Dr. ColorChip

[Oli77]

Ciao,

Let me apologize for the lack of before pictures but imagine a classic rock chip on the hood. The kind that is deep enough that I could begin to see some hints of rust forming.

Bought the Dr. Colorchip (http://www.drcolorchip.com/) kit (basic) to match my car color (on the left strut mount in the engine bay, in my case A08 Silbergrau Metallic).

The kit comes with a good description of the method. In a nutshell, you dab the paint on the prepared (cleaned) surface. I use the brush provided rather than the glove provided.

It dries quickly, with excess of paint all around the chip (that's when you go hummmmmm :eyetwitch). That is OK though because after 30 min-1 hour, you come back to the globs of paint (and the paint left in the crevasse of the chip) and you open up the Sealact solution (provided in kit) dabbing a little bit on a clean cloth (provided in kit).

My contribution to the technique here is to NOT use your fingers to rub the Sealact solution on the chip. Instead, I use a small block of wood (flat :wink) wrapped in a clean cloth (provided in kit) and impregnated with some of the Sealact solution. Add more Sealact to the cloth and eventually the excess paint around the chip goes completely away. The finger doesn't work because it also erodes the paint that is inside the chip (too soft - hence, the flat block of wood).

I usually wait 12 hours and do a second application. I am up to 5 applications on the chips below.

It looks better than the raw chip and the color match is amazing. I have done smaller less deep scratch and that works very very well too.

Here are some "fixed" chips.

http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac208/othibau/DSC05668.jpg



http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac208/othibau/DSC05666.jpg



With patience and several more applications, I bet I can get them filled all the way.

Perhaps consider buying the Standard kit (rather than basic) as it gives you more of the Sealact solution (you'll run out of that before you'll run out of the paint).

[danewilson77]

Thanks for the review oli.............yeah...you can fill that up flush.

[kayger12]

Nice info. My kit is on the way.

[Nivo]

I need to do a small chip on my rear right quarter , near the wheel arch.

[Go Horns!]

I had some nasty chips and scratches and I called the doctor, Dr. ColorChip. Overall I am happy with the results. When you are close you can still tell, but from far off it makes a big difference. I did touch-ups on my Tahoe and ZHP.

The pics for the Tahoe were the worst of the worst. I had a lot of small ones on the hood and side panels, but they did not show up on the camera for before pics. I will do more coats for the Tahoe.

For the ZHP, I am going to take it to a body shop. The ZHP's chips are in dents caused by a bolt that it on the highway. They are right above the driver's door and I am tired of seeing them when I get in the car.

Now time for what we all want to see, pics.

ZHP Before
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5259/5551838713_63d11fcb36.jpg

ZHP After
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/5721171534_eb7448a7ef.jpg

The rest will be the Tahoe before/after

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/5721154442_f315cfd6f9.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2289/5721163636_abc6cb61e5.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2342/5721158320_cf2c214930.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/5721166048_100f189440.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/5721159422_7695a6f1bf.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2715/5721167238_09831a509f.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/5721162320_b7056456f5.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/5721169822_4fc86028ab.jpg

[danewilson77]

Well done. The Dr. Is good chicken.

Droid + Tapatalk = FTW!

[Oli77]

Man, those were some deeeeep grooves. Nice job!

[quikryptonite]

I got mine in the mail this week. As soon as it warms up I will attempt the fix and post some pics.

[Go Horns!]

Now that it has been a while since I did the touch ups, I am more impressed. For all the small chips I fixed, I need to get close to figure out where the chips were now that I don't remember where they were. The big deep grooves still stick out, but from 20 feet away you need to really know what to look for.

[SC4ME]

Great write up.

I was consider Dr. Colorchip for a while, too long I guess. Now I have literally hundreds, if not over a thousand chips on the hood and bumper.

I used to commute over a 100 miles a day @ 80 mph. Lots of chips! Then I drove from San Francisco to San Diego about 7 times during my recent move. More chips! I need to bite the bullet and get a re-spray of the front end.

But thanks for the info, it will come in handy later.

Chips happen!

[Oli77]

Dhuuuu eeet (a la Dane).

[05ZHPCPE]

Right side above kidney after shot. http://img.tapatalk.com/aefcbae8-b08d-02d6.jpg

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[HokieZHP]

Looking forward to seeing the after pics. I'm considering dr. Colorchip for my front end.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

Here's some pics....for now.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?631-DR.-Colorchip-before-and-after-E46-BMW-330-ZHP-DIY

[zhp43867]

Hey- I've used this also, it works great. Deep chips you need 3, 4, sometimes even 5 applications and I found that using the windshield wiper as Dane suggested worked well. Unfortunately I have no pictures of it because you can't see the chips anymore. It looks like your after pictures (Oli77) for the first several coats, and then it builds up and levels and gets the gloss of the OEM paint, almost like magic! I don't remember how long I had to wait in between the heavy coats, dane?

[danewilson77]

Hey- I've used this also, it works great. Deep chips you need 3, 4, sometimes even 5 applications and I found that using the windshield wiper as Dane suggested worked well. Unfortunately I have no pictures of it because you can't see the chips anymore. It looks like your after pictures (Oli77) for the first several coats, and then it builds up and levels and gets the gloss of the OEM paint, almost like magic! I don't remember how long I had to wait in between the heavy coats, dane?

I waited about 15 minutes. Stuff dries crazy fast.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[UdubBadger]

nice

[WOLFN8TR]

Looks like I will have to order some Dr. ColorChip. On the way home yesterday I drove thru a construction zone on the freeway. There was a street sweeper off to the side of the road spitting rocks out onto all 3 lanes. It was raining friggin rocks!! I now have at least 15 nicks in the hood, 4 chips in the windshield and several chips all over the front bumper!!

Ruined my day...

[johnrando]

Aaarrrggghhhh!

[SoCalZman]

ugh, this is almost enough for me to get my front end painted then covered in that clear plastic film. haha.

[webster]

just went thru this thread...excited to go all out with the DCC kit this weekend and restore my front bumper!

[ryankokesh]

ugh, this is almost enough for me to get my front end painted then covered in that clear plastic film. haha.

Haha, that was my solution :)

[WOLFN8TR]

Seriously thinking hard about a clear cover.

[danewilson77]

Looks like I will have to order some Dr. ColorChip. On the way home yesterday I drove thru a construction zone on the freeway. There was a street sweeper off to the side of the road spitting rocks out onto all 3 lanes. It was raining friggin rocks!! I now have at least 15 nicks in the hood, 4 chips in the windshield and several chips all over the front bumper!!

Ruined my day...

Daaaaaamn.

[WOLFN8TR]

That's what I said.

[mikeyb74]

I just used Dr Color Chip on my Cooper S. Came out great.

[WOLFN8TR]

Thanks for the feedback.

Ordered:
Quantity Name SKU Each Total
1 Dr. ColorChip Road Rash Paint Chip Repair Kit
*Best Value* RR $59.00 $59.00
A22
Sparkling Graphite Metallic
2005
BMW
3 Series

[spoonerDee]

Great review. I have a nasty scratch on my trunk and a few (very few) chips on the front that need fixing.

[Blaster3500]

Looks promising, I hope it works well for me I just picked up a kit. I will be sure to post up some before and after pictures. I have lots of chips. The PO used the car for business so it spent most of its life on the highway.

[johnrando]

I used it for chips on my front and it helped, but there were quite a few so it just wasn't quite working out like I hoped. It is a good product though. Gonna get the hood resprayed likely.

[webster]

i decided to use the Dr Color Chip ONLY on paint chips on the hood/side body. There are a handful on the bumper, but given that it has some rash and some spiderwebbing going on, I'm just gonna replace the whole thing down the road (prob the first thing to address after Vanos/VCG etc)

[redwagon]

I just ordered the kit to attack a couple chips and scratches.
Question- is there a recommendation on prep? I have wax imbedded in mine, and before I get the laquer thinner or acetone out, is there a specific recommendation on proper prep/degrease?
Tim

[danewilson77]

I used alcohol wipe, after claying.

Sent from Williamsburg, VA USA

[redwagon]

OK thanks Dane, thats less aggressive, thanks.
Tim

[Newjack]

I had a question about using Dr Colorchip. I have a ton of rock chips on my hood both teeny sized and large. Since the last time I used Meguirs 105 and my porter cable to recover my hood, the 105 filled into the rock chips. So I have teeny white spots all over the front end of my hood where I had previously painted with colorchip, but not deep enough to completely fill the hole.

Now my question is, can I use Dr Colorchip on my hood on the spots with buffing compound (meguirs 105) already filled in? Or should I remove the compound before applying touch up paint?

If I should remove the compound, can anyone tell me how? I've picked at it with my fingernail and washed the car several times and it doesn't want to go anywhere. What can I do?

[Oli77]

Try the old Dr. on one of those compound-filled holes, and see if it holds? You'll find out.