Few things are as annoying as discovering small paint nicks on the body of your new car. Paint nicks or chips along your car's finish can not only ruin the look of your car, but if not repaired they can grow larger and lead to rust, destroying the body of your vehicle. Taking the car to an auto body shop for repair can be costly. Fortunately, paint nicks are very easy to repair by yourself.
Wash the area of the car around the paint chip. Wash it with car soap and water, rubbing the area clean with a cloth. Rinse the area with water and dry it thoroughly with a towel. Make sure the area is completely clean.
Rub polishing compound over the chip. Rub the area gently to soften the edge of the chip. Be careful not to rub too much as this could take off the coat of paint around the chip. Let the area dry. Dab a cloth with denatured alcohol and lightly dab the area around the paint chip to remove any remaining dirt or film.
Dip the blunt end of a toothpick or the paper end of a match stick into primer. Apply a dab of primer to the inside of the paint chip. Let it dry for two hours. Depending on how deep the chip is, you may want to add two or more layers of primer. Finish applying layers of primer when the chip level is just below that of the surrounding paint. Let it dry at least two hours between applications.
Dip the blunt end of a toothpick or the paper end of a match stick into the touch up paint and apply to the chip in the same way as the primer. Let it dry for two hours before applying another layer. Continue until the level of the chip is level with the surrounding finish. Let it sit for one week until the paint is completely dry.
Polish the area gently with polishing compound to mask the area of the repair.
