how to reduce appearance of touch-up paint?

[imported_donavin629]

Hello,



The previous owner of my Ruby Pearl 96 Maxima has a few spots of touch up paint on the hood. In my garage, they are very noticible.



Is there a procedure to reduce the appearance of these (i.e. wet sanding, polishing, etc)? The area touched up protrudes a bit higher than the actual hood, so you can feel the imperfection if you run your hand across it.

 

[KSCobra46]

I just finished filling and sanding some chips on my hood. I followed the process outlined in the detail section of this site and followed up with a good paint cleaner and meguiar's #9 and so far the car looks great. Prin the directions I mentioned above and take your time. It will be worth it.

 

[Jngrbrdman]

My stupid brother put a nice little cut in my bumper putting his suitcase in there when I picked him up at the airport. I coulda killed him. I just finished touching up that one and it looks much better. The key to a good touch up job is to get an exact match on the paint you are using. If it isn't a color that you can get off the shelf then you need to either pay to have someone mix it for you or else go to the dealership and buy some there. Either way is going to cost you some coin. Not $100 or anything but maybe between $20 and $50.



Getting a good clear coat for the top is really important in making the color blend as well. There are many kits out there that include some clear coat and polish to help blend in the work you just did. Check for them by the paint in your local auto part stores. They sometimes come with the sandpaper you need too. Very nice. Those kits usually run around $10 bucks or so. Not too bad.