paint chips coming off the car

[toyotaguy]

does anyone else have this problem?.I own a Ivory Pearl White 2004 Solara and It seems to me that only after having my car for about 6 months the paint is chipping off(front and back of car).The Dealer said it's from the road.Is this normal for a car to be chipping off paint so soon?
I have friends who have white cars for years and they never have had these problems of chipped paint.

[michaels artic frost]

Check out my old thread about it and yes, I'm still getting the rock chips on hood and bumper. Touch up paint is all I can do for now until another bodykit comes out and I'll have it painted again. I'm looking into getting a clear bra.

First rock chip on my hood.....GRRRRRRRRRR

[Shoe]

i had rock chips on my hood in a major way as ive told this story b4 ill keep it brief they ripped up the hwy in the winter by my place to grind out the potholes but left all the debris on the road and they turned into car destroyers propelling these thing like bullets

My front hood was speckeled with white dots looked ridiculous on the red.

I bought the paint pen $10 get it from toyota and cleaned up all these rock chips the paint pen is very good for lil chips like this however i perfer a paint brush for cleaning up larger scratches.


shoe

[slingshot]

I bought the paint pen $10 get it from toyota and cleaned up all these rock chips the paint pen is very good for lil chips like this however i perfer a paint brush for cleaning up larger scratches.
shoe

I heard the new paint pen is much better but my local places don't seem to have them. Are people here having luck getting these around the country?

[michaels artic frost]

I got the paint brush and it works fine. I'll have to see if they have the paint pen.

[DocJohn]

For what its worth, my car is silver (Lunar Mist) and I've noticed the paint seems to chip and scratch more easily that on other cars I've had (including 2 other silvers). I could spit nails everytime I find a new chip or scratch!
I'm not very happy with the Toyota touch-up paint, it tends to clump and just doesn't seem to be a great color match. (Yes, I have the right color & paint code).

[Shoe]

paint pen also has a clear coat aplicator on the other side wich is a bonus

shoe

[mmcdonald]

I get the chips on the hood, but blasting along at 80mph on raod being torn up for repaving and behind dump trucks on rt 95 doesn't help.

I am going to get the touch up paint in the brush.

Procedure: Clean all wax etc off chip area. use touch up paint till the chip is filled above the edge of the chip (several apps). Wet sand with 600+ grit and water (carefully) to take it down to the level of the paint. You must use a solid sanding block for this. Polish by hand and wax after the paint cures for a few hours.

Then get a bra.

It did seem a little thin to me.

[DocJohn]

Procedure: Clean all wax etc off chip area. use touch up paint till the chip is filled above the edge of the chip (several apps). Wet sand with 600+ grit and water (carefully) to take it down to the level of the paint. You must use a solid sanding block for this. Polish by hand and wax after the paint cures for a few hours.

Personally, I think 600 grit is a bit too harsh for this application.
I have had very nice results wet sanding a touch-up paint spot using 1000 or 1200 grit silicon carbide (black) paper glued to the squared-off end of a 1/4" or 3/8" wood dowel (or cut the end off a round pencil and glue on a piece of 1200 grit paper). This gives me very precise control over the area I'm working on when dealing with small chips and scratches.

[mmcdonald]

I guess I am still old school on this. 600 grit was very fine when I used to do this professionally.

[DocJohn]

I guess I am still old school on this. 600 grit was very fine when I used to do this professionally.

Nothing wrong with 600 grit, I was just adding my experience. 600 grit works great, but you need to have a really light touch or you're through the clear-coat in no time. Since you did this professionally, you have the "right touch" already.
1000 or 1200 grit cuts more slowly, hence its more "goof-proof". It also means you can move right to a polishing compound next with some nice results.