Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5
I am honestly impressed with the durability of my Carbon Black paint on my X5.
I have two long road trips across the Eastern USA in the winter time and my hood only has a few micro chips I can easily make disappear. I was just doing damage assessment on Sunday with a wash/detail from this past trip and I am very happy with the limited chips I found. Considering the high rate of speed and road conditions I thought there would be more. My windshield has maybe more micro chips than the front/hood of my X5. I have touched up chips last year and I can make them totally disappear with touch-up paint and proper buffing. It becomes a game of “Find the chip” when I am done. Paint chips are a fact of driving and not the end of the world.
Touch-up paint tips:
Tri coat paint like mineral white are alway the most difficult to match but this metallic Carbon Black is just as tough. You must constantly shake up the OEM touchup paint to have the proper metallic flake suspended in each drop you apply to the chip. Rookies do not do this and it is why you can find the repaired chips because the paint you’re applying doesn’t have the proper amount of metallic flake or pearl coat (mineral white) suspended in it. You also have to build it up in layers higher than the paint over several coats. Then when dry, you must buff and polish the paint pimple down to the same level as the factory paint. Most people don’t want to put the time in to do a proper repair and as why touchups look like crap. Dr Colorchip is pretty good stuff and matches oem well. You still have to build it up with several passes if you want a flawless finish instead of a crater with matching paint in it with one pass.
There are 2 paint chips that were repaired in this pic.
Another pic of the repaired chips.
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I must say am surprised you did not PPF your front end. I know from your posts your particular about detailing. I know you mentioned going to Orlando, & living in FL, going down to Orlando I know I-4 is a tough road with all the construction - seems never ending. I have a couple good chips on my '16 Infiniti Q50 from from the run from Gainesvllle to Orlando. I am going to look into PPF for my M50i as it's more protective that ceramic coating. if I am going to choose between them.