Need a trustworthy paint shop in LA

[ilya]

Found a small rock chip smack in the center of my rear spoiler this morning. It's very small and I want to have it spot painted. It's right in the middle and an eyesore... like having a zit right between the eyes.
Can someone recommend a good place to have that small chip spot painted and blended? Since the car is white it should be pretty easy. Thanks

How much would a decent shop charge for covering up such a tiny chip? I have touch up paint, but not the the skills or tools to blend it right so it looks perfect.

 

[nsxtasy]

I hear the best NSX body work in town is San Pedro Auto Body.

 

[ScienceofSpeed]

Not sure about LA, however, I've fixed similar chips by slowly building up a few thin layers, then buffing it down to a fine polish.

-- Chris

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www.ScienceofSpeed.com - Click for more info

 

[ilya]

Could you tell me the process you used for buffing? Did you use and electrical tool or by hand? I have little knowledge on the procedure, but would like to know how. I have a few out of the way spots I would not mind trying as well. Thanks

It's a pretty deep chip. Small, but went all the way down to the material the spoiler is made from.

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by ilya:
Could you tell me the process you used for buffing? Did you use and electrical tool or by hand? I have little knowledge on the procedure, but would like to know how. I have a few out of the way spots I would not mind trying as well. Thanks

It's a pretty deep chip. Small, but went all the way down to the material the spoiler is made from.

The key to this is patience, building up thin layers, patience, polishing in several steps, patience, and more patience. It is possible to get it perfect as in an invisible repair. Did I mention it takes patience? Build up the paint in thin layers, allowing plenty of drying time to be sure that each successive layer hardens. Build up to a little higher than the surrounding paint. Now, get over to a good hobby shop and pick up a polishing kit from Micro-Mesh. Use the foam block in the kit and work through all of the grades of abrasives in the kit, finishing with the liquid polish.



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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates

 

[Jay]

Ilya,

I was also looking into repairing small chips on my car and found this product from www.eastwoodcompany.com : Item # 34116Z (Deluxe Paint Chip Repair Kit) $39.99 and looks like a complete kit to repair small chips. I think item item #34070 (Final Finish System Kit) alone might work as well. Anyone tried these kits yet?

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www.s-zero.net

 

[HapaHaole]

http://www.langka.com

Testing it now... so far GOOD Results

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'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by HapaHaole:
http://www.langka.com

Testing it now... so far GOOD Results

Good discussion of langka here.
BTW, Langka says that it is specifically formulated for touch-up paint only not for paint mixed by a body shop. I know that body shop paint is mixed with "hotter" thinners to allow blending into the surrounding paint. They also mix differently depending on temp and humidity. This is part of the "black art" of painting, I guess.


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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates

 

[DaveJP]

The kit from Eastwood works very well....As mentioned above, Lanka does not work well with body shop mixes.

 

[netNSX]

Ilya,

I use Dennis Howell at San Pedro Autobody. He works on NSXs all the time and is a respected name in the biz. I had him paint my gruppeM.

 

[ilya]

Thanks. I ordered some langka, but I would still not mind getting it professionally done if for a reasonable price. I'll give him a call and see how much they would charge to fix a chip. Every place so far only wanted to repaint the entire spoiler which I simply refuse to do.

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by ilya:
Thanks. I ordered some langka, but I would still not mind getting it professionally done if for a reasonable price. I'll give him a call and see how much they would charge to fix a chip. Every place so far only wanted to repaint the entire spoiler which I simply refuse to do.

You're missing a little piece of the puzzle here. The Langka will only level off the paint. It won't necessarily give you a good finish on what it leaves behind. IOW, you are not going to get a nice glossy finish on paint by rubbing a solvent soaked t-shirt over it - which is basically what you are doing with Langka. You still need to polish the paint in some manner.


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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates

 

[ilya]

I also researched some of the older threads on langka. I was also planning on getting some clear coat and using that once I was happy with the level of the paint. Some of the people in those threads had better results with it once they used a clear coat afterwards.
I was still planning on polishing and buffing in addition to the langka. Do I do this before the clear coat or afterward?

 

[lemansnsx]

Originally posted by ilya:

I was still planning on polishing and buffing in addition to the langka. Do I do this before the clear coat or afterward?

Yes.

Meaning you polish the paint both the paint and the clearcoat for best results. Most people will probably settle for polishing just the clearcoat.


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Andrew Henderson
The NSX Model List Page

"We have long acknowledged that enthusiasm for things automotive is a sure
sign of emotional instability if not outright dementia" - Brock Yates