How to deal w/ chips dings on running boards

[tlow]

See photos. Got an mineral white 2017 m sport. The running boards and trim pieces around the wheel arches have gotten dinged up pretty bad. I’m not sure when it happened and I think only noticed because the last detail they put way too much tire treatment on and it flung all over the place. Some of it is still there but it’s mostly chips/dings. Seems like the plastic pieces are getting the worst of it. How do you guys fix this or deal with it?

[tlow98]

Short of a repaint… I decontaminated, clay-bar’d, touched-up, and then polished.

This brought back a lot of shine and blended the imperfections.

With chips and things your best bet is to blend and disguise. The only better option is a repaint.

[jmack123]

Originally Posted by tlow

See photos. Got an mineral white 2017 m sport. The running boards and trim pieces around the wheel arches have gotten dinged up pretty bad. I’m not sure when it happened and I think only noticed because the last detail they put way too much tire treatment on and it flung all over the place. Some of it is still there but it’s mostly chips/dings. Seems like the plastic pieces are getting the worst of it. How do you guys fix this or deal with it?

You can use a touch up paint. I have used Dr. Colorchip. Other than that, your only recourse is paint protection film to prevent it moving forward, along with proper washing techniques to avoid scratching/chipping etc.

[tlow]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Short of a repaint… I decontaminated, clay-bar’d, touched-up, and then polished.

This brought back a lot of shine and blended the imperfections.

With chips and things your best bet is to blend and disguise. The only better option is a repaint.

Was yours just in the trim pieces for the most part? I was hesitant to do clay on the plastic pieces since it looks like some of the chips have gone all the way thru the paint

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by tlow

Was yours just in the trim pieces for the most part? I was hesitant to do clay on the plastic pieces since it looks like some of the chips have gone all the way thru the paint

Yes, very similar to yours. They stick out, so they catch the brunt of the rocks.

No worries about using clay on the chips that made it through the paint. Just use lots of soap as lube and if the clay sticks just use the bar and dab it on the spot to remove the small clay pieces. Also, Iron-x, if you have it, is the best clay lubricant I've found. It decontaminates and acts as a lubricant all at once.

Then hit it with a light compound and follow with polish. You could go straight to polish, too. Not a huge deal.

The nice part about those little fender pieces is that they're small and the work goes fast.

Also, go to the hobby store and pick up the smallest paint brush you can find. They are life-changing for touch-ups. No big blobs and you barely see it afterward with very little effort.

[tlow]

Great tips! Thanks will give all that a try

Originally Posted by tlow98

Yes, very similar to yours. They stick out, so they catch the brunt of the rocks.

No worries about using clay on the chips that made it through the paint. Just use lots of soap as lube and if the clay sticks just use the bar and dab it on the spot to remove the small clay pieces. Also, Iron-x, if you have it, is the best clay lubricant I've found. It decontaminates and acts as a lubricant all at once.

Then hit it with a light compound and follow with polish. You could go straight to polish, too. Not a huge deal.

The nice part about those little fender pieces is that they're small and the work goes fast.

Also, go to the hobby store and pick up the smallest paint brush you can find. They are life-changing for touch-ups. No big blobs and you barely see it afterward with very little effort.

[Vivek.]

+1 to clay bar. A lot of what you're seeing is dirt embedded in the rock chips

[ooshnoo]

I did this just last week on my 430. I washed, then used the clay bar, then airbrushed 1 base coat of Alpine White followed by 2 coats of clear coat.
I then let it dry 2 days and compounded and polished it. good as new.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by ooshnoo

I did this just last week on my 430. I washed, then used the clay bar, then airbrushed 1 base coat of Alpine White followed by 2 coats of clear coat.
I then let it dry 2 days and compounded and polished it. good as new.

I wish I knew how to paint with that kind of confidence! Or had there tools, for that matter.