So today I look at my car and there is a BIG chip of paint missing on the roof.
An inch long chip of white paint is missing right near the moonroof. It is really bothering me. Does anyone know a quick and cheap fix to this?

Is it normal to have an unexplained paint chip occur on a 2005 R50?

My regular 4 yr warranty is up..does MINI cover the paint for longer?

 

Do you think that a rock or something hit the roof and chipped it.....or is it a place where the paint failed and came off?

In my experience, it's pretty common to have rocks hit the roof on the highway from time to time...especially on the front part of the roof between the windshield and sunroof. My car is an absolute rock magnet....so I have a few chips up there (and about 30 on the hood ).

I'd say that if it looks like it is a flaw in the paint, take it to the dealer. I don't recall what the paint warranty is, but I'm pretty sure it is well beyond the regular warranty.

 

The chip is right next to the moonroof so I am thinking it is a flaw. I did not see it when I got into the MINI this evening but saw it right away when I got out. I had my moonroof open today and I did not see or hear anything hit it. It looks terrible with the black showing through. Any cheap way to fix it?

 

I think the paint warranty only protects against rust. I had this issue: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-and-pics.html The dealer told me that flaws in the paint need to be addressed within a few weeks of delivery. He also said that the entire roof would need to be painted. I'm not sure how true all that is, but that was the answer I got...and I was (and still am) within my warranty period. It may not hurt to mention it to your dealer and see what they say.

I would assume there are quicker/cheaper fixes out there that won't look quite as good as original, but will hide the problem from most people. (The truth is, most people don't inspect our cars as much as we do. ) If worst comes to worst, and you decide to repaint the roof, I would try Langka first. (http://www.langka.com/) If you're repainting anyway, you have nothing to lose. I bought it and couldn't get it to work. After a lot of practice, I can repair a chip so well that I can't even find it after I'm done. They give you a card to rub with which might work well for your issue, but I almost always use my fingernail instead. A fingernail works great for small rock chips. If I had known this product would work this well, I wouldn't have bought a clear bra. The best part about Langka is that if you don't like how one of you repairs looks, you can rub the touch up paint off and try again. I worked on my 1st few rock chips over and over and over...until I was happy with the repairs. Sometimes the paint would be there for months...I would look at it and think, "I bet I can do better than that." ...and I would rub it off and start over. That's how I got my practice with the stuff. If you decide to try the Langka, here's how I use it and have found what really works for me through trial and error. The biggest thing is patience. Get the paint on and let it dry. I would let mine dry for days and wouldn't touch it until I get a chance to. Then rub it down and it let it dry. (Don't rub too much at a time. The Langka softens the touch up paint and if you rub too much it will all come off...so a little at a time. Just remember patience.) Once that's done clean it and apply clear coat. I would let the clear coat dry even longer. It's softer than the paint anyway. I'd let it set on the car for at least a week. That's just me. Rub the clear coat down...very carefully and slowly...it's very soft. You'll see what I mean. Once you get it close to looking descent, let it dry for a while again. Then, I use a product called Scratch X. Scratch X makes all the difference for me. (You can find Scratch X and the foam pads you apply it with at most stores. There are some really good threads on NAM explaining how to correctly use Scratch X.) Anyway, for some reason it makes the repair blend much better. That's how Langka works for me and how I use it. There's probably tons of people on here with advice...much of which will probably be better than mine, but I hope that helps some. Anyway, best of luck to you. Happy motoring!

Seth

 

A cheap fix would probably only be temporary.

In the case of chipping paint, where there's heat, there's fire. Translation: not likely this is going to be your only chip. The entire roof was primed/painted/clearcoated the same way at the same time. The areas around that chip are very likely going to start chipping in the coming months.

 

If you are gonna enjoy the car...... Be prepared to put up with lots and lots of paint chips......It is just the way it is.

Our paint finishes are soft because they are water based (Per EPA mandates), so no luck with warranty claims.

If you have "rashes" of paint chips may I suggest any of these 2 repair kits:

http://drcolorchip.com/

http://www.touchup123.com/

 

Personally, I do not care for Langka. I get much better results with Meguiar's ScratchX or Meguiar's Mirror Glaze #105.

 

Very important.... The paint code for the MINI white roof is:

"Aspen White clearcoat" code #899

Good luck.

 

Thanks for all of the help. I am going to try a few different touch up paints to see which works best.

I have owned her for one yr and there have only been a few issues so far and mostly cosmetic.

So far:

Paint chip on roof

Part of rubber trim on front windshield came off

tire bumper rubber protector came loose

new battery

new brakes and rotors

..Now she is out of warranty so I hope not too many more issues. She has 46k on her now. i bought her with 30k