well, its finally happened. i have a nice chip on my hood. pretty deep, through the paint down to metal. its fairly small, maybe 1/4" long, barely a 1/16" wide. i think it happened on a trip to Indy yesterday, got stuck behind some asshole trucker who was tossing rocks and debris out the back of his truck. took quite a few hits before i could get past him.

anyway, i need to get some touch-up paint and repair it but wanted to see if anyone here had any suggestions as to the process. there are a number of articles online suggesting hwo to do it, is any certain one better than the others? i'm guessing i'll have to fill it in then take some compound to it or possibly a 2000 grit wet paper to get it to look good.

any suggestions are welcomed.

i'll need to run to acura and get some paint. has anyone tried these paint pens that duplicolor makes? any good? i'm thinking oem paint touch-up and a toothpick may work better.

 

This Autopia repair method works for me: www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=27

My experience is that 2000 grit sanding leaves a noticeable dull area, and you'll definitely need to use fine compounds in addition.

Can't comment on the pen, I've only used liquid touch-up paint bottles and a toothpick or cut match.

 

BE CAREFULL!

I tried this method on my Integra. You would be amazed how aggressive 2000 grit paper can be. I was left with slight gouging in the area I was sanding. I would recommend doing a tiny bit at a time, repeatedly wiping the surface clean and inspecting the area. "Feeling" to gauge your progress is not good enough.

 

The method I've always used comes from the Bimmerfest Forums: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32625

Works like a charm.....