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I bought a 2005 Cadillac CTS for my daughter.
Unfortunately it had tree sap all over it! Nothing would take it off (Tar and Bug, WD40, compound, etc.). So, I wet sanded, expecting to use some M105 and then fine polish to finish it up. But when I got done wet sanding, I noticed a million paint chips! Don't know if the sap took the paint with it or if they were there and couldn't be noticed with all the dirt and tree sap. Either way, I had a large amount of paint chips. So, I decided to get some touch up paint. After calling every parts store, no one had any touch up paint for 964L Red Tint Coat (my car's paint code). And a paint store told me they couldn't give me a touch up version because it was a 3-stage Pearl-coat. Some parts stores looked up my car and said their system called for Dupli-Color 946 Cobalt Red (touch up pen). So I wondered if the wording mattered? Was 946 an after-market version of 964L? I don't know the paint-world! So I went to Dupli-Color's Website and when putting in my car's info, it pulled up the 946 but called it Red Tint Coat. So, I thought, "Great, I'm on it!" I drove across town in the rain to the one store in town who actually had it in stock, Pep-Boys!
After wet-sanding and prepping; I applied the touch up paint with their horrible brush. It didn't look right. Like a different color red. I hoped it would dry darker, but it didn't. I applied more coats... no better. Applied a clear coat... no better.
So, I decided I would sand it all off and order the actual 964L online. Upon sanding off the Pen's paint it took it down past the paint and into the primer or to almost bear in several spots. So I had a mess on my hands. Having already ordered a bottle. I figured I'd need a spray. So I ordered the spray can as well.
When the bottle arrived, I used an art brush with a fine point. It touched up the chips somewhat well. But it still wasn't the exact same color. But I tried not to worry too much about that. The main problem is those bear spots. I tried dotting it those areas, just to see what would happen. But it was just a mess. And Wet sanding it smooth just took it off anyway.
Spray can arrives. There's a Match-Card with it, with instructions to spray half the card. Until you can't see the writing. I sprayed it and it again, looked way too bright and way too light. So I sprayed and 4 to 6 coats. Really 3 coats; but with like 5 passes each. Anyway, it didn't cover the writing at all and still looked to light a red.
So, I called the company and they said, I had to spray until I couldn't see the writing. I sprayed like 10-12 times and it got way darker obviously with that many coats. But you can still see the writing some. But somewhere in there, it got a hint closer to the car's color. Maybe a tad darker.
So I thought I could try it on my car; but stop a few coats before the 10-12 on the card. So I'm at like 6-7 coats now and the actual bear spots don't look quite up to color yet. And the over spray is almost brown. I'm almost out of paint and don't know what to do? I keep trying to spray just the spots as close as I can without runs. But this is ridiculous!
I have been emailing the company along the way with what was going on. They have decided to send me a new can and a red primer. I am assuming that means I have to sand it back down and start over?
Unfortunately it had tree sap all over it! Nothing would take it off (Tar and Bug, WD40, compound, etc.). So, I wet sanded, expecting to use some M105 and then fine polish to finish it up. But when I got done wet sanding, I noticed a million paint chips! Don't know if the sap took the paint with it or if they were there and couldn't be noticed with all the dirt and tree sap. Either way, I had a large amount of paint chips. So, I decided to get some touch up paint. After calling every parts store, no one had any touch up paint for 964L Red Tint Coat (my car's paint code). And a paint store told me they couldn't give me a touch up version because it was a 3-stage Pearl-coat. Some parts stores looked up my car and said their system called for Dupli-Color 946 Cobalt Red (touch up pen). So I wondered if the wording mattered? Was 946 an after-market version of 964L? I don't know the paint-world! So I went to Dupli-Color's Website and when putting in my car's info, it pulled up the 946 but called it Red Tint Coat. So, I thought, "Great, I'm on it!" I drove across town in the rain to the one store in town who actually had it in stock, Pep-Boys!
After wet-sanding and prepping; I applied the touch up paint with their horrible brush. It didn't look right. Like a different color red. I hoped it would dry darker, but it didn't. I applied more coats... no better. Applied a clear coat... no better.
So, I decided I would sand it all off and order the actual 964L online. Upon sanding off the Pen's paint it took it down past the paint and into the primer or to almost bear in several spots. So I had a mess on my hands. Having already ordered a bottle. I figured I'd need a spray. So I ordered the spray can as well.
When the bottle arrived, I used an art brush with a fine point. It touched up the chips somewhat well. But it still wasn't the exact same color. But I tried not to worry too much about that. The main problem is those bear spots. I tried dotting it those areas, just to see what would happen. But it was just a mess. And Wet sanding it smooth just took it off anyway.
Spray can arrives. There's a Match-Card with it, with instructions to spray half the card. Until you can't see the writing. I sprayed it and it again, looked way too bright and way too light. So I sprayed and 4 to 6 coats. Really 3 coats; but with like 5 passes each. Anyway, it didn't cover the writing at all and still looked to light a red.
So, I called the company and they said, I had to spray until I couldn't see the writing. I sprayed like 10-12 times and it got way darker obviously with that many coats. But you can still see the writing some. But somewhere in there, it got a hint closer to the car's color. Maybe a tad darker.
So I thought I could try it on my car; but stop a few coats before the 10-12 on the card. So I'm at like 6-7 coats now and the actual bear spots don't look quite up to color yet. And the over spray is almost brown. I'm almost out of paint and don't know what to do? I keep trying to spray just the spots as close as I can without runs. But this is ridiculous!
I have been emailing the company along the way with what was going on. They have decided to send me a new can and a red primer. I am assuming that means I have to sand it back down and start over?
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