Soul Red Mica paint is impossible to touch up

[CX5girl]

Hey all, due to Mazda's super thin flaking paint, my brand new 2014.5 CX-5 has a 10mm section of paint missing on the lower driver side door I need to repair. The tri-bake BS technology paint got chipped off (maybe a stone) right down to the bare metal.

What I've attempted:
1) used fiberglass pen to slightly scratch the bare metal to accept primer
2) primed the area (DupliColor primer in a tube)
3) allowed an entire day to dry
4) proceeded to use OEM Mazda Soul Red Mica paint stick by dropping some paint in a bottle cap and apply with a slant edged artist brush
5) waited a day and applied another coat
6) paint shade is pink. WTF Mazda...

before..
https://flic.kr/p/nJVa6V

after..
https://flic.kr/p/nsqxx6

 

[undergrad.]

I have a few stone chips I need to fill myself as well as a rather large scratch on my bumper. You may want to try and fill the holes in with some sort of appoxy before using the touch up paint. Otherwise you will end up having to use a tone of layers of paint and odds are it still won't be level.

 

[LarryFL]

Any chance its the harsh Canadian winters that contributed to your problem (road salt mixed with gravel)? How is the rest of the car holding up, like the front bumper?

 

[gova]

It is impossible not only to touch up, but I am afraid larger painting will never match this kind of very complex red color.

One of my CX-5 is Soul Red Metallic.

 

[metalfab]

The joy of owning a non-neutral colored car. I had a red 87 Toyota MR2 and a Copper Red Mica 12 Mazda 5, scratches and dirt showed up instantly. Silver and white hide touch ups the best.

 

[Skorpio]

Sorry to hear that, it's crazy how todays cars' paint are super thin. I feel my deep crystal blue will have the same issues when I get a chip. Good luck!

 

[speedbegone]

Yep... those pearl paint finishes are bastards to retouch.
I had a CWP mazdaspeed 3 before, and because of the pearl effect, it was really tough to cover up rock chips.

This soul red is a beautiful colour and I almost went for it,
but I had spent the last 5 years fighting off rock chips and surface rust on the speed...
I went for the easy to maintain colour... and I don't regret it...
It's definitely the easiest paint to care for I have ever had.

 

[paris1]

The joy of owning a non-neutral colored car. I had a red 87 Toyota MR2 and a Copper Red Mica 12 Mazda 5, scratches and dirt showed up instantly. Silver and white hide touch ups the best.

That's true, but they make for an oh-so-boring automotive landscape!

 

[Jrgee72]

Got 2 very small pinhead chips on the front bumper within 4 days of highway driving. I instantly had a clear bra installed on the front bumper, headlights and partial hood and fenders. It is taking care of all the small stuff and road debris quite nicely. Worth the money.....would not have helped where your chip is in your case however

 

[CX5girl]

thanks for the comments, guys! I just had to have this car in the gorgeous Soul Red Mica, no questions asked. In the sun, the color pops like no other, so it's a love-hate thing when it comes to touching up road hazard incidents I suppose.

The culprit was an errand large stone that jumped up the flank of the car while driving along the highway in the far left lane against cinder blocks - I guess it really shot the rogue stone out like a cannonball. I've been delaying installing the mud guards and front hood deflector - I think I will make that priority now!!

 

[mtvon2]

You may need a professional to repair the chip. To have it done right, the chip itself needs to brought up to the same level as the rest of the paint by using fillers. Then it needs to be baked on and then right factory color applied. The final process is to match the existing orange peel with clear. A couple years ago I called around the different high end dealership when I had a scratch on my Porsche to ask who they recommend. They all said this one guy who is mobile. After he was done with repairing the scratch, I looked at the area he worked on and I literally could not see any signs of the repair. It was that good. It wasn't cheap though at about $350.

 

[Skorpio]

thanks for the comments, guys! I just had to have this car in the gorgeous Soul Red Mica, no questions asked. In the sun, the color pops like no other, so it's a love-hate thing when it comes to touching up road hazard incidents I suppose.

The culprit was an errand large stone that jumped up the flank of the car while driving along the highway in the far left lane against cinder blocks - I guess it really shot the rogue stone out like a cannonball. I've been delaying installing the mud guards and front hood deflector - I think I will make that priority now!!

Thanks for the reminder about the mud guards, I need to order mine. Some forum members mention the front Mazda ones were useless, so I may just order the rear set and look for a non OEM alternative for the front set. Btw, it's nice to see a female in a usually dominant male car forum.




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[JonW]

I have plastic film on the front surfaces of my 2006 MX-5 Miata and it looks as good as it did when it was new - no chips! Well worth the money if you drive behind dump trucks, on gravel roads, and/or are particular.

I ordered touchup paint pens for Soul Red for my CX5 from expresspaint.com. There were three that were needed. A base coat, finish color, and clear coat. Haven't used it yet but I've had great luck with these pens on other cars, including my winning blue Miata. The trick is to use just a dab and if needed do multiple coats.

 

[Bon Scott]

I have front and rear mud guards on my CX-5 (incorporated them into the deal with a bunch of other accessories when I bought the vehicle). I've always had mud guards on my vehicles (they should be standard imo). They not only help prevent stone chips but they also help prevent water / moisture from getting onto the undercarriage near the wheels thus helping to prevent rust.

Bon

 

[Evan55]

2 coats is not nearly enough, especially if you put down a white primer. Eventually it should even out. You should wet-sand to level it. Of course you should know what you are doing there and be prepared to polish

 

[metalfab]

That's true, but they make for an oh-so-boring automotive landscape!

There is white, and then there is Crystal Pearl White

 

[Surfsup]

Hey all, due to Mazda's super thin flaking paint, my brand new 2014.5 CX-5 has a 10mm section of paint missing on the lower driver side door I need to repair. The tri-bake BS technology paint got chipped off (maybe a stone) right down to the bare metal.

What I've attempted:
1) used fiberglass pen to slightly scratch the bare metal to accept primer
2) primed the area (DupliColor primer in a tube)
3) allowed an entire day to dry
4) proceeded to use OEM Mazda Soul Red Mica paint stick by dropping some paint in a bottle cap and apply with a slant edged artist brush
5) waited a day and applied another coat
6) paint shade is pink. WTF Mazda...

Yea that doesn't look good. I have a soul red CX5 as well and was just in Montreal and saw a soul red CX5...maybe yours - not many SR in the northern areas...I agree with the recent poster. Layer it and sand it...

Tape around it to protect the un-chipped paint. Apply the touchup and sand it, repeat...Toward the end, as you have a good layering technique going, remove the tape and lightly sand with some 2000, then 3000, then 4000 sandpaper to even it to the untouched paint. Then polish with a machine and wax it up.

Or take it to a pro.

 

[paris1]

Yea that doesn't look good. I have a soul red CX5 as well and was just in Montreal and saw a soul red CX5...maybe yours - not many SR in the northern areas...I agree with the recent poster. Layer it and sand it...

Tape around it to protect the un-chipped paint. Apply the touchup and sand it, repeat...Toward the end, as you have a good layering technique going, remove the tape and lightly sand with some 2000, then 3000, then 4000 sandpaper to even it to the untouched paint. Then polish with a machine and wax it up.

Or take it to a pro.

That would be a whole lot safer!

 

[CX5girl]

Absolutely! Luckily I do have a contact in the professional autobody & paint domain. I think this is far beyond what a dinky touch-up paint stick can handle. He should be able to match the color, I take it?

 

[paris1]

Absolutely! Luckily I do have a contact in the professional autobody & paint domain. I think this is far beyond what a dinky touch-up paint stick can handle. He should be able to match the color, I take it?

There are specialists out there who do chip and spot repair exactly like this. Years ago I purchased a new Dodge Dakota p/u that had a small paint flaw such as yours. Before delivery, the dealer called in one of these guys who did a repair that I could hardly see unless I was right on top of it. Their techniques have no doubt improved since then (1998), so you should be able to find someone who can make the problem go away.