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      11-16-2014, 04:34 PM   #1
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Minor Paintwork Repair Advice

Much to my absolute dismay, I was driving up a dual carriageway the other day, went to overtake a disgustingly filthy old lorry, and an enormous stone flicked up and hit the roof of my beloved M235i. This stone left a stone chip about 2mm in diameter, but right down to the metal itself. I was absolutely livid to say the least.

The chip itself is on the central roof panel, right on the far edge, just before the roof rail. I had a little go at repairing it myself using a BMW touch up set, but failed miserably. It looked awful immediately, so wiped the paint all straight out.

I'm just trying to figure out what to do here. Whilst I'm tempted to just leave it, I'm concerned about potential rust issues (especially with the near enough constant poor weather here at the moment), not to mention the fact that it looks completely dreadful! Any advice on how to get my Melbourne Red M235i looking smart again would be much appreciated!
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      11-16-2014, 05:28 PM   #2
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Give Dr. color chip a go, fixed a 3cm chunk missing from the front lip of our convertible. Not factory perfect but unless you knew to look for it you'd never know. For your roof you should be more than fine w a couple of coats.
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      11-16-2014, 08:10 PM   #3
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Maybe a good excuse to wrap/paint the roof gloss black...just saying. Otherwise like BEM said find a way to make it look decent enough to live with.
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      11-16-2014, 11:59 PM   #4
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2mm in size think I'd leave well alone! With regards smart repair or respray.
But I guess we all know how you view it and feel! . Think I'd wipe a bit of the Colour stick as you have one into the chip just to seal it and wax over to make it less noticeable? Halfords do those coloured wax sticks too effectively fills the chip with wax
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      11-17-2014, 07:14 AM   #5
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If you're down to bare metal, cosmetics aside, you should seal it w something to avoid other issues. Rust, paint around chip delaminating, etc.
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      11-17-2014, 07:30 AM   #6
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Thanks for all the advice, although I definitely want a proper repair - I won't be able to live with it any other way unfortunately.

Looks like I'm going to be needing more work done to the car anyway, as it now seems to have inherited a nice dent in the door too.

Can't believe it.
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      11-17-2014, 09:53 AM   #7
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Door dents can almost always be addressed with paintless dent repair if there is no damage to the paint and no sharp creases in the sheet metal. The roof chip can most likely be repaired by a chip repair. The only issues is how noticable the repair will be. Many paintless dent guys do both. It is worth a try since the solution for a bad chip repair is a respray. The only downside is some expense and time. The roof chip, though, should definitely be repaired in some way to prevent rust or other problems.
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      11-17-2014, 10:31 AM   #8
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If it were me I'd do the dent now, Dr Color Chip the roof until spring then get it fixed for real if you hate the results. The LAST thing you want to do is pay a ton of money to get the roof resprayed then get stuck behind a salt truck or something like that and have to redo it all over again. It's your OCD so only you can make that call, but that's what I'd do.
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      11-17-2014, 11:22 AM   #9
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I'd take it to a shop
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      11-17-2014, 11:46 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan99
I'd take it to a shop
Exactly and claim it under comp.
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      11-17-2014, 11:58 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCrisco View Post
Thanks for all the advice, although I definitely want a proper repair - I won't be able to live with it any other way unfortunately.

Looks like I'm going to be needing more work done to the car anyway, as it now seems to have inherited a nice dent in the door too.

Can't believe it.
@kurtcrisco, I will get back to you this evening with the information, but there is a way to do this properly on your own with professional results. You will need:

-OE clear and paint ($30)
-Wet sand supplies ($10)
-Griot's Garage buffer kit ($210)

Dr. Colorchip and all of that is junk and just a cover up. The only 100% way is to obviously repaint the panel, but this method will fix it to pretty much 99.9% if not basically perfect. The process entails: fill the chip with paint, let dry in warm environment, fill again, let dry, fill again with mixture of paint and clear until it is slightly raised above the surrounding surfaces, let dry. once you have done this and it is fully cured, you wet sand the area very carefully until the fill is level with the surrounding paint and even. This small area will now be slightly cloudy. Then buff, polish, seal, and wax. You will not be able to see anything happened. The buffer kit is a little pricey up front but will last you for every car you ever own. I will send you the videos later. Promise if you want it done right and the ability to fix many, many more, and keep your paint 10/10 regardless with buffing, waxing, paint correction, etc. this is the way to go. You can definitely exceed the factory finish with a random orbital and wet sand. Factory wet sand jobs are pretty weak unless you have a RR or the like.

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      11-17-2014, 12:08 PM   #12
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I would only touch up then smooth the blob by wet sanding if you practice on a junk yard bonnet or other similar.
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      11-17-2014, 12:09 PM   #13
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This guy didn't do the best job and has a very difficult paint to match, but the concept is outlined. I think with your red you would be able to surpass these results.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=617142
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      11-17-2014, 12:22 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottSinger View Post
I would only touch up then smooth the blob by wet sanding if you practice on a junk yard bonnet or other similar.
Definitely, practice and read up. Practice for sure. Also, when reading the link above, the guy is doing only an OK job in my opinion. You could outdo it. I would clean the whole panel very carefully with car wash soap and water, very very carefully fill with slight overlap, then fill a few more times with significant intervals in between, and the last coat including some clear, then very, very carefully wet sand, then machine polish. It will be 10/10. There is one person on youtube that had his method so down, I think from the detailed image forum, I will try to find it for you. His method was a lot better than the bmw guy above, but the concept is there.
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      11-17-2014, 12:26 PM   #15
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This is it. Perfection
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      11-17-2014, 12:28 PM   #16
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The Dr Color Chip is basically the same kind of idea. You just put a blob on there, let it dry, then rub with a solvent to smooth the repair. It blends down their paint, not the original paint, so there is zero risk of any collateral damage. I did a chip on my door from the valet and with a coat of wax I cannot even find it anymore.
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      11-17-2014, 12:40 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEM-S4 View Post
The Dr Color Chip is basically the same kind of idea. You just put a blob on there, let it dry, then rub with a solvent to smooth the repair. It blends down their paint, not the original paint, so there is zero risk of any collateral damage. I did a chip on my door from the valet and with a coat of wax I cannot even find it anymore.
Ah I see. That is pretty cool. I gravitate toward the full on paint and wet sand approach but have been doing it for some time and have all the supplies so could see how people go other routes. I would not own a car of the caliber of the M235 without owning a buffer and all of these supplies though.
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      11-17-2014, 12:52 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by golf_234
Quote:
Originally Posted by BEM-S4 View Post
The Dr Color Chip is basically the same kind of idea. You just put a blob on there, let it dry, then rub with a solvent to smooth the repair. It blends down their paint, not the original paint, so there is zero risk of any collateral damage. I did a chip on my door from the valet and with a coat of wax I cannot even find it anymore.
Ah I see. That is pretty cool. I gravitate toward the full on paint and wet sand approach but have been doing it for some time and have all the supplies so could see how people go other routes. I would not own a car of the caliber of the M235 without owning a buffer and all of these supplies though.
Understood. I'm firmly in the camp of lease fix vs own fix on this one, and in my case since I valet my car there are certain things like chips on edge of door that I know for a fact are bound to happen repeatedly. Chip in hood, 100% get it done professionally. Tiny defect in front lip, door edge etc. I can't stomach paying over and over again. Think the whole kit was $50 that'll do me for the little stuff for the life of the lease.
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      11-17-2014, 02:06 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEM-S4 View Post
Understood. I'm firmly in the camp of lease fix vs own fix on this one, and in my case since I valet my car there are certain things like chips on edge of door that I know for a fact are bound to happen repeatedly. Chip in hood, 100% get it done professionally. Tiny defect in front lip, door edge etc. I can't stomach paying over and over again. Think the whole kit was $50 that'll do me for the little stuff for the life of the lease.
Makes sense. I actually may be leasing this time around, too.
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      11-17-2014, 02:15 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by golf_234 View Post
Makes sense. I actually may be leasing this time around, too.
I'd post some pics but it's literally invisible so wouldn't really benefit you any to see. Although I guess that's the point, so perhaps that's enough to know right there.
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      11-17-2014, 02:22 PM   #21
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Quote:
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I'd post some pics but it's literally invisible so wouldn't really benefit you any to see. Although I guess that's the point, so perhaps that's enough to know right there.
Please do! Interesting.
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      11-18-2014, 07:36 AM   #22
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Admittedly this pic shows nothing but I guess that's good. Chip to edge of door repaired. The one thing that looks like a defect is a reflection from the convertible parked along side.
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