Chip/Scratch Repair Question Before Waxing...

[dreamer1uk]

Hi all,

Im looking for some advice on the best way to 'touch up' tiny scratches and some chips that have small rust spots developing in them.

After touching these up, what would be the next step? to use Scratch X then some of the NXT Wax?

I am also interested in using a Clay bar too. Would i damage my touch ups if i clayed right after doing the touch ups or even prior to the reapirs?

My car is an 97 Altima GXE.

Thanks in advance and this is my first Meq. post

[Mike Phillips]

Hi dreamer1uk,

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

Go to a crafts store or an artists supply store and purchase a very fine tipped paint brush which will allow you to apply a very small amount of paint versus the big brush head that comes in the lid of the touch-up paint.


As far as doing any kind of polishing work after you've applied the touch-up paint to try to make it look better, usually this will tend to be a lot of work for only a little improvement.

Most touch-up paint is softer than your car paint and if you start rubbing on it or trying to machine polish it you end up removing a lot of it.

Claying is for removing above surface contaminants, but touch-up paint is not usually something that is classified as an above surface contaminant.

The best thing to do is to clean the area really well, as good as you can, then only apply a very small amount of touch-up paint and then walk away. Let this paint dry hard and then maybe a week later apply some more.

Most people try to do their touch-up paint work all in one session on one day and touch-up paint work is not easy and it's usually not very fun.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this topic comes up every weekend at our detailing classes and often on the forum; I've done touch-up paint work before and it's just not one of the easiest things to do.

Hope this helps...