This past weekend someone kicked up a rock or piece of debris that rocketed into my passenger rear door. It was loud enough to make both me and my wife jump with surprise. Whatever it was took a big chunk of paint off.
"Nothing in life has any business being perfect." You've got the touchup kit. Go for it. Try the touchup more than once. Keep trying for a better technique until you've processed the "5 stages of grief". Then live with it. You're not going to repaint the door for a little ding, which could happen again on your way home.
The end game to try for is a touchup job good enough that the damage doesn't grab your attention when you walk up to the car, and is practically invisible from five, six feet away.
I'd probably clean the chip and the area around it really well. Then I'd fill the chip with the pen. I'd wait a few days for it to cure then I'd go back to that whole panel and detail it, hopefully the paint wouldnt come out of the chip while using the buffer but that would probably be my best advice.
"Nothing in life has any business being perfect." You've got the touchup kit. Go for it. Try the touchup more than once. Keep trying for a better technique until you've processed the "5 stages of grief". Then live with it. You're not going to repaint the door for a little ding, which could happen again on your way home.
The end game to try for is a touchup job good enough that the damage doesn't grab your attention when you walk up to the car, and is practically invisible from five, six feet away.
I hear you Merlin. This is definitely what I call a "first world problem" and you're right- the best approach for our sanity is to not obsess over these things. I'm a little extra salty because I just got the car back a few weeks ago from the shop after I was hit while parked. Feeling a little cursed/unlucky!
Another vote for cleaning and trying the touchup pen. Unless you're going to do stages and clear coat on top, then polish/buff, it's never going to be 100% concealed (even doing everything by the book, it still may never be 100% concealed). All chips IMHO are 'good enough' repairs and part of the progress of time/miles/age. Inevitability.
Unrelated note, I noticed a chip this morning and had to use my touchup pen. From 2+ feet away can't even notice the repair. The chip was rather old, so really it wasn't an eyesore until it was. Touchup is better than nothing and really, the only reason I bother is just to prevent rust for eventually forming there.
I do, but they only get inspected twice a year when doing my semi-annual detail. I keep a closer eye on the rest of the car the 6 months in-between.
Depending on the chip, black can be a really bad color choice. The white primer can really jump out if the scratch/chip isn't deep enough to hit bare metal.
I do, but they only get inspected twice a year when doing my semi-annual detail. I keep a closer eye on the rest of the car the 6 months in-between.
Depending on the chip, black can be a really bad color choice. The white primer can really jump out if the scratch/chip isn't deep enough to hit bare metal.
Thanks for the link! Will give the primer/paint/clear kit a try. Should have asked around here first I suppose.
I hear you Merlin. This is definitely what I call a "first world problem" and you're right- the best approach for our sanity is to not obsess over these things. I'm a little extra salty because I just got the car back a few weeks ago from the shop after I was hit while parked. Feeling a little cursed/unlucky!
Don't feel too bad. My car took a bullet in the ass, then got hailed on while parked outside at the body shop. Car was basically flawless beforehand, almost every panel was scratched up afterwards. Was without the car for months waiting for them to fix my shit. Have the car back, am still waiting on parts for a piece they broke. So yeah, I feel your pain but it could be worse.
Happened in February, road rage incident, got hit with a 9mm, couldn't get the car worked on until May. Needless to say, my luck as been horrible this year.
This past weekend someone kicked up a rock or piece of debris that rocketed into my passenger rear door. It was loud enough to make both me and my wife jump with surprise. Whatever it was took a big chunk of paint off.
You might want to have a paintless dent guy have a look before you tackle the paint aspect. Looks like you took quite the wack so best to have the little dent pushed out first. My 2c. Cheers.
