Car touchup paint?

15 years ago

Monday morning, one of my fellow WVU students banged up my rear quarter panel (will try to post a link to the photos below). anyway, it will be at least 2 months before I can get an appointment to get it fixed. In the meantime I need to touch up the places where the paint chipped off and metal is exposed. In two months, my car will spend as much as 2,000 miles on the roads. With all of the chemical.salt/goo mixtures on the WV roads, I cannot leave bare metal. The area will be "banged out", not replaced- the panel is not a "bolt and toss" version, lol.

I have touch-up paint I have used for road gravel dings (the paint chips are about the same size). The touch-up paint recommends not using it below 70 degrees. It will not be above freezing over the next 10 days! We do not have a driveway, much less a garage! Not do we have access to one.

Anyone used touch-up paint in cold weather. Do you think a heating pad on the metal to warm it up and then a hair dryer to dry it would work? I am not looking for a GREAT paint job- just something to keep out rust.

Here is a link that might be useful: pictures (maybe)

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Comments (8)

lynn_d
15 years ago
I think that in your situation I would call the garage where you have the appointment and ask them to do a quick cover with some primer or whatever they recommend. My ex restored and painted a lot of vehicles and was very fussy about the temperatures.
ritamay91710
15 years ago
Why is it taking 2 months to get an appointment to get it fixed? That seems like a very long time to wait.
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maire_cate
15 years ago
I second Lynn's advice. You don't want to make it worse by trying to DIY with touch up paint in poor conditions. Maybe the garage will include this quick touch up in their overall estimate.
janie_ga
Original Author
15 years ago
Rita, all the body shops are booked with people with damage from driving on snow/ice and repairs from people hitting the potholes- the road crews try their darndest to get the potholes repaired but in the winter, they get horrible- large enough to "eat my car". There are also not tons of body shops around so they fill up fast. Even last August (great weather), Eric had to wait 6 weeks to get a new bumper because they were backed up (2 weeks was waiting on the part,).
ritamay91710
15 years ago
wow, maybe we should move to where you are Janie.......my hubby manages a body shop, and he would LOVE to be that busy!!!!!
sharon_fl
15 years ago
Janie..I just called my son in PA who has done auto painting & detail for 18 yrs now. Left a message to call me with advise for you. IF the garage that's going to be fixing your panel are also the ones (I'm assuming they are) who'll be repainting it? Call and ask them for application advise-and if you give them the make & model & original color of the car? They can look it up & can make up the exact color, and give you a tiny jar of it to use. My son gave me some for my 2000 Sebring when someone 'dinged' me in a few spots. If he should call me back-I'll post to you.
sharon_fl
15 years ago
My son just called-he said not to worry too much about rust because if they're painting after the repair-they'll remove all rust before painting anyway. However he said if you will be more comfortable dealing w/it-he suggested you just put the blow dryer on the areas affected to warm the metal a bit...then put a thin coat of the paint color on it and blow dry it-not too close..until it's good & dry. Then-he suggested putting a thin coat of clear fingernail polish on top of it-like Hard as Nails and again use the dryer on it..
janie_ga
Original Author
15 years ago
Sharon, thank you and your son so much! I have the touch up pen from the VW dealership in my paint color (or at least I think I still have it). It came with a clear coat paint too. I like the idea of the clear nail polish for emergencies!