Pacer

Okay, I'm a little late in getting that clear shield installed over my hood! I washed my RDX today and discovered a nice rock chip on the hood, ouch. I'm gonna buy some touch-up from my dealer, but wanted to know what advice you guys have for applying it...toothpick, Q-tip, special brush or what? Pretend you're talking to a dummy, shouldn't be hard!

Also: is there another clearcoat touchup I should apply over the regular paint touch-up? I also noticed the paint is a little cracked but intact right above the chip -- I think if I put some pressure on it, it would crumble off. Should I go ahead and do that and apply the touchup over a larger area?

What does it typically cost to get one of those rock shield coverings installed? I'm talking about the clear application that covers the hood...or most/all of it? I think it's by 3M or DuPont. Do you guys also get it put on your front bumper? I'm guessing any body shop does this kind of stuff? What's a fair price? And I'd also guess that I should wax the hood first (?) before this is applied as I'm assuming it's permanent. Someone please educate me. Thanks for the advice...

sasair

I use a touch-up pen. Fairly easy to use. I also use a clear coat pen on top of it.

I got a chip on my hood that I noticed last time I cleaned it. but it was up high on the hood where the film protection probably wouldn't have been unless my entire hood was covered.

Allanon

Where did you buy the clear coat pen?

sasair

I got mine at www.paintscratch.com, but I have heard other people get them cheaper elsewhere.

omgacuralol

I noticed a small one as well, it was on the rear edge of the rear fender. The little rubber strip that lines the edge of the fender doesnt go quite to the edge of the paint, so I guess a rock mustve shot up from the wheel and clipped the outside edge of the fender.

how much is the touch-up pen from the dealer?

pvsurfer

Don't feel bad Pacer - sooner or later those chips happen to most of us. Those touchup pens sasair uses look like what I also need to get.

rdx4fun

I use the factory acura touchup paint with a toothpick . Not that the other stuff (paint pens) are not better I just like the toothpick method. I dip the tip of the toothpick in the touchup paint and let the residual run off than lightly tap the chip with the end. Do about 1-3 times untill it is filled. Before I touchup the spots I use rubbing alcohol or what ever I happen to be drinking at that time of day. Grey Goose works well.

c_hunter

I like getting the Honda touchup paint with the little brush in the cap, but sometimes apply it with a toothpick or smaller/finer artist's brush instead of the built in brush. The pens are pretty good (have one for my wife's TSX) but I realized a disadvantage of the pens when I tried to touchup a chip on the edge of the door! Ended up dumping some paint out of the pen and used a brush for that.

If there is loose paint, gently flake it off with your fingernail. If there is rust (which happens a lot on the hood of our TSX), you'd want to very carefully scrape it off -- the tip of a drywall screw works well for that, but you have to be careful. And then, clean the chip good with iso alcohol, let it dry, and paint away.

Sometimes I do multiple applications (5 min apart), sometimes just one. Depends on the chip. With experience, you will know when to stop (it is possible to make it worse looking with too much paint).

The Honda touchup is glossy, so technically a clear is not needed. But it sure can't hurt.

After everything dries, I like using a product like scratch-X to blend the area a little.

There is a product called "Langka" (do a Google search) that I have had good luck with on some cars. It helps remove excess paint from a chip so that you fill it rather than blob paint all over around the chip. However, I used Langka to fill a chip on my RDX last week (rear fender - ahh! the first chip is painful) and was not happy with the results. Did not seem to work well with the Acura touchup paint. I ended up taking all the paint off with alcohol and started over without the Langka. Langka will dull the touchup paint, so you'd definitely want to use some clear afterwards. Despite my mixed results on the RDX, Langka has worked very well for me on other cars -- can make the chips completely vanish.

Step 1 of installing the 3M film is to strip off all wax from the hood area under the film, so don't bother waxing. I am a big fan of the 3M film, but sasair pointed out the major flaw -- it won't protect the whole hood, so it's benefit is limited. But I had the film on my previous car and it probably stopped at least 80% of the damage (really depends on how much of the forward facing portion of the hood is covered).

I generally only cover the metal hood with 3M film. The plastic bumper parts are much more resilient against chipping. But if you have the $$, do it all! The RDX has a lot of forward facing area in the lower plastic parts.

Speaking of $$. The film is cheap ($100 for the hood piece) but the labor gets expensive. Expect to pay about $400-500 material cost for a full front end kit (usually includes bumper, hood, fenders, and mirrors). Labor could push that to $1100-1200 total cost easy.

c_hunter

By the way, there are auto airbrush shops (AeroColors in my area) that can fill a chip and make it vanish. They do some amazing work -- these are the guys dealerships call in when they get scratches/etc on the lot. I have never priced it out, but I believe the cost is reasonable.

Pacer

Excellent info, thanks, everyone. Yeah, that first one is always the worst!

As for touch-up paint from the dealer, I can't imagine it's more than 10 or 12 bucks, but what do I know.

c_hunter

It's usually $4-5. Curry threw it in for free when I ordered a bunch of accessories.

mickie

I asked for it when I bought the car. I expected himt o throw it in after all I spent. In any case, Some folks do well with a delicate paint brush. Cut off all hairs but one. Then you'll be sure to get the right amount in the area. Especially works well for scratches when you really have to be fatally careful about not globbing it on.

kthlex

Curry Accra offered me a free touch up paint when they were not able to get a part to me as soon as was promised.

The Acura paint comes with the new applicator. A brush on one end of the cap for larger areas and a pen on the other end of the cap for detail work.

neo1738

yea i got a windshield chip on my drivers side at 6500mi

Lrpba300

I won't get a vehicle w/o the Clear Bra on it. I have it installed by a reputable dealer, (I know the guy well that owns it!) And is great protection. I don't have the bumper done, but you can. I do have the mirror backs, bottom splash area done, along w/ the hood. It definitely works. Had a rock scratch one area on my'00 TL w/ clear bra on it, it didn't hurt the fender or paint / clear coat at all. The installler re-did the area under warrantee!! Well worth it!

chyllintsx

wtf... i spent 990 there and they didnt give me shyttt

Pacer

LMAO!