TOUCHUP123 - 56k beware
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
TOUCHUP123 - 56k beware
Bottom line - I think this is a MUST HAVE for everyone. I couldn't be more please nor more impressed with this product and the appropriate (NOT over-hyped) marketing. It does exactly what the vendor says it will do, and it does quite a good job!
Have been waiting weeks for the right weather and time to try this. It's a simple process. My impression, with no actual knowledge of the composition of the product, follows.
You give your paint color code when you order, and the correct color paint (referred to as "Color Fill") is mixed for you. Along with that you get a bottle of "FTC" - final touch compound. Essentially, you just clean the car, then rub the Color Fill into the chip holes. It worked quite well for me to dab the Color Fill into the holes using the towel they provide. In a few seconds it is dry, then you use the FTC with a terry cloth to remove all the extra Color Fill from the surface of the car, leaving the Color Fill in the paint chip holes of course.
The FTC strikes me as simply a swirlmark remover, and the Color Fill as a specially formulated paint. So you just rub this "paint" on the car, filling 100 holes or so, just as though you were applying wax. It dries, then you use the FTC like a swirlmark remover or rubbing compound by hand using a terry cloth towel that is provided. I noticed that the FTC does remove water spots also, so I'm sure it just has some mild abrasive and cleaning properties that remove the extra Color Fill for you.
You're left with an almost PERFECT result, and you can of course go back and fill deep holes as often as you like, trying to level them out with the rest of the clearcoat surface.
I'd talked with agentf1 and a few other guys and we of course had some healthy skepticism, but at a price of only $40, there was nothing to lose by just trying it. I think it worked beautifully, and pictures really have a tough time doing the results justice. I did my best to get you some wide angle and some closeups.
Let me say the following - I'm THRILLED with this product !!!!
The only way you'll do better is to have the entire surface repainted by a shop. I could have never filled in 100 front end chips on this SUV with touchup paint, sanding, nor even with Langka. It would have taken weeks, and the results would have never have been this good.
Here are the pics -- modem users beware!!!
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
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AFTER
Have been waiting weeks for the right weather and time to try this. It's a simple process. My impression, with no actual knowledge of the composition of the product, follows.
You give your paint color code when you order, and the correct color paint (referred to as "Color Fill") is mixed for you. Along with that you get a bottle of "FTC" - final touch compound. Essentially, you just clean the car, then rub the Color Fill into the chip holes. It worked quite well for me to dab the Color Fill into the holes using the towel they provide. In a few seconds it is dry, then you use the FTC with a terry cloth to remove all the extra Color Fill from the surface of the car, leaving the Color Fill in the paint chip holes of course.
The FTC strikes me as simply a swirlmark remover, and the Color Fill as a specially formulated paint. So you just rub this "paint" on the car, filling 100 holes or so, just as though you were applying wax. It dries, then you use the FTC like a swirlmark remover or rubbing compound by hand using a terry cloth towel that is provided. I noticed that the FTC does remove water spots also, so I'm sure it just has some mild abrasive and cleaning properties that remove the extra Color Fill for you.
You're left with an almost PERFECT result, and you can of course go back and fill deep holes as often as you like, trying to level them out with the rest of the clearcoat surface.
I'd talked with agentf1 and a few other guys and we of course had some healthy skepticism, but at a price of only $40, there was nothing to lose by just trying it. I think it worked beautifully, and pictures really have a tough time doing the results justice. I did my best to get you some wide angle and some closeups.
Let me say the following - I'm THRILLED with this product !!!!
- I love Langka also, but this is so much quicker that it could easily replace Langka in my detail rack. I'll wait for durability results before making a final choice on that one.
- The marketing is spot on -- they NEVER make a claim that you'll have a perfect finish - only that your car will now pass the "2 - foot test", i.e. that from 2 feet away you will no longer see the chips. No bogus promises, no hype - it just does what they say it does.
The only way you'll do better is to have the entire surface repainted by a shop. I could have never filled in 100 front end chips on this SUV with touchup paint, sanding, nor even with Langka. It would have taken weeks, and the results would have never have been this good.
Here are the pics -- modem users beware!!!
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
#2
Safety Car
Thread Starter
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***Note: unfortunately the terry towels they provide did leave some lint, which shows in a few of the pics above - do not misinterpret those lint specs as paint chips. Sorry did not see that until after it was dark and I could not take anymore pics.
Great points:
I give it an A+, pending observation of it's durability.
Limitations of this "study"
Conflicts of interest: none. I'm in the medical field, in no way related to any detailing product company. Have never spoken to any vendor of this product.
IF YOU HAVE PAINT CHIPS, GET THIS STUFF !!!!
AFTER
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***Note: unfortunately the terry towels they provide did leave some lint, which shows in a few of the pics above - do not misinterpret those lint specs as paint chips. Sorry did not see that until after it was dark and I could not take anymore pics.
Great points:
- 1. they don't oversell - I appreciate honest selling - they promise a good repair not noticeable from a few feet away. If you look REALLY close, you can find your old chips, but they are well hidden.
- 2. Inexpensive for what you get - $40 from touchup123.com
- 3. fast service - to your door in 4 days
- 4. FAST - SO Much faster than using standard touchup paint - this stuff dries in about 3 seconds - no kidding. I did the entire hood in 1.5 hours
- 5. Attention to detail - they give you EVERYTHING right in the box, including towels, q tips, rubber gloves, instructions - nothing is left out.
- 6. amount: they give you enough to to 3 to 4 hoods of an SUV this size, all with moderate or worse damage, I would estimate. That's great for the price!
I give it an A+, pending observation of it's durability.
Limitations of this "study"
- 1. Great results on black doesn't mean you'll get results this good on other colors
- 2. DURABILITY NOT TESTED - I only applied today. This stuff could all fall off tomorrow, I'll have to see. But I'm reassured that it is every bit a typical paint - nonpolar solvent based - since I had to use paint thinner to get it off my hands and it wasn't easy. I expect it to last as well as any other touchup paint.
Conflicts of interest: none. I'm in the medical field, in no way related to any detailing product company. Have never spoken to any vendor of this product.
IF YOU HAVE PAINT CHIPS, GET THIS STUFF !!!!
#4
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Their FTC (final touch compound) reminds me very much of 3M 39009 -- seems to me that it is just a light rubbing compound, which is formulated to remove their own paint from all locations that are not in the "chip". It also removes water spots. Maybe they'll sell it as a spot or light scratch remover some day, but I'm not aware that they sell it alone - just as part of their package.
#6
Le Mans Master
Excellent
Thanks for the review Scott. Excellent work. My cars are black so it works out perfect. Thanks for being the guinnea pig on this one. I will have to place an order.
#7
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Dec 2004
Location: Jacksonville, FL
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'19, '21-'22-'23-'24
Great info!!!
Thank you Bugman for the time to post the results. As a black C4 owner I had all but resigned myself to waiting till I couldn't stand it & then just shell out the $$$ for a pro re-paint.
This seems to be the type of product that a novice can use! I can't thank you enough for sharing this with the rest of us!
Tom
This seems to be the type of product that a novice can use! I can't thank you enough for sharing this with the rest of us!
Tom
#9
Team Owner
I have been waiting for someone to review this, terrific write up. My daily driver is black and has 108k miles of rock chips on the front of it. This product looks like just the thing I need.
#10
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by gmblack3
Would it be best to give a 50/50 IP wipedown before use? Especially when using over zaino?
Also note their instructions
Originally Posted by touchup123 instructions
"ColorFill takes 2-3 days to fully cure. DO NOT wash/wax your car until then".
#12
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 2005
Location: DP(oh you know where) IL
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St. Jude Donor '06
great review. I'll be placing an order in the near future. Thanks for taking the time to write up that review. Cant wait to hear the durabilty of this product. If it lasts a couple months, seems like its still worth it.
#13
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Dec 2001
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Originally Posted by ronniej
Just what I've been looking for. Just made an order.
-Goose
#15
So you think the FTC works as a swirl remover? I'm guessing it kind of just fills them in rather than removes them.
Do you think it works any better than Zaino's Fusion?
I'm thinking down the road...if this would be something I'd want to try the next time I get enough swirls to do something about...or if I should just stick to using the Menzerna with the PC. Or would you suggest trying this out for a less abbrasive approach?
Do you think it works any better than Zaino's Fusion?
I'm thinking down the road...if this would be something I'd want to try the next time I get enough swirls to do something about...or if I should just stick to using the Menzerna with the PC. Or would you suggest trying this out for a less abbrasive approach?
#16
Drifting
Thanks very much for the review. I will also order some. I've tried the other methods suggested here on the fourm but found them very tedious work for each chip. Sounds like this product is going to be very successful.
#17
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by ShockwaveTXB
So you think the FTC works as a swirl remover?
Originally Posted by ShockwaveTXB
Do you think it works any better than Zaino's Fusion?
Originally Posted by ShockwaveTXB
I'm thinking down the road...if this would be something I'd want to try the next time I get enough swirls to do something about...or if I should just stick to using the Menzerna with the PC. Or would you suggest trying this out for a less abbrasive approach?
I hate to say this, but I believe I got some light scratching from the FTC, that I only could see today at high noon. We're talking about very very fine scratches that only an **** detailer type would notice. I had a perfect finish previously, so I believe the FTC caused this. This doesn't change my favorable opinion about touchup123, though. It really did a fantastic job of camouflaging my chips. - You need their abrasive product to remove the excess paint. I'll just go over the hood with one quick treatment of MIP/MFP II in a few days to get the surface perfect again, then use my Z5.
#18
Safety Car
Thread Starter
follow-up :
just to remind everybody that this does not completely fix your chips - only a careful touchup and sanding, or a complete re-paint can do that. The manufacturers make it very clear that this is not their claim. They only hide the imperfections. You'll still be able to see the largest and deepest chips.
Here are a couple of other pics I took:
Here's are two pretty deep, large chips, which were filled only part of the way after 1 application of touchup123. Don't mind the lint -- lots of lint specs from the terry towels, which are kind of tough to remove.
You can see that unless you really know where to look, you'd probably not see it.
The tiny chips really do become invisible -- you have to get your nose on the hood to see them. Another time, I'll go back and repeat the process to try to fill my tougher chips some more, trying to bring them up to level. There's no limit to how many times you can do this -- just keep filling them in until you're satisfied.
I'm pretty excited about this stuff ! Thanks for the replies above. Hope you guys also get good results
just to remind everybody that this does not completely fix your chips - only a careful touchup and sanding, or a complete re-paint can do that. The manufacturers make it very clear that this is not their claim. They only hide the imperfections. You'll still be able to see the largest and deepest chips.
Here are a couple of other pics I took:
Here's are two pretty deep, large chips, which were filled only part of the way after 1 application of touchup123. Don't mind the lint -- lots of lint specs from the terry towels, which are kind of tough to remove.
You can see that unless you really know where to look, you'd probably not see it.
The tiny chips really do become invisible -- you have to get your nose on the hood to see them. Another time, I'll go back and repeat the process to try to fill my tougher chips some more, trying to bring them up to level. There's no limit to how many times you can do this -- just keep filling them in until you're satisfied.
I'm pretty excited about this stuff ! Thanks for the replies above. Hope you guys also get good results