Adventures in Touch-Up Paint: Ruby Red Tricoat Edition

[chrisofpa]

Great idea! I was thinking either that or a sanding bit for a Dremel, not attached to a power tool of course, to rub into rust if I can't catch a chip in time. Thanks!

I've done it a lot in the past, it works great and is easy to control. The touch up paint has a tool on it to clean up the surface but its way too wide for most applications.

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[Rileyotta]

Hello again! Not even 2 weeks after bringing my baby-truck home did I realize this vehicle is a rock chip magnet!! When I had the tint installed, less than 1 week later, I was driving through a construction zone behind what I remember was a Chevy Spark and a rock flew out like a missile and cratered my windshield. Thankfully it was a free repair via insurance and it avoided the paint because I could tell it would've caused a dent. Then one day I was backing into my spot and some toddler playing on a pile of rocks threw one at my door. About gave her a free ride scholarship through preschool, but decided that it would be worth it to check out touch up pens since already I was getting sprayed with rocks on my highway trips, especially since I tend to drive in the slower lanes and behind semi trucks frequently. I've never tried to touch up paint on a car before, kinda been intimidated by the process and assumed I couldn't get good results, but I had some rock chips on the hood now, which I'm aware is aluminum and can't rust, but since I was going to stick a hood protector unibrow on the truck anyways I figured it'd be a good spot to guinea pig my technique.

I went through TouchUpDirect. Originally I was hoping to find a touch up kit through Ford but they didn't have a kit outlined anywhere on their accessories site so I just web searched for a business and this is what one of the top results was. They have a few different applicator options but I just went with the pens (not the combo pen-brush option) because all my chips were tiny and the website said it'd be easier to control. Only downside is they take a while to mix up the paint and ship it in from overseas but otherwise they matched it alright IMO.

I tried watching a video from TouchUpDirect but the videos didn't cover much at all - the one video I watched didn't even talk about tricolor coats and only showed the process on a white Jeep which looked to only take 2 pens (the white color and then a clearcoat). Seemed kinda easy for them. So I did a really basic wash-down on the Maverick to look over other spots, just sponge and car-soap, then a quick wipe-down with a microfiber towel to shine everything up and check the paint over. Found another spot on the hood that'd also fall under the hood protector and a few pinpricks on the fender (down to primer), then the spot where the little kid chipped my car (down to primer). I decided to just tackle the biggest chip on the hood (down to metal). I then blotted the area with rubbing alcohol and followed the pen priming instructions and got a kitchen timer to time each coat for 15min (per instructions) as I waited in the car. Watching paint dry is very BORING! 2hr process due to needing to use 4 pens.

2 coats primer. The pen tip is much larger than the chip.

2 coats basecoat. 15min wait between eachs of these!

Starting to come together!

All these photos are taken right after application, so the paint is wet each time. Doesn't look too bad... I think?

Weirdly, I think the picture does it more justice than not. This next photo was taken 1 day of dry-time afterwards...

A different angle tells another story! Bummer. I ended up going back to TouchUpDirect and ordering their brush-style applicators. I think the color is matched great but I think with a brush applicator I can just ditch the brush and use just a toothpick or much smaller brush and get some good results on my other chips. My goal is to wait for the brush kit to arrive (a 2 week wait) and try it on the other chip on the hood before throwing the hood protector down. If it eats me alive then I figure getting the hood popped off and professionally refinished might be easier than the door, at least.

I'll try to take more photos when I get the brush kit in! Until then, cheers!

Just ordered some of those brushes to try! Thanks for the tip, they look like an easier option vs. a toothpick lol

I will try avoiding the primer next time! The paint matches decently, identical enough to my untrained eye at least, but definitely the lumpy nature of the work makes it hard to tell either way.

Why not order one of the very handy and certainly colour matched FORD touch up paint pens?

 

[WJOHNM]

No paint will match because on metallic paint the metallic binds and could be lighter or darker depends how much metallic in color, for 30 years I used the back of a match sharpened to a point the match absorbs enough paint and dab for small touch-ups or a artist brush for larger spots, build up paint waiting for it to dry, theres no way you're not going to see it unless you have it sprayed, at least it won't rust. I always install a hood shield on my Mavericks it saved my hood to many times, you can see chips in the shield that would of been in my hood. I like the ford smoked glass one that covers the front of the hood and doesn't stand out too much and looks like its part of the grille. Buy a black or white truck. Never use the ford touch up brush, makes a mess, can use the paint not the brush.

 

[srfdude44]

I backed into a city no parking sign, got about a 6-7” scratch on the tailgate, cactus grey. Ford has a nifty kit that I got through the points I haven’t used yet. Worked like a champ took a little work but it’s invisible.

 

[Tbone91]

Just throwing my 2 cents and experience into the mix. I ordered my touch up through the dealer as well. Although I haven't done it yet it was in stock at the dealer. I prefer brush touch up rather than pen but everyone has their own liking. I will say years ago I used Automotive Touchup website to order a rattle can of Ultra Blue Metallic for my '91 Camaro...damn GM primer back then was notorious for flaking paint. I spray painted the roof behind the t-tops and around the windshield frame. It was an almost perfect match and up until last summer it held strong to the crappy GM primer. Apparently I'll have to sand it down more next application. Ideally a professional paint job is in the far future, paint is the last thing I intend to accomplish on my project. Why look fancy if she's still a tired slug?

 

[Big-Foot]

This is just one of a dozen or more spots on my truck. It’s called “Rail Dust” and it comes from the wheels of the transport train that carried our trucks up from Mexico. Exactly how it looks, it is a burned spot about 3/16” diameter and that burn goes all the way to the metal. I could hold Ford and the dealership responsible and have them remediate the issues, but if their’s one thing I’ve learned over the years - it’s that the dealership will actually make it look worse. So, like you, I will be spotting it in - only I will be using a bit of base-coat and clear-coat that will be coming from the bodyshop that will be repairing and repainting the rear drivers side door after a fellow motorist lost control of his door in a parking lot (and I had parked well away from the businesses entrance) when a 30-40mph gust of wind caught it. At least he was nice enough to come find me and give me his insurance info. We had not even put our first tank of gas in the truck - 240 miles on the odo…
—
I think I’ve crushed stronger beer cans on my forehead in college…

 

[gsglassm]

I have had really good luck with Dr. ColorChip. They have great videos of application. I have used it on several of my vehicles.

https://drcolorchip.com/

 

[samspritzer]

Don't you have an Earl Scheib nearby? For $29.95, you could have had the whole truck done!

 

[WJOHNM]

Don't you have an Earl Scheib nearby? For $29.95, you could have had the whole truck done!

Don't laugh, back in the day I had a few cars done after I did the bodywork, sanded, primed and line masked them, they came out very good, they still got overspray on everything but what can you expect for 30 bucks, now you cant buy a QT of paint for that.

 

[VICKY]

Hello again!

Not even 2 weeks after bringing my baby-truck home did I realize this vehicle is a rock chip magnet!! When I had the tint installed, less than 1 week later, I was driving through a construction zone behind what I remember was a Chevy Spark and a rock flew out like a missile and cratered my windshield. Thankfully it was a free repair via insurance and it avoided the paint because I could tell it would've caused a dent.

Then one day I was backing into my spot and some toddler playing on a pile of rocks threw one at my door. About gave her a free ride scholarship through preschool, but decided that it would be worth it to check out touch up pens since already I was getting sprayed with rocks on my highway trips, especially since I tend to drive in the slower lanes and behind semi trucks frequently.

I've never tried to touch up paint on a car before, kinda been intimidated by the process and assumed I couldn't get good results, but I had some rock chips on the hood now, which I'm aware is aluminum and can't rust, but since I was going to stick a hood protector unibrow on the truck anyways I figured it'd be a good spot to guinea pig my technique.

I went through TouchUpDirect. Originally I was hoping to find a touch up kit through Ford but they didn't have a kit outlined anywhere on their accessories site so I just web searched for a business and this is what one of the top results was. They have a few different applicator options but I just went with the pens (not the combo pen-brush option) because all my chips were tiny and the website said it'd be easier to control. Only downside is they take a while to mix up the paint and ship it in from overseas but otherwise they matched it alright IMO.

I tried watching a video from TouchUpDirect but the videos didn't cover much at all - the one video I watched didn't even talk about tricolor coats and only showed the process on a white Jeep which looked to only take 2 pens (the white color and then a clearcoat). Seemed kinda easy for them.

So I did a really basic wash-down on the Maverick to look over other spots, just sponge and car-soap, then a quick wipe-down with a microfiber towel to shine everything up and check the paint over. Found another spot on the hood that'd also fall under the hood protector and a few pinpricks on the fender (down to primer), then the spot where the little kid chipped my car (down to primer). I decided to just tackle the biggest chip on the hood (down to metal). I then blotted the area with rubbing alcohol and followed the pen priming instructions and got a kitchen timer to time each coat for 15min (per instructions) as I waited in the car.

Watching paint dry is very BORING! 2hr process due to needing to use 4 pens.

2 coats primer. The pen tip is much larger than the chip.

2 coats basecoat. 15min wait between eachs of these!

Starting to come together!

All these photos are taken right after application, so the paint is wet each time. Doesn't look too bad... I think?

Weirdly, I think the picture does it more justice than not. This next photo was taken 1 day of dry-time afterwards...

A different angle tells another story! Bummer.

I ended up going back to TouchUpDirect and ordering their brush-style applicators. I think the color is matched great but I think with a brush applicator I can just ditch the brush and use just a toothpick or much smaller brush and get some good results on my other chips. My goal is to wait for the brush kit to arrive (a 2 week wait) and try it on the other chip on the hood before throwing the hood protector down.

If it eats me alive then I figure getting the hood popped off and professionally refinished might be easier than the door, at least.

I'll try to take more photos when I get the brush kit in!


Until then, cheers!

 

[VICKY]

Great idea! I was thinking either that or a sanding bit for a Dremel, not attached to a power tool of course, to rub into rust if I can't catch a chip in time. Thanks!

Got my first boo boo during Hurricane Milton, did find Hot Chili Pepper Red thru amazon, not perfect but only I can tell? HATE when that happens.

 

[Edge Haley]

I also have the little box of brushes shown above but prior to those brushes, art brushes from Big Lot, Dollar Store, worked probably as well. To share, the key to fixing little scratches it to apply multiple layers of touchup paint, some times takes 4, 5 or more layers with drying in between applying....Finally I use rubbing compound to level out the touchup paint.

This is prevention: I applied 3M wrap (12" rollx10'long $10 from Amazon, self adhesive with water) around my front bumper. Just wet the 3M wrap and apply one layer around all the front bumper painted areas...very hard to see but keeps the little sand and rock chips off the paint. To take-off or replace the 3M film just add water and a little heat-gun or hair dryer and it peels right off....soap & water to remove a little adhesive...

 

[Little boy blue]

Hello again!

Not even 2 weeks after bringing my baby-truck home did I realize this vehicle is a rock chip magnet!! When I had the tint installed, less than 1 week later, I was driving through a construction zone behind what I remember was a Chevy Spark and a rock flew out like a missile and cratered my windshield. Thankfully it was a free repair via insurance and it avoided the paint because I could tell it would've caused a dent.

Then one day I was backing into my spot and some toddler playing on a pile of rocks threw one at my door. About gave her a free ride scholarship through preschool, but decided that it would be worth it to check out touch up pens since already I was getting sprayed with rocks on my highway trips, especially since I tend to drive in the slower lanes and behind semi trucks frequently.

I've never tried to touch up paint on a car before, kinda been intimidated by the process and assumed I couldn't get good results, but I had some rock chips on the hood now, which I'm aware is aluminum and can't rust, but since I was going to stick a hood protector unibrow on the truck anyways I figured it'd be a good spot to guinea pig my technique.

I went through TouchUpDirect. Originally I was hoping to find a touch up kit through Ford but they didn't have a kit outlined anywhere on their accessories site so I just web searched for a business and this is what one of the top results was. They have a few different applicator options but I just went with the pens (not the combo pen-brush option) because all my chips were tiny and the website said it'd be easier to control. Only downside is they take a while to mix up the paint and ship it in from overseas but otherwise they matched it alright IMO.

I tried watching a video from TouchUpDirect but the videos didn't cover much at all - the one video I watched didn't even talk about tricolor coats and only showed the process on a white Jeep which looked to only take 2 pens (the white color and then a clearcoat). Seemed kinda easy for them.

So I did a really basic wash-down on the Maverick to look over other spots, just sponge and car-soap, then a quick wipe-down with a microfiber towel to shine everything up and check the paint over. Found another spot on the hood that'd also fall under the hood protector and a few pinpricks on the fender (down to primer), then the spot where the little kid chipped my car (down to primer). I decided to just tackle the biggest chip on the hood (down to metal). I then blotted the area with rubbing alcohol and followed the pen priming instructions and got a kitchen timer to time each coat for 15min (per instructions) as I waited in the car.

Watching paint dry is very BORING! 2hr process due to needing to use 4 pens.

2 coats primer. The pen tip is much larger than the chip.

2 coats basecoat. 15min wait between eachs of these!

Starting to come together!

All these photos are taken right after application, so the paint is wet each time. Doesn't look too bad... I think?

Weirdly, I think the picture does it more justice than not. This next photo was taken 1 day of dry-time afterwards...

A different angle tells another story! Bummer.

I ended up going back to TouchUpDirect and ordering their brush-style applicators. I think the color is matched great but I think with a brush applicator I can just ditch the brush and use just a toothpick or much smaller brush and get some good results on my other chips. My goal is to wait for the brush kit to arrive (a 2 week wait) and try it on the other chip on the hood before throwing the hood protector down.

If it eats me alive then I figure getting the hood popped off and professionally refinished might be easier than the door, at least.

I'll try to take more photos when I get the brush kit in!


Until then, cheers!

I regret not getting a bug deflector when I purchased my Maverick, I have 2 chip marks at the front of the hood and 4 small ones on the windshield

 

[Edge Haley]

I regret not getting a bug deflector when I purchased my Maverick, I have 2 chip marks at the front of the hood and 4 small ones on the windshield

All the bug defectors I've seen available just lay on the front of the hood...deflecting nothing. After installing one, I tossed it...

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