Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Boiler Man on 23 July 2006, 23:08:54
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Hi Guys
Wonderd if anyone could give me a little advice? I am on the look out for a new omega and viewed a couple that are only 3 years old, but with around 60 to 75k with dark colour paint.
I've been put off buying them as the paint work is in my opinion badly chipped or scratched, one has around 40 to 50 chips prob a lot more, didn't count, on the bonnet, wings, bumper, plus more on the drivers door and various scratches.
The chips show up on the dark paint because of white primer underneath. They range from small chips upto around 5mm diameter.
My question is does anyone have an idea what the cost would be to bring these cars up to the near origonal condition and what would be involved.
My current gold omega, prob' has as many chips in the paint, but you hardly notice without close inspection, but these newer cars would drive me mad everytime I walk up tp them. I'm not that fussy and not expecting perfection, but a 3 year old car should look pretty good at least from a couple of yards away.
Any advice would be appreciated.
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I know nothing about painting, so can't comment, but be aware all motorway cruisers like the Omega will have lots of stone chips around bonnet/bumper/wings.
Companies like Chipsaway will be able to give you a rough quote...
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Chipsaway lol I used to work for them years ago.
Man the prices were so high it was unbeliveable its a very easy prossesce to get rid of chips and scratches.
scratches are easy depending on how deep they are just use the old rubbing compound thats all we used to use its great for getting rid of those scratches under the door handles you will not know there has been any there.
Hmmmm Chip are alittle more complicated depending on the size and depth of the chip.ill have to try and remember this as if not done right you can make a mess of the exsisting chips and just make them bigger and worse.
Craig
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Not the cheapest, but I mentioned Chipsaway as they are national, and have a good reputation.
Any advice you can give here would be welcomed by everyone :)
I full blown How2 would be even better ;)
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Search on car detailing and go from there!
Basically you need to fill the chip with paint if required then laquer, then get it flat.
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A full How to by someone skilled would be a great help! ;D ;D ;D
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I thin down a bit of touch up paint and apply numerous thin layers of paint (I use a cocktail stick for scratches and small chips). Then I dont touch it for a week or so to allow it to realy harden off. Then I flatten back to the surrounding level using 1500 wet and dry, wet. Then repeat with the lacquer....
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I suppose it depends on whether you want to pay someone to do it or if you fancy doing it yourself. Mer do a chip/scratch removal kit (available from Halfords c £25) Has all the bits you will need, all you need to supply is the appropriate paint and some laquer, although you do get some laquer supplied in the kit. The important part of the kit is the video that comes with it, tells/shows you exactly what to do.
I've used it on numerous occasions. As Martin says the basics are fill chip with paint, top with laquer and flatten. If you take your time you will never know there was a chip there . [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
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Thanks for all the advice. will defo look at these cars in a differant light, so to speak.
Could you tell me, if the chip is down to the metal, should you treat it before painting? and what with?
Also when you say flatten it down with wet and dry, is that before or after the laquer. If after will this not need further laquer for the shine and is the laquer in spray form? in which case how do you stop over spray? :-/
Thanks Again
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If chip is down to bare metal primer should be dropped into chip first !
All shite and polish etc should be evacuated from chip first before application of paint, other wise you will either get a reaction or it wont bond properly !
I wouldnt worry too much about laquer over spray as you can easily compound it out/down !
Laquers the easiest of all the paints /finishes to apply, and flows out very easily !
The thing to watch with laquer is dust and crap settling into it whilst its wet !
Not a bad idea to use a tacky cloth before laquering too !
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Dammm i forgot, theres a web based company called paints4u, they do little kits for stone chips etc etc , anything you want really, and they are excellent !
They also will put together alittle kit for you containing coompund and everything, a lot cheaper than Halfords etc !
Mark
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Some guy told me the other day, that there is a polish or compound on the market that makes the chips less noticable, it has a colour in it.
Anyone used it?
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when i bought my omega it was 5 years old and 90,000 miles on it so it had a fair collection of stone chips.
I ended up biting the bullet and sending to a bodyshop, they charged me £400 for bonnet, bumper, front wings and blend into the door, mines a metallic so i didn't think that was too bad really.
If it is bad but you want the car then build that into the negotiation, mine was up for £3500, trust me i didn't pay nearly that much for it ;)
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Yea, the colored polish is CRAP !!!!
Saying that, its all about color match ! Rarely do you get a colored polish that will match you car perfectly so shows up worse than the stone chip !
All in all, the colored polish isnt really for anything other than very very faint scratchs in the paintwork !
The last time i used the colored polish was on a Premium metallic blue , and it showed up like hell ! It also gets underneath the laquer edges too and looks pants !!!
Save your money and buy some good rubbing compound and a little tin of paint !
Mark