Adventures in Touch-Up Paint: Ruby Red Tricoat Edition

[RubyGem]

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!

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[BK007]

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!

Tri-coats are notoriously hard to match. Here is the reality:

• You have to blend: You can't just spray a hood off the vehicle. You have to blend into the adjacent panels at an absolute minimum to hide the transition.
• Get it matched in person: Any local automotive paint supply shop can color match your paint on the spot. You wouldn't believe how many different factory variations exist for a single paint color code.
• Skip the primer on chips: Grab some micro paint touch-up brushes and skip the primer entirely. Primer fills up the chip too much and doesn’t leave enough depth for the topcoat layers—especially with a tri-coat.

Good Luck

Amazon
200 Pcs Automotive Touch Up Paint Brushes,Disposable Micro Paint Chip Repair Applicators for Automotive Paint Detailing, Stone Chips,Scratches(1.0, 1.3, 1.8, 2.5MM, Multi)

 

[RubyGem]

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.

 

[Cancunbadlands]

Ouch!
Two weeks only

 

[Backin15]

I discovered a chip on the top of the door frame a couple days after I brought it home. I ordered some touch up paint from Amazon and it was more purple than blue. Luckily I was able to wipe it off clean before it dried and get a refund on it. I then ordered the Ford touch up paint from my dealer. It was a perfect match and it is very hard to see where the chip was.

 

[RubyGem]

I then ordered the Ford touch up paint from my dealer.

Ahhh, through the dealer! I should have guessed, really, vs. the Ford site lol

This brand I'm using has their own site at least, not sure if they have a presence on Amazon at all, I didn't even think to check there. Glad it worked out for you though with both the refund and getting it wiped off in time!

 

[BK007]

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.

Nice! You will have a much easier time with them. Those micro brushes are the key to keeping the paint thin so it doesn't get lumpy. Good luck!

 

[SafetyGuy]

Good day

Best way to know where your paint chips are, is to at least dry it by hand after washing.

I just did my accumulated paint chips x2 (from over winter) last week, once the temperatures here warmed up enough.

I had my dealer order in my Desert Sand paint stick (with a brush, the little pin depressed applicator for small chips and a clear-coat brush all in one), when I bought our truck.

Perfect paint match of course, and primer/paint all in one and a little fiberglass tip to scrub any rust/ debris out before wiping with alcohol and touching up.

I have a heavy hand with paint...more appropriate for painting barns, but I tried to be careful and had my reading glasses on so it went as well as can be expected.

Followed the directions, put on the clearcoat once enough layers were applied and I know where they are and to me they look terrible...but you might spend a few minutes looking for them, so I am happy with the result.

Gotta keep the corrosion away as long as possible!

Oh, one more note...aluminum doesn't rust, but it does corrode. More slowly then steel, but still needs to be touched up, same as steel.

Andy

 

[RubyGem]

Perfect paint match of course, and primer/paint all in one and a little fiberglass tip to scrub any rust/ debris out before wiping with alcohol and touching up.

Fiberglass tip seems like a great addition to this job. Might actually have to swing through and get one from Ford next year! I've only had the Mav for 2.5 months, nothing seems rusted or corroded yet thankfully, but after next winter no doubt I'll be dealing with rust.

Oh, one more note...aluminum doesn't rust, but it does corrode. More slowly then steel, but still needs to be touched up, same as steel.

Thanks for the info!! Kinda a useful tip, and makes me feel better doing this to my hood at least. Kinda was sitting there afterwards thinking I shouldn't have bothered at all! LOL

 

[SafetyGuy]

Fiberglass tip seems like a great addition to this job. Might actually have to swing through and get one from Ford next year! I've only had the Mav for 2.5 months, nothing seems rusted or corroded yet thankfully, but after next winter no doubt I'll be dealing with rust.




Thanks for the info!! Kinda a useful tip, and makes me feel better doing this to my hood at least. Kinda was sitting there afterwards thinking I shouldn't have bothered at all! LOL

The best thing you can do, as you probably have to deal with salt on the roads as well, is to get your truck undercoated with a creeping oil spray like I have done at Krown Rust Control.

There are do it yourself products out there if you are of a mind to do it yourself, of course.

Do not get a hard or rubberized spray-on product as they harden, separate and then hold salty water etc next to your truck underbody, etc!

Those hard undercoatings, in my opinion, actually do more damage then good.

Krown here spray the underbody, inside doors etc, where vehicles are most prone to corrosion.

Get it done every year and have a better chance to keep your ride longer and better looking.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[RubyGem]

The best thing you can do, as you probably have to deal with salt on the roads as well, is to get your truck undercoated with a creeping oil spray like I have done at Krown Rust Control.

There are do it yourself products out there if you are of a mind to do it yourself, of course.

Do not get a hard or rubberized spray-on product as they harden, separate and then hold salty water etc next to your truck underbody, etc!

Those hard undercoatings, in my opinion, actually do more damage then good.

Krown here spray the underbody, inside doors etc, where vehicles are most prone to corrosion.

Get it done every year and have a better chance to keep your ride longer and better looking.

Cheers,

Andy

Good idea, I actually saw your post somewhere else talking about this company and had checked them out yesterday! Currently waiting on them to open a location in my region, they have shops more up North but a location opening soon in the Detroit Metro region. Probably before the winter season.

Cheers!

 

[gjallen3]

I bought Carbonized Gray touch up pen from the dealer. It is a Ford product. It is a terrible match. Too light/silver looking. The reason I think it doesn’t match very well is because the original paint is metallic and very hard to get touch up perfect.

 

[K9 Warrior]

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!

Thanks for the information. I, too, have a couple of chips in my Ruby Red 2025 Lariat. I look forward to hearing about how things work out.

 

[chrisofpa]

I got several rock chips in my paint over the winter, it really upset me but luckily all but one were only down to the primer, I didn't bother touching them up because the primer is a lighter shade of grey and they were tiny so I felt the touch up paint would bring more attention to them. Luckily my bug guard protected the hood from any damage.

I did get one chip just above my windshield and that one pissed me off since it went down to bare metal, so I had to fix that one. It was tiny so I used a thumb tac to clean the metal of rust, I used a toothpick to apply the primer, then I brushed on the paint and the clear coat after it dried. I wish it came out a little smoother but you cannot really see it unless you go looking for it and I know it won't rust now.

 

[RubyGem]

It was tiny so I used a thumb tac to clean the metal of rust

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!

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