Ukeraa Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Recently for work I've been asked to drive to and from Coventry once a week, and since my Z is my daily driver and since I've been doing this journeys I've noticed a lot more stone chips and general scratches. There's also a new one at the back that looks suspiciously like someone has walked by it and scratched it with a button or something, it's a very curved shape and consistently deep. Every time I clean my Z I find new dings or scratches . Time to start taking a train to Coventry methinks... But I love the drive, it's so much fun to drive the Z. What's the point in owning it if it just sits there? I'm not a fan of owning a car and then spending money on train tickets, just seems a bit silly to me. Is there anything I can do regarding the paint chips? They're mainly on the bonnet. My Z is black and they stand out quite a lot. What do you guys do to manage your paint? Any good tips for polish to get out the scratches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Personally I believe cars are for driving so as much as it pains me to see my own cars getting damaged I'd never consider not using them to avoid stone chips etc. My own Zed also suffered quite badly with stone chips to the front end but it was mainly isolated to the front bumper. I had mine resprayed at one point & it looked mint for a few months but there really is no avoiding these things so it wasn't long before a few stone chips started appearing again. Apart from the possibly malicious or accidental damage to the rear of your Zed do you think some of the damage/chips/marks could be caused by your own driving style? (no offence intended) ~ I mean do you drive fairly closely to other drivers/vehicles by any chance? One option you could always try is using a "cover mask" AKA a "car bra" just for the long trips to Coventry. Might help safe guard the front end a little. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Any scratch that catches your nail will require paint correction. You can fill minor stuff with glazes like Poorboys Black Hole but it's cover up, not repair. For the front end you've got no choice but to get a bit of paint into the chips, build it up with tiny dab of a cocktail stick and then polish it if you want to minimise the visual impact, but ultimately it'll need a respray if you want it to look spot on. Then that's your chance to get clear vinyl on to protect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ukeraa Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 (edited) No offence taking on the driving comment, we have powerful cars and it's very easy to drive close to others and put our foot down when it may not be necessary. That being said, I always allow a big gap in front because of the stone chip reason, and because I think it's respectful. 80 to 90 percent of the time when I'm behind someone in the overtaking lane they often move over, it's the X5's up my rear that I have a problem with ! I'll look into the "car bra" (what a name!). Thanks Hope you're having a nice Sunday. A respray and clear vinyl would be ideal, but it's a bit out of my price range . Holidays, tattoo addiction and beer is often nibbling away at my Z fund! What an awful thing to admit here . Edited April 3, 2016 by Ukeraa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Getting the train is better than a car bra If you want to try on women's clothing, get it painted and a clear bra instead! http://www.invisiblemask.com/imask/index.php?route=product/category&path=20201 http://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-nissan-350z/5256-invisiguard-tint-pics.html Try getting a quote from a local vinyl wrapper, it might not be outrageously expensive for the bumper alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ukeraa Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 hahah car bra is still cracking me up. I'll look into the respray and invisible mask. Gonna have to start saving the pennies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Fyi it'll probably be around £100-£150 for the front bumper to be resprayed. At least that's around the figure I paid for mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Wrap the car? At least that way if you get a nick or whatever, you can just re-wrap the panel in question with ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sargara Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Wrap the car? At least that way if you get a nick or whatever, you can just re-wrap the panel in question with ease. This. You can also get those clear coat wraps that essentially act as protection for the paint underneath. Might be abit late putting it now over imperfections but if you are thinking of having the bumper repainted it would be a good way of maximizing how long it will last this time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPod Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I gave up and accepted that my car cant be mark free haha. The week I got my car back from re-spray i got 2 huge stone chips on side of bumper and on bonnet now just enjoying the car and not caring about it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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