Metallic paint

Has anyone tried to touch up metallic paint?

I have noticed that there is a bit of rust appearing on the inner lip of both the rear arches and that the front panel that mounts the grill will need respraying at some point. This was bad when I bought the car but the trader had it resrayed for me. He insisted it would be a proffesional job and the finish was good but there is rust reappearing again round the edges.

Now with the arches I can remove the rust, treat the metal and probably just get away with using touch up paint, but the front panel with have to be stripped down and properly sprayed.

The question is do I pay some one to do it or is is possible to get a good finish with tins of spray paint?

Depends on how good you are at spraying.

I have a small rust bubble on the strip below the boot and rear lights, I think it may have been something that was put in the boot and chipped it and not sorted it quickly so its rusted. But I am going to do it my self with spray cans. I have some good paint finishing compounds which shold blend it in - if does go dodgy I will get it painted properly, but I have done paintinf before and got a good finish. If it was on a main panel then I wouldn't attempt it, but where it is I am.
Same with your front panel (the grill and the bit under the headlights?) I would have a go as its not a main panel where you can get dull patches or overspray as it has thin areas - but this is up to you. DIY won't cost that much so if the paint isn't good then you can get it painted professionally.
DIY cost;
wet'n'dry
primer
paint
laquer
= about £15

Professional (if you have taken the panel off and already preped it (rubbed down/primer etc);
£25 for paint and a bit for labour so about £30-40.
The professionals will do it happily if its ready to paint, but if it needs prep work probably charge over £50.

If i remember correctly you can buy a spray can form of metallic paint from BMW you just have to give them your colour code. You will also need to buy a clear laquer to finish it off but for small areas you should be ok.

Russ

-I think you'll be OK with the DIY/lacquer route, but;

1) Acrylic lacquer (all you can buy easily) has a slightly different refractive index from the OE 'clear coat'. In practice I have found it is OK on light colours, but on some dark colours you can always see the area that has been lacquered. I'd suggest testing an inconspicuous area (ie in the boot) for this before you go ahead.

2) the normal OE 'two pack' clear coat is much more durable than anything you can buy; it resists solvents, the weather, well, everything. It is also very poisonous, which is why you probably won't be able to get hold of it, and why you shouldn't be spraying it without a full respirator.

cheers

 

-I would suggest trying sanding it wet, by hand, and trying to feather the edge as much as possible.

-In Halfords they have a 'numpty's guide to painting cars' freebie leaflet which is actually pretty good. Likewise there is a section on painting etc in most hayne's manuals.

-if you are working on a plastic part it is a whole different ball game...

cheers 

Hi Peter,

I had a grill panel done in cosmos black, with the original line paint batch (standox) by a good guy in swindon for £50 cash. Surely this is the better route? could save a lot of agg and would cost about the same!

While we are on Metallic Paints, can they be "T-cut"?

Some kind individual in a red car clipped my car enough to leave the evidence behind and my wife backed the car through some bushes. Not enough to break the surface, just mark it.

If it was a flat colour I would just T-cut it out, but I'm not sure about the metallic

Cheers

Cheers Brucey!

Tris