Just What the
Doctor Ordered
Cosmetic Surgery for Your Car
Story Kevin Harper
Images Provided
They say a new car is only new until it leaves the dealer’s lot.
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Once it is taken from that sheltered
environment, it is now susceptible
to plenty of things that threaten
everything about it, especially the
looks.
No matter whether it is a new car
little problems can be stone chips.
A car’s surface is the place where
that ever-important first impression
gets started. No one will give the car
a second glance if the paint isn’t as
good as it could be and even high
or a collectible coming out for its
occasional cruise, all cars are alike in
that they can have their beauty taken
away by just the slightest act. Door
dings are small but unnerving, but
they can be avoided by parking away
from threats. However, you can’t avoid
every threat and one of the biggest
dollar paint jobs can be undermined
by stone chips kicked up in travel.
Accepting just one chip is a
compromise to quality. There’s no
reason that any blemish in the surface
should be accepted.
There are numerous ways to deal
with the problem when (and notice
AUTOENTHUSIAST
we’re not saying “if”) it occurs.
You can get some touch-up paint
and it will likely do the job on the
surface … if you are very careful in
your application. It’s a crap shoot
on color match and you could
end up with “dots” that the
discerning enthusiast can
spot from six feet away. It
calls into mind that maybe
the paint isn’t as good as you
are letting on.
You could repaint or
replace the part, but a new
hood for the sake of chips is
a decision that should only
be made if your Powerball
numbers came in. Check
carefully before you commit.
And then there is always
the idea of “no one will notice”,
the denial that leads you to do
nothing. You’ll sit in that chair all
day and no one will want to talk
to you about your car. Now, you
don’t want that.
Fixing the chips and getting
the color back to the way you
expect it to be does not have to be
an expensive or time-consuming
proposition. The experts at Dr.
Color Chip have done the extensive
testing and research. When disaster
strikes in the form of stone chips,
there’s no need to panic and think
the look is gone forever.
The Dr. Color Chip process
involves a kit that is fast, simple
and renders a quality permanent
repair. Each kit is hand-made by
carsandparts.com
a mixing tech who has access to
OEM formulations and proprietary
components. Before shipping, the
kit is tested for matching against the
vast color chip library in replicated
sunlight, a process that guarantees
a color match.
For those whose confidence
isn’t at its highest level, and who
don’t want to do anything to hurt
their “baby’, there’s no need to
exhibit the anguish. Simply follow
the application instructions. The
product is safe for clear-coated
vehicles (or it would have been run
off the market a long time ago).
Officials at Dr. Color Chip were
honest enough to say that they
have had success with lacquer and
enamel finishes on older cars, but they
don’t recommend it since there are
too many variables that could lead to
removing good paint around the chip.
For those going on, the simple
steps of application begin. Take a little
of the paint and dab it on or next to
the chip. Smear the paint flat over and
a bit beyond the chip. For more than
one chip, simply repeat the process at
the place where the paint is needed.
Within a minute, the paint will dry,
but it’s not cured. It is suggested to
wait five minutes before beginning
the blending process. If you start
too soon, you run the risk of pulling
the paint out of the chip. The longer
the paint stays flat on the panel, the
better the bond will be. The paint has
been tested to sit for up to two hours
without blending problems.
Blending becomes the barometer
of success. The SealAct blending
solution is applied to a soft cotton
cloth that is included with the kit. The
cloth should be slightly dampened,
not soaked. Rub the folded cloth
over the paint smears in small areas.
The paint will begin to pull away from
around the repair, but stay in the
damaged area. The ultimate goal is
to pass the three-foot test, so it’s not
likely the chip will always be filled 100
percent with the paint.
Larger chips call for more work and
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1 Our test subject has taken it on the
nose with all of those chip marks on the
hood.
carsandparts.com
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2 Here’s another view of the problem. The
area on the left has already been cleaned and
fixed with the Dr. Color Chip kit. It gives a
great “before and after” example.
3 We have isolated one area. Shake the
paint well and dab a small amount on and
around the area. Use a tandem brush, microbrush or cotton swab.
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a second layer can be added after a day or so.
Dr. Color Chip has a paint squeegee for
quickly applying paint to a road-rashed hood
or bumper, which allows for larger quantities of
paint. If larger areas are done, a clean T-shirt
or cotton cloth can be used to blend.
The most popular colors tend to be those
which show the damage more – silver, pearl
white and black. Dr. Color Chip offers a single
bottle of paint for the difficult pearl colors, mixed
so that it is off-white and dark when smeared,
but blends in to the surrounding paint color.
Bill McLean of Dr. Color Chip said the
company is committed to making the color
right. “We make colors going back to the
1940s if not older, though we can’t verify the
integrity of the formulation as we have on
chips to make a visual comparison. We also
have customers e-mail us photos of their old
cars and ask us to make a paint kit to match
them. In most cases, we can get a good match
the first time. If not, we re-mix and work with
the customer until we get a match.
“If we can’t do it, we’ll just refund the order.
We’ve had oddball requests such as matching
colors for golf clubs, fishing rods, laboratory
microscopes and accessories for bone-drilling
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equipment. Our most frequent orders are for
cars five years old or less, but we get a number
of requests for muscle cars from the ’70s,
usually red.”
There’s a good chance that someone you
know has used the Dr. Color Chip product.
Unlike the new exhaust system or stereo, it’s
something that doesn’t stand out and that’s
the point behind it. The kit can bring your car
back to where you wanted it to be, winning
trophies and getting attention for the right
reason.
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4 Immediately after application (work in small
areas at a time), smear the paint with your gloved
hand. It needs to be flattened to dry because a blob
will create haze in the clear coat and reduce the
quality of the improvement.
5 After five minutes, it’s time to blend. Shake the
SealAct blending solution and apply it (about the size
of a quarter) onto the cloth. Using light pressure with
the open flat hand and rub over the area to blend
away the excess. Don’t scrub … let the chemical do
the work.
6 This is the same hood after the Dr. Color Chip kit
was used. It’s now far more presentable.
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carsandparts.com
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7 Lighter colored cars and black tend to be
victimized with these road hazards. The blemishes
are prominent, but not permanent. Dr. Color Chip
has an extensive library of colors to bring back the
look.
8 A little time, patience and the Dr. Color Chip kit
has restored the look.
For Your Information
Dr. Color Chip
(866) DR-CC-KIT [372-2548]
www.drcolorchip.com
carsandparts.com
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