Stone chips 2004 Azure Blue 350Z(uk)

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Neil - 02 Dec 2004 11:17 GMT

I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k miles and
it seems to be picking up alot of stone chips to the front of the car..

Is this normal for such a new car with only this mileage? I am travelling
on the
motorway alot but keep speed down to 70mph to try and avoid this problem
in the
first place!

I am wondering if the paintwork may be defective in some way? Would like
to hear
from anyone having similar experiences...

Neil

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WildBill66 - 03 Dec 2004 00:33 GMT

All Z Cars sit low to the ground. But its also
the roads you drive on that you should consider,
some roads are littered with tiny rocks and debris
from motorists, even interstate highways can be bad.

What you need is a 3M Clearcoat protective layer.
Not sure where you live, but there are body shops that you could consult
about this spray protectant. It forms a rock hard shell on front end of
vehicle, the alternative is a
leather bra, but they age and look bad after a year or so.

Call the Nissan dealer Body Shop, often they sell these aftermarket
applications. Or call the saleman you bought car from, let him ask around
too.

Check out these websites:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/_l/en_US/_s.155/98905/_s.155/98909

Also, I used the Invinca Shild on an old car, it works great and you can
do it yourself.
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.asp?kit=3220

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Neil - 03 Dec 2004 10:43 GMT

Thaks V much for the reply..Will look into this.

> All Z Cars sit low to the ground. But its also
> the roads you drive on that you should consider,
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> do it yourself.
> http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.asp?kit=3220

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WildBill66 - 08 Dec 2004 06:11 GMT

Neil,

Also, check out http://www.paintscratch.com/
this company sells manufacturer OEM touch up paint
pens as well as paint brush kits. If the chips are small
the pen should work fine. Buy paint, primer and clear coat
to create an even finish.

Also, if you go this route, experiment first. Lie down in front of your
car near the front bumper, there will be plenty of chips and scratches
there. The ones you do not see will be good for practice. Clean the
underside well and
get used to how the product works and looks after application.

If the chips are small this may work, but remember, the paint will get
more abuse as you drive. So wax the car end at least 3 times a year or
more. If nothing else, just wax the front end. A thin layer of wax will
help. Plus if you use touch up paint, waxing will even out the finish.

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Matt - 03 Dec 2004 09:21 GMT

> I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k miles and
> it seems to be picking up alot of stone chips to the front of the car..
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Neil

Check out the forums at http://350zuk.com/ - lots of discussion on this problem there.

Cheers,
Matt.

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Neil - 03 Dec 2004 10:42 GMT

Thanks Matt,

Just registered on the site and it seems i'm not the only one with this
problem...Will be posting some comments on there later!!

Cheers
Neil

>> I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k
>> miles and
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Cheers,
> Matt.

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mastablast - 03 Dec 2004 14:31 GMT

Nissan's are notorious for thin paint on the bumber. The clear coat is
already on the vehicle from the manufacture. I had a 01 altima that was
ruined by bug/rock hits. I now have a 03 350z track, I did not want my z
ending like my altima so I had a clear shield installed. Have not had any
chip in 25,000 miles.

http://www.clearshield.com/

> I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k miles and
> it seems to be picking up alot of stone chips to the front of the car..
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> --
> Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

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John Smith - 04 Dec 2004 04:46 GMT

I have an 03 350Z that is Redline Red and the paint is going fast on the
front end. In another year there will be no paint left and then I will
get it repainted. If yours is in good shape there is Invisable Bra that
can be applied over the bumper. It looks like the stone guards in front
of the rear wheels. Just more of it and it does work.

> I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k miles and
> it seems to be picking up alot of stone chips to the front of the car..
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Neil

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SBoss - 05 Dec 2004 20:45 GMT

Hello,
No, the paintwork is not defective and there is nothing you can do with
protective layer or anything like that (ClearCoat).
The only reason is that the painting is done over plastic (bumper) not
metal.
Plastic is soft, and any stone chips impact leads to a more severe puncture
in the underlying material of the painting layers.
Bumper could not be made with metal for safety reasons, and can you imagine
driving a Z with black bumpers like an allroad car ?
I think the best is to get ready to have some paintwork redone after 2 or 3
years of driving.
St?phane.

> I have a 3 month old 350z in Azure blue that has done around 2.5k miles and
> it seems to be picking up alot of stone chips to the front of the car..
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> Neil

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Neil - 06 Dec 2004 18:10 GMT

I am also getting chips to the front wing AND the bonnet in addition to
the fron bumper..so
this can't just be a plastic issue..But i do take your point about the
denting on
the plastic. I have been looking at forums on www.350zuk.com and it seems
that lots
of other people are having the same worrying issues...
Neil

> Hello,
> No, the paintwork is not defective and there is nothing you can do with
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
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Matt - 07 Dec 2004 10:14 GMT

> I am also getting chips to the front wing AND the bonnet in addition to
> the fron bumper..so
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> seems that lots
> of other people are having the same worrying issues...

I had mine Paintshielded the day after I picked it up. Basically, they apply a
clear laminate to the front of the car. It's barely visible and tough enough
to deflect most of the debris you're likely to encounter on the roads. Again,
lots of info on 350zuk.com.

Cheers,
Matt.

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J. Perry - 14 Dec 2004 00:03 GMT

> > I am also getting chips to the front wing AND the bonnet in addition to
> > the fron bumper..so
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Cheers,
> Matt.

How much does this process cost on average in U.S. dollars?

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Matt - 14 Dec 2004 13:07 GMT

>>>I am also getting chips to the front wing AND the bonnet in addition to
>>>the fron bumper..so
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> How much does this process cost on average in U.S. dollars?

Depends how much coverage you go for: I had everything done (even the backs
of the wing mirrors) and it cost me 400 UK pounds, which converts to nearly
800 US dollars. Whether that's the price you'd actually pay in the US, I
don't know.

Cheers,
Matt.

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