General Touch up paint

[Edwin57]

Can anyone suggest as to where I can buy Silver touch up paint for my 2009 Ducato. Halfords do not have a good match, I have tried my local fiat dealer they do not stock any and can`t get any. I have a few stone chips to cover and the paint is beginning to flake on the seams above the windscreen.

 

[Peter James]

My understanding is its impossible to get a perfect match touching up metallic even with the same paint it was sprayed with. You ether have to spray the whole panel or put up with visible touch up. I'd just get a little tin of Hammerite smooth silver and touch it up with an artist's brush.

 

[andydiver]

My understanding is its impossible to get a perfect match touching up metallic even with the same paint it was sprayed with. You ether have to spray the whole panel or put up with visible touch up. I'd just get a little tin of Hammerite smooth silver and touch it up with an artist's brush.

Agreed, the silver smooth hammerite is a surprisingly good match.

 

[Peter James]

Agreed, the silver smooth hammerite is a surprisingly good match.

Hammerite isn't cheap, but I'm impressed with its coverage and durability. My wheels started rusting after a couple of years. I got some silver paint from Aldi - specially for metal and made in Germany so it seemed OK. But it only lasted a few months before the rust was coming through again. Then I did them with Hammerite smooth silver and after 3 years there is no sign of rust -
PS: and thats just Hammerite straight on to rust with no primer or undercoat

 

[RS3100]

I think the OP is looking for body paint rather than to repaint his wheels. Search online for automotive touch up paint suppliers. There are several who will supply the correct colour from the paint code on your vehicle data plate, either as touch up brush bottles, aerosols or tins for spray guns. If your van is silver it is probably finished in Aluminium Grey, but you need to check the paint code to be certain of the correct match.

 

[Peter James]

I think the OP is looking for body paint rather than to repaint his wheels. Search online for automotive touch up paint suppliers. There are several who will supply the correct colour from the paint code on your vehicle data plate, either as touch up brush bottles, aerosols or tins for spray guns. If your van is silver it is probably finished in Aluminium Grey, but you need to check the paint code to be certain of the correct match.

Yes the OP made it very clear he was looking for body paint.
I just mentioned using it on my wheels to show its rustproofing quality.
My understanding is that metallic paint forms a layer of metallic particles, and a clear coating, which depends on how it was sprayed - nozzle/angle/pressure etc. Which you can't replicate when touching up - and even if you could you would still have multiple layers around the edge of the touch up so it will still show - unless you spray the whole panel - so the gap between the sprayed panel and the next panel makes it not noticeable - and you don't have the problem of multiple paint layers around the edge of the repair - layer of metallic particles, layer of clear, another layer of metallic, another layer of clear etc.
So its pointless trying to get exactly the same metallic paint as the touching up is still going to be visible anyway. Sprayed area would be more visible than a small brush touch in because the area will be bigger.
Perhaps the OP will try both and let us know how he gets on.

 

[RS3100]

Agreed. If it's a large enough area to need spraying, best left to a good professional who can blend in the repair. I have had pretty good results with touch in paint though. First clean the chip or scratch with acetone. Use a very fine artists brush rather than the brush in the paint bottle, and gradually build up the metallic paint in the depression, keeping it below the surrounding surface. When fully dry, apply the clear coat using the same method, but build it up just proud of the surrounding paint. Leave it to cure for a couple of days, then gently rub over it with a cloth dampened with acetone and wrapped around an old credit card. The aim is to level the new paint to the surrounding surface. Leave it another couple of days and polish with a mild cutting compound. Meguairs do a good one, which dissolves as it's rubbed in, so you can't cut through the original paint like you might if you were heavy handed with something like T-Cut.