Dr. Color Chip - paint chip repair

[Alan]

Just wanted to give everyone here a heads up on this product, touch up paint worries me, I can never get the right amount into the chip and I over paint by error so I do not trust myself ever doing any paint chip repair.

This Dr. Color Chip is really great, I watched the video below which is great, the big picture is it does not matter if you get touch up paint on the regular paint of the car, the product they give you takes off all the extra paint and the car looks really good afterwards.

Like they say in the video it is not meant to make your car look perfect, it still looks like a chip filled in with touch up paint but for people like me who do not have a steady hand it is great.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsDUQQkCm74

[Theo]

I used it before on my E36 and my E46 and I agree it worked pretty well for chip repair. These days it’s PPF and done though.

[Alan]

I haven’t PPF’ed any of my cars, I am guessing the M2 is PPF’ed … my understanding is the installer is everything …. I REALLY want to get my next car done but I am always so worried when I bring my car to someone I just know they are going to scratch or nick something whether it is the inside or outside.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by Alan

I haven’t PPF’ed any of my cars, I am guessing the M2 is PPF’ed … my understanding is the installer is everything …. I REALLY want to get my next car done but I am always so worried when I bring my car to someone I just know they are going to scratch or nick something whether it is the inside or outside.

We talked about this before, Alan.

These are your three options:

1) Leave the car in the garage and never drive it.

2) Leave the car unprotected and be assured it will pick up more and more chips every single time you drive it.

3) Have someone reputable put on PPF, run the very slight risk that it could incur could be a paint nick and be assured that the paint will not get any worse as long as the PPF is in place.

[Theo]

Originally Posted by Alan

I haven’t PPF’ed any of my cars, I am guessing the M2 is PPF’ed … my understanding is the installer is everything …. I REALLY want to get my next car done but I am always so worried when I bring my car to someone I just know they are going to scratch or nick something whether it is the inside or outside.

I used to do it only on the front bumper and in one case (The E46 M3) the front half of the hood and fender (that awful line across the hood).

The M2 got the full front end (hood, fenders, bumper and headlights) mirrors, door edges, inner door handle pulls, rear fender flares and the flat portion leading into the trunk. No regrets.

[SCA]

We have extensively PPF’ed every new auto we have purchased over the past ten years. Xpel has recommended installers and those that are the top performers are awarded annually by Xpel. Xpel installers are trained/certified at Xpel HQ in San Antonio, Texas.

https://www.xpel.com/clearbra-installers

[JST]

Ages well?

[Theo]

Originally Posted by JST

Ages well?

Did you just seriously google the “worst” clear bra pictures ever or what??!! LOL

I have never seen anything like that.

[John V]

Originally Posted by JST

Ages well?

That could happen to some of the really old films (the early stuff from the 2004-2007 timeframe). I have to imagine some of the cheap films on the market could do that as well, particularly if the car is left outside. It really doesn't make sense to go cheap on the film, though, because the majority of the cost is in the installation.

I put one of the self-healing films on my Boxster (did it myself) right when I got it, and it still looked really good when I sold the car. I didn't do anything special in terms of maintenance, other than storing the car in a garage. I certainly wasn't buying hundreds of dollars of cleaners and sealers for it. Some of the edges of the film around tight corners lifted up, and I blame that on myself as a worse-than-amateur installer. It's not a big deal, you just take an X-acto blade and trim away the film that lifted up. Washing / waxing / sealing the film like you would the paint seems to work well.

I really hate touching up stone chips and leveling them properly, so film is a much better answer for me.

[clyde]

Originally Posted by JST

Ages well?

The quality, longevity, and durability of the higher level films has improved drastically in recent years.

Even so, meh.

PPF can also be replaced if it gets damaged. If you let it degrade to that extent, you're probably also going to run a risk of pulling clearcoat when you try remove. If you take care of it before that, the pain will still be as perfect as it possibly could be...and that's the point of paint protection film.