My baby has a few scratches in her. Not road rash but rock damage from trucks and what have you. What is a good way to deal with these in terms of covering them up. Is touch-up paint a good idea?

Let me know!

 

Rocks? Eeek. I'd probably use a paint touch-up pen to fill in the chip. After the paint dries (as in, a few days later!) I'd try the following three products to smooth the transition edges depending upon how **** you are. (Yeah; I didn't learn this stuff by NOT being ****...)
3M makes a great product called "Perfect-it," it's a glazing compound that really works to get rid of swirl marks and surface imperfections. They make 2 compounds, one for light color and one for dark color paint. You may want to use 2 applications on cool-temperature paint, and not in the sun!!
If theimperfections are deeper, I'd recommend Mequiars #7 or other polishing compound, then use your favorite wax. The #7 is cool; your paint will actually squeak when you rub off the stuff.
If they're still deeper, use a rubbing compound first, then proceed to less and less abrasive, then wax. (And use a good wax; not some cheapo stuff. Make sure it's only wax and not a combination polish/wax. Know what level of abrasive you're using, or not.)
My favorite "show-quality" wax is Zymol (carbon or creme.) Definitely not cheap, but after you use it religiously, your paint will feel absolutely sensuous. I'm not exaggerating. (Try it and tell me I'm wrong....)

 

Off topic some Jeff, heard and seen results with zaino but not of the zymol. Did a google and found it for reading material. Any comparisons that you have done?

 

Just "personal" comparisons. I've found mostcommercial waxes make paint feel more "hard" or "thin." The Meguiars yellow carnuba isn't too bad, but Zymol beats them all, in my book. The paint feels like it's been moistened (which is a good thing for paint.) It's got beeswax, coconut, banana, and sesame oils in it, in addition to the carnuba. Smells just like suntan oil. Absolutely no abrasives or polish grit. You apply it by hand , give it about 3-5 minutes max, and lightly rub "in" (kinda like using good furniture oil) and off with a microfiber; you don't let it dry. I've got an old 944 Porsche (I'm not bragging; they aren't worth anything, but they're fun to drive) that has the most sensuous paint I've ever felt after using Zymol. Just make sure your paint is is good shape before you use it, because it doesn't hide/polish/remove surface defects. For prep, I like to use Meguiars #7. Don't waste money on the Zymol-brand prep; #7 works exactly the same. You can use a Porter Cable random orbital with a soft foam pad for the #7; it just saves a lot of time.(The Porter Cable is a great investment.) Use the Zymol about once a month just to keep the oils in the paint.It costs about $40 a container, but it lasts about a year. You don't want to keep wax longer than that, anyway. (Don't let it freeze in your garage during the winter.) I think the website is www.zymol.com. They make some pretty outrageously priced waxes, too. (But I'd love to try 'em!)
Anyway, that's today's product endorsement. (They oughtta pay me for this!!!!)

 

hahaha, so much for my WD40 wax on, wax off habits!

 

jeffzx9 do you have any pics?

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Gypsies forum

 

Sure, what kind of pics do you want? (Bike--see photo album, product pics--try www.zymol.com, I can get a pic of the Perfect-It, or you can do a google for 3M Perfect-It.) I'll be happy to get whatever pics you need. Lemme know.