Car Dents and Stone Chip Repair | Chipping Away

What is more common than a Timmy’s on every corner? In our neck of the woods it’s stone chips and door dings.

Now is a great time to address those pesky little imperfections. Leaving them bare makes your vehicle vulnerable to rust. A little cosmetic maintenance goes a long way to protect your investment.

Stone chip repair is not a difficult concept but it has a learning curve that requires a bit of practice and patience. Here are the steps for a simple stone chip repair:

– Clean the area of all grease, wax and oil. Usually regular car wash soap will do the trick. If you feel there are more layers of product or environment grime on the vehicle then use a grease and wax removing product. Remove surface rust* with cotton swabs dipped in a rust remover and rinse with isopropyl alcohol. If the area is chipped down to the metal you should apply a coat or two of primer first.

– Apply the touch-up paint in several thin layers. If the chip is small I like to use a toothpick, paper match or even a wooden skewer to apply the paint. I apply a drop or two the toothpick and press it to the centre of the chip. The paint will flow off and fill in the chip. Let each layer dry before applying the next. Waiting overnight is best.

– Once you have enough layers the touch-up paint should be just a bit higher than the surrounding area. If you are brave, gently rub the area with a bit of 1500 grit sandpaper to even the paint out. Skip to step 4 if you are timid about using sandpaper on your paint.

– Use your favourite polishing compound to buff the surface smooth.

– Wait about a week before applying wax to the area to seal it against the environment.

The Parts department at Boyer Chevrolet Buick GMC has all the products you’ll need to touch-up your vehicle. You will have to supply the toothpicks and sandpaper.

TIPS:

– Practice your application techniques on some scrap cardboard first.

– Test products out on hard to see areas of your vehicle first. I use just the door frame between the hinges.

– I always start with the chips in less noticeable areas before moving the ones front and centre on the hood.

*Heavier rust will require a multi-step sanding process before touch-up paint can be applied. I have never let rust get to this stage so have not tried any of those techniques myself. There are several online tutorials if you find a need for this extra step.