We’ve all gotten them on our cars: rock chips, door dents, bumper scuffs, etc. They can come from a rock thrown from a truck on the road, or as easy as being knocked over by someone in a parking lot. hurry or even an errant grocery cart. Most of these are unavoidable. They can happen even if you park far from stores and regardless of the steps you take to protect your car. Not only do they detract from the beauty of your car, they can also make your car susceptible to rust and the environment. Here’s how to repair these paint chips, nicks and deep scratches and protect your car from rust.

Chips and scratches are not worth going to an auto body and paint shop for. They will charge 10 times more for repairs that you can easily do yourself. The first step is to locate the chips and scratches and see how deep they are. If they don’t go all the way through the paint, you can polish them. Using a cloth towel, apply a small amount of scratch remover or cleaning wax. Rub in circular motions over the chip or scratch and polish when dry. If this removes the chipping or scratching after a couple of applications, great, then just follow up with a good wax or polish. If you see white or metal primer on the nick or scratch, scratch remover or cleaning wax won’t work well.

Some cars have lacquer based paint and others have enamel based paint. The following tip works wonders on cars with lacquer-only paint. Get a clean rag and apply a small amount of lacquer thinner. Take this and lightly rub over and around the scratch, nick, or chip. The lacquer thinner will begin to move the paint and cover the affected area. This even works on larger scrapes. This treatment is not recommended on cars with custom paint jobs and may not work on all cars with lacquer-based paints.

For those with enamel paint or scratches and chips where the above treatment didn’t work, then you need to touch up the blemish in your paint. First, you need to get the paint code so you can properly match the paint on your car. This is located inside the door jamb or on some Hondas inside the glove box. Take this paint code to your dealer and get a small bottle of touch up paint. The touch up paint will come in a small bottle with a brush applicator. Instead of using the brush, as it will apply too much and make the chip or scratch touch-up really stand out, we recommend using a toothpick for better paint placement.

First clean the chip or scratch area. Then follow the directions on the touch up paint bottle. Usually mixes well for 5 minutes (metallic paints may require more agitation). Then, using the toothpick, place the paint directly on the chip or scratch. When finished, let dry for several days before waxing or polishing (some cars have a clear dimension that you would then apply the same way to the affected area). By touching up the paint, you have sealed the area from the environment and greatly reduced the chances of rust settling in and affecting your sheet metal. Rust is like cancer to your car and it’s very hard to stop once it starts, so it’s best to be proactive and prevent it with proper car care and treatment and by quickly identifying and repairing paint chips, nicks and scratches. the scratches. For more free information on auto repair, treatments, and headlight cleaning and restoration, visit the link below.