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It's important to keep in mind that this is a paint chip repair / touch-up kit. It is not the answer for all paint repairs, nor is it a substitute for the body shop. However, if you are not inclined to go to the body shop and spend hundreds of dollars to have your vehicle  repaired perfectly, our system is likely the best alternative.. If you do not find an answer to your question here, contact us.
Will it fix scratches?
Our paint system is primarily designed to address chips, but it will work well on certain types of scratches. There are several variables that determine repair quality:
- Deep Scratches - Deep, narrow scratches (1/16" or less) down to the metal will usually hold paint. As our paint is instantly malleable (in this case, tacky, yet removable), there is some flexibility in finessing the paint into place. The various brushes in the kit also allow for more precise painting of scratches that can't effectively be repaired by our standard process.
- Wide Scratches - Wide scratches (1/16" or greater), gashes or other large defects will likely need to have the paint applied and left as is. Filling and spraying these types of damage is the only way to get a 'like new' repair.
- Light Surface Scratches - Generally these types of paint scratches can be buffed out. If you can not feel them with your fingernail, they might come out completely with some wet-sanding and buffing. Otherwise, our precision brush can be used to lightly apply the paint over the scratch and left as is.
- Key Scratches - We do not recommend buying our kit solely for fixing key scratches unless the vehicle color is dark, and the scratch is short and deep. A long key scratch on a light silver or gold car will show almost no difference, even if the paint completely fills the scratch. However, if you do not want to pay for a body shop repair, the special brushes in the kit will help you make the best repair possible.
- Vehicle Color - The color of the vehicle also determines the quality of the scratch repair. Darker colors always look better than light ones. A scratch on a black or dark red metallic vehicle will always look better afterward than on a light silver or gold one.
Are metallic colors available?
Yes. Most of the colors we make are metallics.
Will it work on plastic?
Yes. Our paint works well on fixing chips on painted bumpers and molding. If you have large gouges or missing plastic, all you can do is apply the paint and leave it as is. See this page for an example on a badly road-rashed bumper.
Are Tri-Coat colors available? (...think white pearl Lexus)
Sort of. As we hand-mix each order individually, we've gotten very good at approximating the various pearls on the market. Tri-coat colored vehicles are painted in three stages at the factory; a base color is sprayed, then a mid-coat which gives the 'pearl' effect, then a clear coat to bring the two colors together visually. Our paints are made for single-stage application. The paint may not look like a very good match in the bottle, but once applied and the excess has been blended away, the result is generally impressive, and certainly better than leaving the dark chips that will eventually rust. We recommend using this for typical stone chip damage. The larger the repair, scratches included, the less impressive the result will be.
Some companies sell a 3-step paint kit with two colors and a clearcoat. This will not look good on your car, and you will regret using it (...envision shiny blobs all over the hood, each catching your eye). After painting thousands of pearl vehicles on a commercial level with our system, we can say with confidence that our paint kit will provide a much better tri-coat / pearl chip repair than any 3-step paint kit on the market. It's not perfect, but it's still the best alternative to the body shop.
Is my paint mixed fresh upon order?
Yes. With thousands of color codes on the market, we couldn't possibly inventory them all.
Rusted surfaces- what to do?
If you have surface rust in the area you want to paint, you should remove it first if possible. There is a product called Rust Avenger that comes in a pen-shaped container. Similar products probably exist. It can likely be found at Wal-Mart and many auto parts stores. When applied, it converts the rust to a black, paintable surface. Press the tip, allowing the liquid to fill the tip. Touch the tip to the chips and the solution goes to work. It only takes a few minutes to use, unless of course you have hundreds of chips to address.
Another product that can be used on larger chips or more severe rust is a sanding pen made by 3M. It appears to have a fiberglass tip that is used to rub away rust in medium to larger areas. The tip is about 1/8 of an inch wide but we suggest using it in areas 1/4 inch or more. If you use this, be careful not to scrape into the adjacent paint finish.
Is the paint mixed to match my car color?
Yes. We can match over 95 percent of all colors on the market. We use OEM formulations supplied by the top paint manufacturers to match the color code. Many color codes have variants, or slightly different formulations for the same code due to different production lots or manufacturing locations. The deviations are usually quite minor, and for touch-up purposes, it's highly unlikely you'll notice a difference in color. In the event your color is noticeably different, we will work with you to get a suitable color match.
Does it work well on all colors?
Chips on most car colors are dramatically reduced or eliminated. Light silver and gold metallic colors generally look much better after initial application, though sometimes are still more visible because the edge of the chip is slightly darker and will catch your eye if large enough. With these colors and on larger chips, it's better to use the small-tipped brush and apply a small amount of paint and leave it as is.
One other point on light metallics. Some of our light metallics are made with domestically produced metallic flake, which is polished only on one side. When the paint is applied in a small blob, the flake will turn over and appear darker in color. This darker effect is apparent in the bottle and cap lid after shaking. Once smeared, the flake will re-align itself and appear bright again.
Does the paint provide a permanent repair?
As far as we've tested- 5 years is the longest repair we've monitored- we can say that our paint should last for years. Most touch-up paints shrink up over time. Our paint does not shrink and remains the same as it appears after application years later.
What prep work is required before painting?
Wash and dry the car. If you have visible remnants of wax in the chips, remove it with a little rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits on a soft cloth- don't scrub. Otherwise, a clean dry surface is all you need.
Are the demo photos on the web site altered in any way?
No. What you see is the final product.
Are the chips still visible after painting?
Most chips are not visible unless you're trying to find them. Road-rashed vehicles contain thousands of small chips and most are not visible at all afterward, leaving the overall look of the vehicle dramatically improved. If you're trying to fix one single chip, you're probably going to still see it because you're looking for it.
Does the paint completely fill the chip?
Many chips are filled after one application. Others will require a few passes with the brush to fill completely flush. However, because our system allows the excess paint around the chip to be completely removed, you will realize that a total fill is usually not required to render a satisfying repair. But feel free to reapply as necessary.
How large a chip will the paint repair effectively?
By looking at our demo photos you'll get an idea of the types of repairs the paint kit will yield. Chips much larger than a pencil eraser will begin to lose the 'dramatic' effect we advertise. You can still paint chips larger than this with quality results, but you may need to allow more drying time, use special care when removing the excess paint, or use our fine-tipped brush and simply apply the paint and leave it as is. The size, shape, depth and color all factor into the outcome of each repair when you get into damage much larger than this.
Will the paint adhere to all surfaces?
The paint will adhere to exposed metal, plastic and fiberglass. The only trouble spot we've seen is when chips reveal a gray primer color that appear plastic-like in texture. To the best of our knowledge, this is a coating applied to the vehicle prior to painting to prevent rust. When this color is exposed, the chip has gone through the paint but not down to the metal. Our paint has had trouble at times adhering to this surface when using our standard application and removal process. Rubbing the chip with alcohol may help adhesion. It may also be necessary to let the paint dry longer on these spots before removing the excess. Or as a last resort, it may be necessary to apply the paint with the fine-tipped brush and leave it as is.
Can I use just the paint or Prefast?
The paint is not regular touch-up paint and is made to work with the Prefast solution. Because of this, the Prefast will not work with regular touch-up paint. Please order just the paint if you plan on applying it and leaving it as is.
Is there a guarantee?
As all repairs are unique, we realize that for various reasons our paint kit may not be the answer to every situation. This is why we try to give you as much information as we can about our product's limitations and offer photo examples to better help you formulate reasonable expectations. Please call us with any questions or problems you may encounter when using the product. We can usually walk you through some steps to resolve the issue. Also, our paints are mixed by hand one at a time, and while we're pretty darn good, we can occasionally make a mistake. If your color match appears off, please contact us and describe the discrepancy. We'll do our best to correct it and ship you another bottle at no charge. If we can't get it right, we'll refund your purchase price upon return of the kit- guaranteed. We've refunded less than 10 purchases in the last year, so we're pretty confident you're going to be happy with our product.
Customer Service
We consistently hear that our customer service is outstanding, so don't hesitate to contact us. We generally respond to phone calls and emails within the hour, and certainly within a day- including most nights and weekends.
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