Paint Chip

I have a very noticeable finger nail size paint chip on my '90. My
amateurish experience with using the official Miata touchup paint has not
been great. It usually looks deeper in red after applying a dab of touchup.
Maybe I'm screwing up using it.

What have others experienced, because I'm on the fence about just handing
this simple job over to a professional?

Also, can I get a confirmation about the '90 Miatas having NO CLEAR COAT and
using ENAMEL paint.

Lastly, how does Mazda get the Miata surface so shiny with no clear coat?

Thanks,

Gary

In article <vBn9d.1508$sa.1328@trndny07>,
"Gary" > wrote:

> What have others experienced, because I'm on the fence about just handing
> this simple job over to a professional?

Dunno. When my front mask gets bad enough (again) I'll just get it
painted (again). Clearcoating the mask makes it MUCH more resistant to
chipping, and the chips tend to be smaller. IMHO, touchup paint is
uglier than chips.

> Also, can I get a confirmation about the '90 Miatas having NO CLEAR COAT and
> using ENAMEL paint.

No clearcoat on any solid colors through 1997 models. Metallics are
clearcoated though (doesn't apply to a '90, obviously). However, cars
with collision repairs may have been clearcoated by the body shop.

> Lastly, how does Mazda get the Miata surface so shiny with no clear coat?

A deep shine results from oils in the finish; clearcoat merely protects
the color layer. A clearcoated finish will not be as shiny as a
properly-treated uncoated finish, because the "clear" layer isn't
perfectly clear, and absorbs some of the light.

On my red Miata (not clearcoated), I use Meguiar's swirl remover for a
deep, deep shine, then protect it with their #26 liquid wax. The key is
to remove all oxidized paint and replace the oils with a polish (swirl
remover is a polish with a light abrasive). The wax is just a weather
and UV sealant, and actually dulls the shine a bit, but not as much as a
clearcoat.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html