Do you paint touch up your charger?

[jefferson]

For all of us charger owners here, im curios, do you ever paint touch up your charger to keep it looking schmick?
I like to driver my charger as i really enjoy it, but i have noticed that it has a few paint i guess small chips, barely anything probably to worry about but does annoy me and wondering if anyone else gets there charger touched up every once in a while, or anything else.

[Aero426]

For all of us charger owners here, im curios, do you ever paint touch up your charger to keep it looking schmick?

Paint chips are part of the deal when you use your car.   I do touch up my cars regularly to keep them on fleek.

[timmycharger]

first of all what is Schmick and fleek? 


After the car was painted, My painter filled a couple of small bottles with my paint with a ball bearing inside for mixing that has a nice brush incorporated in the lid.  I use that to touch up tiny spots, then I have a generic clear coat one I got at the parts store to go over that once it is dry. Worked well so far. 

[Ghoste]

I have always did paint touch ups on my cars.

[jefferson]

I have always did paint touch ups on my cars.

Hey mate, how did you go about doing it? Did you just get a litre or so of your car colour made up and just dab up with a paint brush the spots that needed touching up or what?
Cheers

Curious how everyone goes about paint touch ups, or reprays, my car doesnt need a full respray, i would just like to get a few paint chips where some debris has flicked the paint off redone.
Is that do able by getting some of my car paint made up and dabbing a paint brush over it? Fairly new to the paint game.

[Aero426]

I have always did paint touch ups on my cars.

Hey mate, how did you go about doing it? Did you just get a litre or so of your car colour made up and just dab up with a paint brush the spots that needed touching up or what?
Cheers

Curious how everyone goes about paint touch ups, or reprays, my car doesnt need a full respray, i would just like to get a few paint chips where some debris has flicked the paint off redone.
Is that do able by getting some of my car paint made up and dabbing a paint brush over it? Fairly new to the paint game.

You will need a small quantity of paint from your local automotive paint supplier.    You will need some reducer/thinner for the paint as well.     Also, get some small paint brushes from an art supply or hobby store.  Size O, OO, OOO brushes work well.     If you get single stage paint (dries shiny) , you just dab a little paint on the brush and then onto the chip.    Practice a little bit before you try it on the car.     If you have base / clear paint, you dab the chip with the base coat (color), let it dry and repeat with the clear coat.      

[Aero426]

This is a newer way to do it that seems to work pretty well.   I have used one of their kits.

https://www.drcolorchip.com/

[alfaitalia]

Mine is getting this. I used a similar product on my Alfa 156 and my old Integrale to keep it chip free..... https://venomwraps.co.uk/paint-protection-film/?gclid=CjwKCAjwnf7qBRAtEiwAseBO_Ffxt6YpAbUjrq2udH7_WsDLiu0JnZpcFOMpvtmkTv5U6woA_tECxxoCX-IQAvD_BwE

Its virtually invisible and completely clear. I usually get the complete front end done up to and including the A pillars and the first 6 inches or so of the roof. My current ALFA was too chipped when I got her to bother....so its monthly touch ups for her. Alfa Rosso paint is notoriously brittle. Highly recommend the film though!

[WHITE AND RED 69]

I got one of these fluid pens with some touch up paint and makes the repair look cleaner than brushing it on. Gives you a bit more control and lets you fill in the chip. Still not perfect but looks much better than the chips.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YQM5CQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[jefferson]

Is there actually product I can apply onto my charger that will prevent chips. Debris etc from chipping the paint? A few people have told me there is. But I just can't see how it would work

They claim if a rock flew up it would just bounce off the car leaving no damage scratch or chip.

[alfaitalia]

The film I mentioned above certainly will...that's why I use it. Its often fitted by supercar owners but you probably just don't notice....its that invisible. As for a magic polish or treatment that will stop chips.....cant see that ever happening....you need a physical barrier to actually stop the rocks coming into contact with the paint.

[doctor4766]

As Alfa mentioned, paint protection film is readily available, but it's quite expensive to buy.
Even at my trade price Suntek's PPF1 is about $35 per foot on a 5ft wide roll.

[jefferson]

As Alfa mentioned, paint protection film is readily available, but it's quite expensive to buy.
Even at my trade price Suntek's PPF1 is about $35 per foot on a 5ft wide roll.

So how much would that work out to be to cover up a complete charger?
Contemplating on my 68

[myk]

Is there actually product I can apply onto my charger that will prevent chips. Debris etc from chipping the paint? A few people have told me there is. But I just can't see how it would work

They claim if a rock flew up it would just bounce off the car leaving no damage scratch or chip.

Very easy, just dont drive it.  If you drive it, it will get chipped period.  Although I have noticed that factory paint jobs seem to be a little more resilient than the resale red paint jobs I can usually afford...

[jefferson]

It would kill me not driving it
I hate it getting chipped. Scratched etc. But boy I love driving it. It gives me a high nothing else does.
I get itchy just wanting to drive it. All these folks not driving there classics because there too scared to scratch them. I think such a shame. U get one life. That cars still gonna be sitting there when your dead and you have just missed out on driven and enjoying it. F that.

[alfaitalia]

Spot on....they are cars to be driven...not museum pieces. As said if you wrap then in the right stuff they won't chip. Nothing makes me sadder on this site than massively over restored cars (built to a way higher standard than they ever left the factory but in the owners eyes "factory correct"...yeah right) sitting in a collection and never moving except to be taken to a show in a covered trailer to be dribbled over by other sad cases who marvel at this "perfect" car. Id far rather see one of CBRests Chargers being thrashed around the desert , blasted with stones with someone at the wheel enjoying the cars as they should be. Rant over!

[lloyd3]

It's called "paint restoration".  I just went through it to learn it on my 2001 Off-Roadster 1500 pick-up.  It's quite time-consuming when you consider that you need to individually address each stone chip but....well worth it in the end.  My truck was looking a bit sorry after nearly 20-years (bought it in the Fall of 2000) of rather normal 4x4 use and abuse. I had access then to a 20-thousand acre ranch where I hunted deer and elk every Fall. I bought the "Off-Road" package to take advantage of the factory 4-inch body lift, the modified suspension, the extra skid-plates, the bigger tires (17-inch, not bigger by today's standards certainly) and the 4:11 DANA 70 differentials and it has served faithfully and well for all of these years. It was showing it's age however, with way too-many stone chips and scratches from lots of dirt road and off-road use.  With the help of many You-Tube videos, I learned how to lightly sand each chip (and scratch) and then fill them with paint. After waiting for the specified time (a couple of hours) I went back and filled the chips over-full with clear-coat and then let them age for 48-hours. After proper curing, you then wet-sand the area to get the clear-coat filler back down to the level of the original paint using various types and fineness of sandpaper.  I found the wet sanding a bit traumatic at first (totally contrary to my normal practice of "nothing abrasive" on my paint!).  You then have to polish the affected areas with polishing compound, then cleaner wax, and then final wax to get the finish to match (This process finally wore-out an orbital polisher I've had for at least 20-years!).  For the most part, this process worked very well, but in some areas (mostly where the chips almost outnumbered the pant) you would have a hard time getting everything to match, resulting in a rather "blotchy" finish.  The secret, I've discovered (again, thanks to YouTube), is Mother's Mag Polish.  In the blotchy areas you apply Mother's, let it dry, and then machine-buff it off. Sometimes I'd need to do it more than once, but eventually everything matched up.  The truck now looks like it's been babied all it's life(!). How well this would work on cars with non-clearcoat finishes (my Charger is acrylic enamel, as the originals were painted), I couldn't say.  Clearly, much cheaper than a re-paint.

[lloyd3]

A better shot of the more affected areas...



The deer/elk bumper makes alot of sense in northwest Colorado, and even... around my home.

[TexasStroker]

Looks nice lloyd!  I've got an 01 Off Road too!  Just curious, how is your dash holding up?  Kind of rare to see 2nd Gens with their original owners!  Mine is currently in need of a water pump replacement and the dash has a few hairline cracks and one bigger crack, but it has yet to fall apart or collapse.

As for the OP, I try to touch up big chips.  If you get everything like you want it you could apply some paint protective film...cheap insurance if you drive the car a lot.

[lloyd3]

TexasStroker: Thanks! The truck mostly lives outside so the dash died long ago and was replaced with an inexpensive cover that works quite well. Other than the dash, I'd had surprisingly little trouble with it, it just keeps-on doing the job.  I tend to keep my vehicles a little longer than average, but can see why protective film would be popular...

[TexasStroker]

Looks great!  I've had my 01 since it was new.  LMC came out with a full replacement dash a few years back that I hope to pickup at some point...water pump is currently taking precedence.  Glad to see I'm not the only one that uses the 4x4 boot for storage 

I have a lot of friends into late models and it isn't uncommon for them to get a new car, have it ceramic coated, and shell out $$ for PPF.  I've not known of many into old cars to do the same, but I'm sure some will.  Makes sense for satellite shops to partner with paint and body places if it is a service they don't offer themselves.

I think I remember someone here putting Xpel on their Charger, but that was a long time ago...I think the technology has improved a lot.

[lloyd3]

The new trucks are brutally expensive and force me to buy technology that I'm simply not interested in.  I've owned this one since new and have done all the maintenance as well as I could. I'd like to get my 20-years out of it, and perhaps more if everything hangs together (it's at 120K now).  My brother told me about the ceramic coating recently and I'd certainly consider it. Have to watch it for a bit first (late adopter of new tech, I fear).

[TexasStroker]

Agreed...the price on trucks is nuts anymore.  I saw a really nice 2018 at a dealership...it was a conversion from Rocky Mountain Truckworks.  They had it listed at $47 and when I said I was interested they said that was a mistake and it should be $68.  I checked on it for several months and they never corrected it.  The 2019s are impressive, although I prefer the previous styling.  I'd give them a few years to iron out all the issues.  I'm shooting for 20 + years as well.

Ceramic coating is pretty nice.  Can be expensive, but nice.  The PPF can simply go in high wear areas and save a little cash.  It is essentially invisible and offers good protection for road trips, or regularly driven vehicles.  I'm not sure where an ideal cutoff point would be on the hood of a Charger.  Maybe someone in the field can reply...I think it would be the best way to go for the OP once touch up paint is applied.