| There have been quite a few posts over the years here that concern rock chip repair and surface preparation for a good wax job. I wanted to revisit this and get a much needed update from members since I have some serious rock chip repairs to handle and the time involved is significant. What has been said and what I take as a given at this point: 1. Color matching of the paint is not an easy thing - after all, most of our cars are 10 years old and have changed over time. Therefore the original touch-up paint can be hit and miss. 2. If you see metal you need to use a primer then use touch up paint. 3. Touch-up paint comes in bottles and in pen sticks. Not sure which is the better route. 4. There is a toss up on whether to use clear coat over the touch-up paint. Flushing the touchup paint out with the surrounding surface with 2500 wet dry doesn't leave the oppurtunity to add the clear as it would raise that level higher than the rest. 5. You should let touch-up paint chips dry for a good week before adding wax or polish. 6. I was always taught that if a product has the word polish in it then it IS an abrasive and should be used carefully but after reading up on Zaino products I am unsure at this point. 7. Wet sanding my paint is best left for professionals who can actually make the descision that it actually needs to be wet sanded after all of my rock chips are touched up. What I am planning on doing. 1. Repairing all of my rock chips with touch-up paint letting them properly harden - using 3 or 4 applications to build them up properly.
2. Having someone wet sand the entire car if it needs it. My paint actually looks very good with a little bad area on the front bumper just below the headlight. It looks like clear coat peel but is smooth under the finger. Not sure if it will buff out.
3. Doing the Zaino polish route by hand with 3 to 4 coats of z5 then a couple of z2 coats. Clay bar first of course unless the wet sand eliminates it (if I do indeed go that route). I am fortunate, like many here that the Z is a second car and can have it sit in my garage for two weeks while I do paint chip repair and do the polish route. If you some great insight into paint chip repair especially if you have both first hand knowledge as an amateur or as a professional I would love to accumulate, sort and get a tech going on this. Thanks. Matt.
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