Using an automotive touch up paint is the best option for chips or scratches that catch with your fingernail. These are defects in the paintwork that no detailing product will be able to rectify and requires paint.
The best automotive touch up paint is the AC Delco Four-in-One Pen, which is available in all GM factory color codes for the perfect match.
In order for the touch up paint to be a perfect match, you must find out your exact paint code. This can usually be found in the glove box or engine bay but your car dealership may be able to tell you the exact color from the cars registration.
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Automotive Touch Up Paint Comparison
| Touch Up Paint | Type | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| ACDelco 19328528 | Pen | 0.5 Ounce |
| Dupli-Color AFM0360 | Pen | 0.5 Ounce |
| Genuine Honda Accessories | Pen | 0.5 Ounce |
| Songven Paint Repair | Pen | 0.4 Ounce |
| Dupli-Color BFM0360 | Aerosol | 8.0 Ounce |
| TouchUpDirect Waterborne | Kit | 1.5 Ounce |
Taking your car to have the paintwork professionally repaired at a body shop can be time consuming as well as expensive. Using a touch up paint is the complete opposite and most can be used for multiple applications.
Automotive touch up paints are available as aerosols, pens or complete kits. Depending upon the size of the chip or scratch will determine the best solution.
Below is a list of the best automotive touch up paints that will easily repair chips or scratches in the paintwork.
The Best Automotive Touch Up Paint
1. ACDelco 19328528 Touch Up Paint
ACDelco are a reputable brand in the automotive industry and their four-in-one touch up pen is highly rated. To ensure you achieve the exact match color, each pen contain a factory GM color code, which you can match with the one listed on your vehicle.
It has a unique design with both a piston style pen tip for smaller fixes and a brush applicator for much larger chips or scratches.
Other features of the ACDelco 19328528 include:
- 0.25 ounce of base color
- 0.25 ounce of clear coat
- Mechanical agitator
- Fiberglass cleaning and prep tool
- Easy to use
The ACDelco 19328528 is the best automotive touch up paint that provides great results at an affordable price. The 4-in-1 tool allows you to achieve the perfect match with the choice of a piston tip of brush applicator to best suit your requirements.
Check it Out2. Dupli-Color All-in-1 Touch Up Paint
The Dupli-Color All-in-1 is another pen that is available in multiple colors to suit manufacturers specifications. As with the ACDelco alternative, it includes a pen tip for small chips or scratches and a brush end for larger defects.
To help remove rust or loose paint, the brand has integrated an abrasive tip to the pen for precision preparation of the surface.
Other features of the Dupli-Color All-in-1 include:
- Vehicle manufacturer approved
- Exact match color and clear coat
- Suitable for bodywork and wheels
- Highly reputable brand
- Ergonomically designed
The brand claim that their automotive touch up pen is the only tool you need for repairing scratches or chips. They also state that they are the only brand with colors tested and approved by vehicle manufacturers for the perfect match.
Check it Out3. Honda Accessories Touch Up Paint
The Honda Accessories touch up paint is ideal for Honda drivers or vehicles that use their paint specification. The brand provide over 50 different colors to choose that are all made from high quality acrylic PPG paint.
Depending upon the severity of the chip or scratch, the pen has both a sensitive tip for precision repairs as well as an easy to use brush.
Other features of the Honda Accessories Paint Pen include:
- Innovative no-clogging tip
- Long lasting and resists UV rays
- Tough acrylic paint
- Abrasive tip for rust removal
- Perfect color match
For drivers of Honda’s, this touch up pen is the best option and include over 50 color options for the perfect finish. The manufacturer also states that the acrylic paint is long lasting and resists UV rays in order to maintain the color.
Check it Out4. Songven Scratch Repair Touch Up Paint
One of the cheapest touch up paints for automotive paintwork is the Songven paint pen. The brand offers an array of different colors that are designed for multiple manufacturers, which can be used on multiple surfaces such as bodywork, wheels and more.
Unlike the alternatives, this car paint pen only has a small brush, which is ideal for small to medium chips or scratches.
Other features of the Songven Paint Repair include:
- Silver, black, red and white color options
- Brush integrated into bottle cap
- 0.42 ounce capacity
- Easy to use and fast drying
- Suitable for multiple applications
The Songven Paint Pen is an excellent all-round touch up paint but it’s advised to check the color match before usage. Even the brand state that you test it on a piece of paper before using it on the paintwork. Due to the fact there is no color codes to match, it cannot be guaranteed to provide the perfect match.
Check it Out5. Dupli-Color Perfect Match Automotive Paint
Another automotive paint by Dupli-Color is their Perfect Match formula, which is by far the most popular. It’s a fast drying acrylic lacquer aerosol paint that is designed to provide the perfect match on any factory applied finish.
It’s a premium automotive paint that is available for most major car manufacturer original colors and you even have the option to bulk buy the paint.
Other features of the Dupli-Color Perfect Match include:
- Suitable for OEM paint surfaces
- High quality formulation
- Fast drying in the correct conditions
- 8 ounce aerosol bottle
- EZ touch 360 degree nozzle
- Ideal for bodywork or wheel refurbishments
The Perfect Match formula is the best option for large touch ups but it will require preparation beforehand. Considering that it’s developed by the Dupli-Color brand, it also offers excellent value for the money.
Check it Out6. TouchUpDirect Automotive Touch Up Paint
If you prefer a complete kit that includes a clear coat, primer and paint, the TouchUpDirect automotive touch up paint is ideal. It does come at a premium price but it’s a high quality touch up paint kit for a factory quality finish.
Depending upon your personal preference to the application, the kit is available as an aerosol, jar, pen or a combination.
Other features of the TouchUpDirect Kit include:
- Guaranteed factory color and quality
- Uses the latest waterborne technology
- Kit can be customized
- Easy to use and fast drying
- Clear coat, primer and paint jars
- Includes grease removing wipes and latex gloves
Although it’s the most expensive automotive touch up paint in this articles, it’s a worthwhile investment. For example, if the paint repair costs hundreds, it’s still a fraction of the cost with the brand guaranteeing the color match and quality.
Check it OutAutomotive Touch Up Paint Buying Guide
You can try you best to prevent scratches or chips but it can be quite difficult. Unless you use a paint protection film from new, there is a strong likelihood of defects present in the paintwork. However, with the use of an automotive touch up paint, you are able to repair the damage in a matter of minutes.
To help you make an informed buying decision, we have produced the below guide regarding automotive touch up paints.
Benefits of Using a Touch Up Paint
Rather than taking your car to a body shop to repair the chip or scratches, you can repair them yourself. Benefits of using an automotive touch up paint include:
- Affordable solution
- Far less time consuming
- Easy to achieve showroom results
- More convenient than leaving your car at the body shop
- Available in most factory colors
Body shops can charge hundreds for repairs and may take weeks to complete the job. By using a touch up paint, you can have the job completed at a fraction of the cost in minutes.
Different Types
Depending upon the size of the defective paintwork repair will determine the best type of touch up paint. The main three types include an aerosols, pens and complete kits.
Touch Up Pens
By far the most popular and easiest type of touch up paint is by using a pen. Many car manufacturers include them within accessory kits but many of the aftermarket alternatives are just as high quality. The main benefit is that they are simple to use and highly effective for small chips or scratches. However, if the defect is too deep into the paintwork, they may not provide the best of finishes.
Aerosol Paints
For larger chips or scratches, the best option may be to use an aerosol type of paint. They will require more preparation and can be more messy but the overall finish will be better.
Complete Kits
Depending upon the type of finish you require, choosing a complete kit may allow you to achieve a better finish. Most come with the paint, brushes, primer and even an automotive clear coat. The main issue with some of these kits are that they are applied thickly. This can be an issue because if it’s incorrectly applied, it can be difficult to get a perfect match.
Color Match
The whole purpose of touching up the paint is to improve the overall finish of the paintwork. In order to achieve this, you will need to ensure the color match is perfect.
To begin, you will need to find the color code of your car, which can be found in the glove box, door jambs, engine bay and various other locations. Other factors that must be followed as per the paint instructions is the drying time and the amount of coats required.
Application Process
Depending upon the automotive touch up paint you use will determine the application process. For example, most pens don’t have many major requirements apart from ensuring the paintwork isn’t too hot. However, the aerosol alternative may require preparation and it can also suffer from external factors such as windy conditions.
The temperature of the room must also be moderated as some brand require a certain temperature to dry correctly. For example, Dupli-Color state that 60 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature range for the perfect finish.
If possible, we highly recommend that you attempt to use the touch up paint on a testing surface beforehand. This will allow you to get used to it before going touching up the cars paintwork and potentially making a mistake.
After a few weeks of the paint settling, you may notice some imperfections in the paint. However, you can use a fine sand paper and a rubbing compound to improve the finish.
Resistance
The automotive touch up paint you choose must be able to withstand the outdoor elements such as rain, UV rays, heat and road dirt. If you choose a paint that cannot cope, it will eventually begin to crack and require painting again.
Many people may apply a car wax straight away to the paint after it has dried but you should allow at least a month before applying products to the paint.
Top Brands
Choosing from the best automotive touch up paint brand ensures a quality finish to the paint. Some of the top brands that we recommend include:
- Dupli-Color
- ACDelco
- Touch Up Direct
- MOPAR
- Turtle Wax (only do pens)
- … and many others
Most brans will offer multiple color options that provide a perfect match for each factory paint color. Simply locate the paint code of your car and then match it to the paint.
Before Using Paint
Choosing to paint the defect may not always be the best option as the scratch or chip may not even need painting. We strongly recommend that you test whether your fingernail gets caught in the scratch beforehand. If your fingernail only slightly gets caught, you may want to try a car scratch remover beforehand and assess the result.
Conclusion
Using a touch up paint can transform various chips or scratches on the paintwork of your car. They are a cost effective solution that is easy to apply and take minutes. If the finish isn’t to your expectations, we advise that you get it repaired professionally. Alternatively, you could cover the defective panel with a car vinyl wrap.
All of our recommendations cover each type of automotive touch up paint that vary in budget. It’s critical that you find the correct paint code for your car to avoid disappointment.
