Stone chip repair on bonnet

[N77A]

Washed my car the other day and noticed some awful stone chips in the bonnet. Pretty sure these are recent chips but they have already gone rusty. There is probably one big one about 1cm big and about 5 tiny ones around it.

I have a t cut scratch pen for minor scratches but guessing this won’t work on chips as the paintwork has come off.

How much is the average cost to get stone chips fixed? I know it could be cheaper to do it myself but i honestly don’t have the time or skill to do it.

 

[SRGTD]

A one centimetre stone chip is one awfully large stone chip! I’m surprised you’d not noticed it before, and for a stone to remove that much paint I’d be surprised if it didn’t damage the panel too. Are you able to post a picture of the area with the stone chip damage?

Are you sure the large 1 cm area of missing paint is actually stone chip damage? I’m also surprised that if the other stone chips are recent that they’ve already gone rusty, as the car body shell and panels are galvanised on the factory production line when the car’s built to protect against corrosion before being painted.

Have you owned the car from new? Is there a possibility the bonnet could have been repainted before you bought the car? For a one centimetre area of paint to have come away from the bonnet, plus the other recent stone chips showing signs of corrosion, it does sound as if the bonnet may have been repaired / repainted - possibly not to original factory standard - at some point in the car’s life.

I personally wouldn’t attempt to repair a 1 cm ‘stone chip’ with a paint pen as you’d always be able to see the repair. You probably need to consider getting a SMART repair from a company that specialises in small areas of damage - someone like (but not necessarily) Chips Away, or a good independent body shop - depending on the size of the area that needs to be repainted.

 

[N77A]

I attached images, the first one is the main chip. Maybe 1cm was a bit exaggerated because i think it looks worse than it is. The second photo is all the little chips or rust spots, you might have to zoom in to see them. It’s a 2014 car and I bought it in November so only had it 6 months. There was definitely no chips or marks on the bonnet so it must be recent. Bearing in mind the last time the car was washed was in March and that’s the only time when I actually look at the bodywork up close.

 

[Steve J]

I attached images, the first one is the main chip. Maybe 1cm was a bit exaggerated because i think it looks worse than it is. The second photo is all the little chips or rust spots, you might have to zoom in to see them. It’s a 2014 car and I bought it in November so only had it 6 months. There was definitely no chips or marks on the bonnet so it must be recent. Bearing in mind the last time the car was washed was in March and that’s the only time when I actually look at the bodywork up close.

I suppose you could always use Chipex to hide most of it. It isn't perfect but their application method levels the new paint pretty well and will get you a better result than a pen or stick, but will still be noticed up close if you look for it.

 

[SRGTD]

@Steve J; that’s exactly what I was thinking. IMO the large stone chip is of a size that is repairable with a Chipex paint kit, and the small ones shouldn’t be a problem to repair either.

I’ve used the Chipex kits before, and although not perfect, the results are OK, and take your eye off the repaired area, unless you’re specifically looking for it. The paint colour match is pretty good too - although as with any metallic / pearlescent paint, the metal / mica particles in the paint you apply in any DIY repair may not ‘lay’ in the same direction as they do in the original surrounding paint, so the repair may appear a slightly different shade.

For me, the beauty of the Chipex kits over a Seat paint pen is that if you’re not happy with the results of your efforts, then you can use the blending solution to remove the paint you’ve applied and just start again. As with any stone chip repair, the key is to take your time and build up the new paint in layers rather than try to complete the repair in a single, thicker layer.

@N77A; there are videos on YouTube and Chipex’s own website showing how to use their kits, so it’d be worth watching these to see if you think you’d be able to use it and get an acceptable result. I prefer to use something like the end of a cocktail stick or unfolded paper clip to apply the paint to the stone chip, rather than the method they use in their video. Also, a tip when using the blending solution is to not rub too hard (use the supplied foam block and cloth and let the blending solution do the work), otherwise you’ll just unintentionally remove the paint you’ve applied!

An alternative to Chipex is the Dr Colourchip kit, which is pretty much the same in all but name.

 

[N77A]

Just checked out Chipex and seems pretty straight forward to do. I’m assuming it’s cheaper to use these than going to an independent bodywork garage too. Before I order a kit, does anyone know if it’s ok to just paint over the rusty chips? Or do I need to treat the rust first?

Thanks guys

 

[Mr Pig]

One of the first things I do when I buy a car is go to a paint suppliers and get a spray can of the colour made up. Usually ten to fifteen pounds. Rarely use it for spray painting, it's specifically for stone chips.

You need:
Tin of spray paint to match the car.
Tin of primer, maybe.
Thinners.
Rags.
Small artist bushes.

Pick out any rust and if there is a lot of metal showing, a layer of primer. If it's not down to the metal or is a small hole just go straight to the top coat.

For both the primer and top coat, spray some paint into the can lid and use an artists brush to touch some paint into the hole. The paint will be very runny so will flow to cover the area inside the chip. If you accidently get pant on the surface, wipe it away with thinners.

As the paint dries it will shrink a lot so take your time and build up the layers until it is more or less flush with the surface. If the paint in the lid starts to get thick, bin it or you'll get a lumpy finish. It takes ages, the hard part is being patient between coats. You don't really need to put a layer of lacquer on it, the base colour alone is fine.

Get it right and the chip will hardly be noticed.

 

[SRGTD]

Just checked out Chipex and seems pretty straight forward to do. I’m assuming it’s cheaper to use these than going to an independent bodywork garage too. Before I order a kit, does anyone know if it’s ok to just paint over the rusty chips? Or do I need to treat the rust first?

Thanks guys

I’d treat / remove the rust first.

 

[N77A]

I’d treat / remove the rust first.

How would I do this? I know t cut sell a pen that is supposed to treat rust? Shall I give that a go first

 

[Mr Pig]

How would I do this? I know t cut sell a pen that is supposed to treat rust? Shall I give that a go first

If you pick/scratch the rust out that should be fine. I've done this often and I've never had a touched up stone chip bubble yet.

 

[bahyr]

I use for mine this DIY kit, not perfect but much better:

 

[Mr Pig]

I find the touch up pens far too thick and gloopy and the applicator 'brush' is blunt lump of plastic! A spray can costs about the same, gives better results, you cad a lot more paint and you can use it to spray something if you need to! You could respray a mirror cover if it got badly scratched for instance.

 

[SRGTD]

I find the touch up pens far too thick and gloopy and the applicator 'brush' is blunt lump of plastic!

Agree; I don’t like the OEM touch up pens for those reasons.

I found that the touch up pens from Halfords are better than the OEM manufacturers version, as the Halfords one has what they call a nib applicator (Very fine hollow tube) attached to the top of the inner cap. So by removing the outer cap and squeezing the pen gently, you can squeeze out a fairly precise, measured amount of paint and aim it accurately into the stone chip. Also means the paint in the pen isn’t exposed to the outside air as you don’t actually remove the screw cap, so this helps to stop the pen contents going thick and gloopy over time.