Testimonials
"I bought a kit to use on my 2007 Mercedes SL550. I was a little nervous trying to touch up the paint on my car. I just used it and am amazed at the results. I had a small but noticeable chip right next to the license plate. I followed the directions and in less than 5 minutes the chip was gone – you can’t even tell there was ever a chip there or that any touch up had ever been done. My only regret is that I did not take a “before” picture so I could include that plus an “after” picture to show just how wonderful this product is! Your product definitely exceeded my expectations."
- Cindy Elgamal, Sugar Land, TX
"I wish I had of taken good before and after pictures! So far, I have made my '94 MB SL500, '99 MB SLK230, and my newest addition, 2003 Jag XK8 all go from road rashed, rock chipped front ends to three beautifully detailed automobiles. What a discovery Dr. ColorChip was for me. I am your best advertisement in the area. I am not too far from thinking about doing this for others in my spare time. It has been very rewarding to me and my detail shop wants to send cars to me as well as a few car dealers and my friends. Your three foot rule should be more than sufficient to most and everyone I have shown my results to has been blown away. Thank you for providing a great product that actually works."
- Mike Sternberg, Williamsburg,VA
"I recently finished touching up my 2005 Lexus ES 330 with your kit, and the results are superb! So good, in fact, that I was able to install an Invisible Shield 3M clear bra, and the underlying finish looks new! The color match for my paint (Garnet Black Pearl) was absolutely perfect. You folks have the best product and system available, period!"
- Don Warner, Wadsworth, Ohio
"Dealerships had better realize what a pain in the ass “touch up” paint is to get.
...3 weeks to receive it.
...no instructions on best way to apply.
…markup on paint is way overboard.
Your product is like “painting for dummies”. It makes the process so much smoother. Get out there and advertise!!"
- Joe S., Illinois
First of all, it's important to keep in mind that this is a paint chip repair / touch-up kit. It is not the answer for all paint repairs, nor is it a substitute for the body shop. However, if you are not inclined to go to the body shop and spend hundreds of dollars to have your vehicle repaired perfectly, our system is likely the best alternative.
Our paint system is primarily designed to address chips, but it will work well on certain types of scratches, and poorly on others. There are several variables that determine repair quality:
Yes. Most of the colors we make are metallics.
Yes. Our paint works well on fixing chips on painted bumpers and moulding. If you have large gouges or missing plastic, all you can do is apply the paint and leave it as is. See this page for an example on a badly road-rashed bumper.
Sort of. As we hand-mix each order individually, we've gotten very good at approximating the various pearls on the market. Tri-coat colored vehicles are painted in three stages at the factory; a base color is sprayed, then a mid-coat which gives the 'pearl' effect, then a clear coat to bring the two colors together visually. Our paints are made for single-stage application. The paint may not look like a very good match in the bottle, but once applied and the excess has been blended away, the result is generally impressive, and certainly better than leaving the dark chips that will eventually rust. We recommend using this for typical stone chip damage. The larger the repair, scratches included, the less impressive the result will be. See this page for a white pearl repair.
Some companies sell a 3-step paint kit with two colors and a clearcoat. This will not look good on your car, and you will regret using it (...think shiny blobs all over the hood, each catching your eye). After painting thousands of pearl vehicles on a commercial level with our system, we can say with confidence that our paint kit will provide a much better tri-coat / pearl chip repair than any 3-step paint kit on the market. It's not perfect, but it's still the best alternative to the body shop.
Yes. With thousands of color codes on the market, we couldn't possibly inventory them all.
If you have surface rust in the area you want to paint, you should remove it first if possible. There is a product called Rust Avenger that comes in a pen-shaped container. See photo here. Similar products probably exist. It can likely be found at Wal-Mart and many auto parts stores. When applied, it converts the rust to a black, paintable surface.The tip is depressed, allowing the liquid to fill the tip. Touch the tip to the chips and the solution goes to work. It only takes a few minutes to use, unless of course you have hundreds of chips to address.
Another product that can be used on larger chips or more severe rust is a sanding pen made by 3M. See photo here. It appears to have a fiberglass tip that is used to rub away rust in medium to larger areas. The tip is about 1/8 of an inch wide but we suggest using it in areas 1/4 inch or more. If you use this, be careful not to scrape into the adjacent paint finish.
Yes. We can match over 95 percent of all colors on the market. We use OEM formulations supplied by the top paint manufacturers to match the color code. Many color codes have variants, or slightly different formulations for the same code due to different production lots or manufacturing locations. The deviations are usually quite minor, and for touch-up purposes, it's highly unlikely you'll notice a difference in color. In the event your color is noticeably different, we will work with you to get a suitable color match.
Chips on most car colors are dramatically reduced or eliminated. Light silver and gold metallic colors generally look much better after inital application, though sometimes are still more visible because the edge of the chip is slightly darker and will catch your eye if large enough. Sometimes with these colors and on larger chips, it's better to use the small-tipped brush and apply a small amount of paint and leave it as is.
One other point on light metallics: Some of our light metallics are made with domestically produced metallic flake, which is polished only on one side. When the paint is applied in a small blob, the flake will turn over and appear darker in color. This darker effect is apparent in the bottle and cap lid after shaking. Once smeared, the flake will re-align itself and appear bright again.
Yes- as far as we've tested- 8 years is the longest repair we've monitored, and the repair looks the same as it did the day it was applied. Most touch-up paints shrink up over time after they've dried and cured. Our paint does not shrink. It should remain the same as it appears after application for years to come.
Wash and dry the car. If you have visible remnants of wax in the chips, remove it with a little rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits on a soft cloth- don't scrub. Otherwise, a clean dry surface is all you need.
No. What you see is the final product.
Most chips are not visible unless you're trying to find them. Road-rashed vehicles contain thousands of small chips and most are not visible at all afterward, leaving the overall look of the vehicle dramatically improved. If you're trying to fix one single chip, you're probably going to still see it because you're looking for it.
Many chips are filled after one application. Others will require a few passes with the brush to fill completely flush. However, because our system allows the excess paint around the chip to be completely removed, you will realize that a total fill is usually not required to render a satisfying repair. But feel free to re-apply as necessary.
Look at our demo photos. You'll get an idea of the types of repairs the paint kit will yield. Chips much larger than a pencil eraser will begin to lose the 'dramatic' effect we advertise. You can still paint chips larger than this with quality results, but you may need to allow more drying time, use special care when removing the excess paint, or use our fine-tipped brush and simply apply the paint and leave it as is. The size, shape, depth and color all factor into the outcome of each repair when you get into damage much larger than this.
The paint will adhere to exposed metal, plastic, fiberglass and primed surfaces. The only trouble spot we've seen is when chips reveal a gray primer color that appear plastic-like in texture. To the best of our knowledge, this is a coating applied to the vehicle prior to painting to prevent rust. When this color is exposed, the chip has gone through the paint but not down to the metal. Our paint has had trouble at times adhering to this surface when using our standard application and removal process. Rubbing the chip with alcohol may help adhesion. It may also be necessary to let the paint dry longer on these spots before removing the excess. Or as a last resort, it may be necessary to apply the paint with the fine-tipped brush and leave it as is.
The paint is not regular touch-up paint and is made to work with the SealAct solution. As such, the SealAct will not work with regular touch-up paint. Feel free to order just the paint if you plan on applying it and leaving it as is.
As all repairs are unique, we realize that for various reasons our paint kit may not be the answer to every situation. This is why we try to give you as much information about our product's limitations and offer photo examples to better help you formulate reasonable expecations. Please call us with any questions or problems you may encounter when applying the paint. We can usually walk you through some steps to resolve the issue. Also, our paints are mixed by hand one at a time, and while we're pretty darn good, we can occassionally screw up an order. If your color match appears off, please contact us and describe the discrepancy. We'll do our best to correct it and ship you another bottle at no charge. If we can't get it right, we'll refund your purchase price upon return of the kit- guaranteed. We do not accept returns for purchases made that are no longer needed or due to mistakes in ordering or for repairs not intended for our paint. We will review each return situation on a case-by-case basis.
We consistently hear that our customer service is outstanding, so don't hesitate to contact us. We generally respond to phone calls and emails within the hour, and certainly within a day- including most nights and weekends.
