Stone Chips Aagh! And Little Spots Of Tar.

[flyboyprowler]

I have a couple of small stone chips on the bonnet, and near side door. Are they repairable invisibly, and if so, how, or is it "chips away" or a panel respray!

Also a few spots of tar on the running boards, and wings. Any thoughts on the best product to do a job without melting the paint!

[firemac]

I have a couple of small stone chips on the bonnet, and near side door. Are they repairable invisibly, and if so, how, or is it "chips away" or a panel respray!

Also a few spots of tar on the running boards, and wings. Any thoughts on the best product to do a job without melting the paint!

Charlie posted a good bit of touch-up advice a little while ago; I'm sure that a search would bring it up.

Re tar spots, a soft cloth soaked with petrol or white spirit usually works. Just dab the tar spots until they soften and begin to run, then wipe them away and dry the area with a clean cloth. A spot of polish/wax to finish.

[Guest]

When I got some tar spots last year,I used some auto-glym tar spot remover, followed by a bit of polish.

Gus

Edit: or like Jim said :)

[FROSTYBALLS]

I'd second the Autoglym tar remover - bit kinder to the paintwork than petrol/white spirit.

[silly sausage]

The Auto-glym tar remover is brilliant, highly recommended.

[jolly-friar]

We use something called "Tardis" from a company called Autosmart... and find it very good at removing tar, and other sticky things..

HTH

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards the stone chips, I've used Chips Away in the past for both stone chips and scuffs (done by other drivers in public car parks) and been more than happy with the results. Some Toyota dealers also offer SMART repairs {eg Sytners [Toyota World] and Inchcape) so may be worth checking your local dealer(s).

[CharlieFarlie]

Stone chips can be removed with no evidence left of them whatsoever but it a painstaking task..

Firstly you need to get a genuine Toyota touch up kit quoting your chassis number..

The chip need layer after thin layer applying until the surface of your touch up lies fractionally below the surface of the surrounding paint finish....

Lacquer is the applied until it is just above the surface of the paint surrounding it.. This then need to be left for a week or two as the touch up combination will "drop back" When this occurs once again a wee bit more lacquer must be applied...... You are looking for the repair to be just above the paints surface..

Now the wet sanding is done.

This is the part where great care must be taken.. Wet sand the area of the repair until the entire surface is dead flat.. Use Meguires Unigrit 3000 to 3500 grit paper for this ..Your paint will at this stage look awful but don't panic !

Now its the polishing stage ...

A medium cut polish will restore the sanded area, Great care must be taken and use a PTG if you have or can get hold of one.... Then switch to a light cut polish to refine the finish to a glass like one.

Some paint or smart repairers can do a very good job but trust me they are few and far between..

They speed up the drying stages with an infra red lamp (I have one) but this often mean the dropping back stage I mentioned above happens after the final polish so eventually the finish will drop back and be uneven meaning the repair can be seen.. Only the slow way really really works 100%

Tardis is good at removing tar.. So is petrol ..

HTH

[anchorman]

WD40 does the trick too.

Charlie

Can you do a tutorial with photos just to show how far to go with the sandpaper?

[flyboyprowler]

Many thanks for all the tips, especially Charlie, a vast amount of knowledge. Excuse the ignorance, but what's a PTG? I did a little research on the net, and u tube also has the same method as Charlie, but there is a kit in The good old USA, that probably isn't available here. Will the paint run on doors, and as my chips are small, I assume you need a really fine brush for the job.

Many thanks to all again.

[Big Kev]

Many thanks for all the tips, especially Charlie, a vast amount of knowledge. Excuse the ignorance, but what's a PTG? I did a little research on the net, and u tube also has the same method as Charlie, but there is a kit in The good old USA, that probably isn't available here. Will the paint run on doors, and as my chips are small, I assume you need a really fine brush for the job.

Many thanks to all again.

Paint Thickness Gauge, Ainz......not a cheap machine and best left in the hands of such as Charlie, but lets you check the before and after paint skin of doing a repair such as above. Could avoid cutting through to the primer and having a lovely bill to repair.

Charlie.....must agree would love pictorial screed on the use of sandpaper.......the very thought of trying it sends me toilet bound !!!

Big Kev

[jolly-friar]

We have a PTG... very helpfull bit of kit..

Have used it when buying cars in the past, to check if any panels have been sprayed before purchasing..

Used it on the RAV before taking delivery... made the sales person smile ! :)

Also handy when I left bird mess on the car to long, and had to use polish to remove the resulting stain..

[CharlieFarlie]

WD40 does the trick too.

Charlie

Can you do a tutorial with photos just to show how far to go with the sandpaper?

Yes Don no problem... But it will take a while as I'm living in a building site with this house we have bought !! I have very little time at the moment but will happily do it when I can find the time...

Work done so far

Complete new drive which is 155 square metres...52 Tonnes out 62 Tonnes back in

Removed the whole roof and re tiled after installing over a grands worth of celotex and other insulation as there was no insulation whatsoever !!

New guttering fascias and sofits...

New Velux window for the wet room ....

Installation of a wet room for the wife who is disabled after a spinal injury in 2007..

Replacement of storm drains as they had been bust by the neighbours tree roots.

15 x 12 Summerhouse and erection of a greenhouse as this is what the wife likes to play at on her better days..

New fencing and gates..

Plus lots of decorating !!

Plus it may not surprise you to hear I'm back running the company I sold before moving to Scotland.. Retirement was just not for me and I was getting depressed sat doing very little...Mmmm

The main tool needed when wet sanding is the Paint Thickness Gauge.. Though its not absolutely essential.. I have 2 of these One which will measure the combined thickness of the paint and lacquer and will identify the individual thickness's of the two layers so you/I know how much material we have to go at..

The other gauge just tells the combined layers and if anyone is wet sanding I will lend it out.. Obviously to trusted members ....

So long as not to mush of the laqer coat is sanded away polishing will present no problems and all will be well..

But after a while you/I will play it by eye touch and feel..

Very often its a case of either doing a successful job or paint so nothing to loose except a bit of time..

[CharlieFarlie]

We have a PTG... very helpfull bit of kit..

Have used it when buying cars in the past, to check if any panels have been sprayed before purchasing..

Used it on the RAV before taking delivery... made the sales person smile ! :)

Also handy when I left bird mess on the car to long, and had to use polish to remove the resulting stain..

I always take a PTG when looking at cars.. The faces on some dealers and sellers is priceless ! I take a good code reader as well to check for stored codes..

PTG will identify smart repairs also and can save polishing though where a smart repair has been done if its a very good one IE invisible to the eye...

Non factory or after market paint / repairs will typically be up to twice the thickness of the original factory finish.. Plus and this is the very important bit its very very much softer so if cutting with a heavy cut polish one can go though it in little time ! Honestly it really can catch you out !

I will take up to 25 to 30 readings on a bonnet before commencing polishing and that is after an inspection by eye and a swirl lamp..

[flyboyprowler]

Wow Charlie, it sounds "muy complicado". What do you use to initially clean the area, prior to applying the paint?

Don't envy you your task, especially as it has been a bad Spring to build, and hope you have a better summer!

[CharlieFarlie]

Wow Charlie, it sounds "muy complicado". What do you use to initially clean the area, prior to applying the paint?

Don't envy you your task, especially as it has been a bad Spring to build, and hope you have a better summer!

Good wipe down with IPA mate.. Rids the surfaces of any waxy residue...

Weather has been reasonably good to us here and when it rains I go indoors and carry on stripping out or painting or whatever is the next task....

Summer ? Whats that ?

[flyboyprowler]

Ah, Summer is a gin and tonic, loads of ice, twist of lime, and fever tree tonic!! And definitely the weather to enjoy it!!! That should start a few key boards a tappin'.

[flyboyprowler]

Charlie.....must agree would love pictorial screed on the use of sandpaper.......the very thought of trying it sends me toilet bound !!!

Oh Kev,

The thought of you, toilet bound, with sandpaper and Charlie's guide in hand, well, the mind boggles. Tee hee!!!!