chips.

Of course it doesn't have a shiny clear coat finish but it at least it helps from drawing your eyes to the dings.

 

Ive used two products with good results:




If you have only a few chips from rocks or road debris, Langka is good:


Langka - Paint Chip Repair




If the front of your car is kind of "sand-blasted" from highway driving, Dr Colorchip works well.

Dr. ColorChip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Kit - Dr. ColorChip: Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems




PS: If you are touching up with factory paint (which is not shiny, it is designed to be clear-coated for sheen), try mixing the color with gloss Clear paint. The little condiment cups (and coffee stirrers) from fast food restaurants are wonderful for the small amount of paint you will need.

 

Thanks for the tips Carrbuff!

Next time I will try the clear coat mixed in with the factory touch up paint.

 

Honda clear coat touch up paint is available. Not only are paint touch ups for cosmetic reasons but when stone chips are on metal parts, it will start to rust unless the area is sealed (with paint).

When I have a small chip with rust appearing, I scratch out the rust with a needle to the bare metal, apply a rust converter and when dry, I add some paint with a toothpick. I also like barbecue skewers because they tend to have fairly sharp tips.

I recommend having some paint thinner handy. If ever you mess up, a little thinner will clean it right up. Paint thinner is actually a pretty amazing cleaner for a car. There was a stuck on piece of brown on my front wheel (probably fresh tar) and I tried everything: regular wash, claybar, even scratching it with a key . I wasn't getting anywhere so I tried a little paint thinner on a shop towel and voilà!

 

Just be sure to re-wax the area you cleaned.


Another tip: Next time try a fishnet-covered sponge. These work great for removing bug juice and tar spots.

 

I don't wax my rims, is that a big deal?

 

No

But at least clean them with soap and water after using the paint thinner.

You don't want the finish compromised by trace amounts of leftover thinner.

 

I dont think it could do that. It evaporates very quickly and is used by detailing/paint pros to even out paint blobs when touching up. It's not paint stripper, its thinner. Thanks for the heads up though.