Matching Touch Up Paint
 

The car I just bought has a few rust spots right above the plastic trim, and around the wheel wells. Since the car is old and not in the best of shape to begin with, I am planning on getting rid of the rust, coating with Rust Bullet, filling in with putty, and then trying to blend in some touch up paint. But the paint is where I am coming up with my problem. Where can I locate paint that will come close to matching the old (an ugly cream color)? Are there any companies out there that sell custom paint in a spray can? That would be perfect, but I have never seen anything like that. Even if I could find someplace to get a small amount of matching paint, that would work too because I can use a spot air sprayer.

i go to the local
 

auto body supply store (called ironically abs for auto body supply). they will mix up a pint of high quality sherman williams i think brand which is to the original factory forumula. it is excellent paint and for small areas i use a small touch up brush.

they can also put it in a spray can and it is absolutely amazing how good it will come out with modest skills. i recently painted the almost entire side of my 300cd with it and after buffing it looks, not as good as the factory but still not bad. and i am pretty picky when it comes to paint.

my car is so rust free that i couldnt bear the idea of someone at a shop bearing down on it with a grinder. so i did it myself. used a multi step process of rust binding and priming and so forth to repair a poor old repair using bondo that allowed moisture in behind.

tom w

Do you have a link to this procedure? Once it warms up it will be time for me to repair a old bondo job and weld in a patch on my quarter panel, both of which will require re-painting. I am planning on having some factory code paint mixed up and using one of those refillable spray cans to apply it. Is that what you used or did you have them put it in a standard spray can? Thanks.

Here is a good link to something somebody else tried that I'm currently looking into: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/bodywork-repair-paint-tools-tips-tricks/134740-faded-paint-touch-ups.html?highlight=touch+paint

I'm just not sure how well oil base enamel will hold up.

i used
 

specially mixed for me paint from factory codes. they put it in a regular spray can for me. dont ask how. i dont know. i never dreamed thy could and never dreamed that it would work as well as it did. apparently having a high quality paint in the can makes all the difference.

tom w

I've ordered spray cans and small bottles of touch up using the paint codes from PaintScratch (??) for all my MB's and the colors have been correct.

Tom -
Do you have any more details on the "multi step process of rust binding and priming" you mentioned? Thanks

If you have the ubiquitous MB creme color then Dupli-Color# is 88-01542 actually it's a Toyota color but an excellent match. It's crap in a can(paintwise) but for small touch ups it's good. I did my wheel covers and again ubiquitous hole in bottom of rear wheel well with it. You gotta clear coat over it or don't bother wasting your time.