Alternative to Dr. Colorchip?

[Megabrode]

I'm wondering what you detailing experts think about this alternative to Dr. Colorchip.

I swore I'd never get another black car because of the cosmetic upkeep. Yet I did, don’t regret it, and still get irritated by lots of pinhole chips on my Jerez Black beauty.

I've used Dr. Colorchip for years with other cars. You smudge a chip with thick paint and wipe with secret sauce to remove the excess. It works OK, and it's tedious for scores of minuscule chips. Then, during one long evening of colorchipping, I wondered, "Why not use this technique with something easier, quicker, and if possible cheaper?" So I tried the following:

1. Dampen a microfiber towel with rubbing alcohol and clean a large damaged area, removing surface debris to reveal the actual chips.
2. Use a fine-point Sharpie to apply ever so little permanent black ink to each tiny chip. This steps takes way less time than dabbing and smudging paint.
3. Let dry 3-5 minutes.
4. Dampen a clean microfiber towel with rubbing alcohol and smooth it over the whole area to remove the excess ink. This step takes moments, as opposed to the endless rubbing of dried paint.
5. Finish with a quick detailer.

Result: Pinhole chips disappear completely, even under a powerful handheld lamp. The ink isn't an exact match, of course, but that doesn't seem to matter. I can’t find the repairs except with my fingertips. Pinhole chips that I covered in this way months ago remain invisible after much washing and waxing.

Seems like this method would work for virtually any basic color. Compared to Dr. Colorchip, it’s equally invisible, costs less, takes less time, and lasts indefinitely.

I'm still trying to come up with a downside to this method. Maybe you can.

[brplatz]

I like this idea, especially for non-black cars.

Rock Chip Touch-Up Tool

[Megabrode]

Originally Posted by brplatz

I like this idea, especially for non-black cars.

Rock Chip Touch-Up Tool

This looks promising, although in the video it's hard to tell how undetectable the repairs are. I realize the only real solution is respraying the damaged areas. I will do that eventually. For now, my poor man's (and lazy man's) Dr. Colorchip delays the inevitable. At least I've got a guy who'll respray the bumper for a buck and a half.

[jradon]

How about automotivetouchup? I heard good things about it.

[dparm]

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what is wrong with using BMW's touch-up paint and properly prepping the surface? What are these aftermarket kits like Dr. Colorchip offering that I can't just do myself?

[shimmy23]

Originally Posted by dparm

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what is wrong with using BMW's touch-up paint and properly prepping the surface? What are these aftermarket kits like Dr. Colorchip offering that I can't just do myself?

Dr color chip is much faster and easier to apply with simple tools that come supplied with the kit.

[timothy2001]

Originally Posted by Megabrode

I'm wondering what you detailing experts think about this alternative to Dr. Colorchip.

I swore I'd never get another black car because of the cosmetic upkeep. Yet I did, don’t regret it, and still get irritated by lots of pinhole chips on my Jerez Black beauty.

I've used Dr. Colorchip for years with other cars. You smudge a chip with thick paint and wipe with secret sauce to remove the excess. It works OK, and it's tedious for scores of minuscule chips. Then, during one long evening of colorchipping, I wondered, "Why not use this technique with something easier, quicker, and if possible cheaper?" So I tried the following:

1. Dampen a microfiber towel with rubbing alcohol and clean a large damaged area, removing surface debris to reveal the actual chips.
2. Use a fine-point Sharpie to apply ever so little permanent black ink to each tiny chip. This steps takes way less time than dabbing and smudging paint.
3. Let dry 3-5 minutes.
4. Dampen a clean microfiber towel with rubbing alcohol and smooth it over the whole area to remove the excess ink. This step takes moments, as opposed to the endless rubbing of dried paint.
5. Finish with a quick detailer.

Result: Pinhole chips disappear completely, even under a powerful handheld lamp. The ink isn't an exact match, of course, but that doesn't seem to matter. I can’t find the repairs except with my fingertips. Pinhole chips that I covered in this way months ago remain invisible after much washing and waxing.

Seems like this method would work for virtually any basic color. Compared to Dr. Colorchip, it’s equally invisible, costs less, takes less time, and lasts indefinitely.

I'm still trying to come up with a downside to this method. Maybe you can.

Brilliantly simple. I am getting my Jerez Black paint corrected and ceramic coating done Friday and will do this prior to.

Thanks for this.