Chemicals

**Mr. Drew** · 01-31-2002, 11:57 AM

Hi all. Great forum.

I have a 99 lude that I love. It`s dark green and the finish is still looking great with one exception.

My car seems to scoop up rocks!! The front of my hood looks like someone took a hand full of salt and scattered it on the finish.

Please what can I do???

I`ve tried some touch up paint.... result was ok but not what I want.

Thanks for any help you can give.

SW

**Preachers Sheets** · 01-31-2002, 12:04 PM

If it is all that bad (I HATE to say it, but my front bumper is really bad, sounds like yours).... the only way to get it to the point that you would like it (looks like new) would to get it repainted. Right now I can not justify the cost of getting one bumper painted. I am just waiting to have the entire car painted and hopefully enter it into shows with the detailing experience I am slowly gaining.

Repairing chips is something you do from the get-go. Like when you first get your car. The results you have now can probaly get a little better but your making it sound like you have 200-300 of them (not that many if they are small and your bumper is huge like my camaros)....

You can keep repairing or re-paint, for the results you want the re-paint is probaly the best alternative.

If you can fix them, seriously consider a product called xpel.

**DETAILKING** · 01-31-2002, 12:22 PM

My red Z-28 (1996) had tons of rock marring on the front bumper. My silver one (1997) had none! Hmmm.....

**mooredriven** · 01-31-2002, 12:34 PM

That is very interesting DK, because my silver 99 Civic had NO rock chips (and very very soft paint too).

my 2000 Jetta (Atlantic Blue, very dark) has thousands.

**Mr. Drew** · 01-31-2002, 12:35 PM

One thing that I didn`t mention before.....

I travel quite a bit. Putting on avg. about 25k a year on my car.

I`m sure the effects of doing 70 and 80 on interstate roads and highways is the majority of my prob. I think if I decide to get it repainted or if I get a new car first.... I`ll be investing some money in some 3M stone protection.

Does this stuff work...? Look bad...?

Still if anyone has ideas about my prob. I would love to hear fixes or opinions.

thanks.

SW

I had a silver CRV before this car which didn`t have any chips.

I think the silver hides chips well, Also I wasn`t traveling soo much at that time either.

**mooredriven** · 01-31-2002, 12:38 PM

i am thinking of investing in a bra for the same reason, all my driving is highway driving, and the rock chips really show up badly on the dark blue.

**Preachers Sheets** · 01-31-2002, 12:40 PM

I am sure it has nothing to do with the paint. If the grey paint does not chip there must be a reason. There is the same clear coat on the grey paint as there is on the red.

I don`t see how any speed whatsoever would have any type of effect on your car. 98% of the time I can tell people get rock chips from tailgaiting other cars. You would be very surprised how far a rock can fly once it is picked up from another cars tire.

Detailing doesn`t stop in the driveway.... we must drive a detailed car as we detail it; which is kind of silly but I do it. I bob and weave holes, bumps, cups on the road and anything else. Remember not to tail gate, those rocks are killer.

**Mr. Drew** · 01-31-2002, 12:59 PM

"I don`t see how any speed whatsoever would have any type of effect on your car. 98% of the time I can tell people get rock chips from tailgaiting other cars. You would be very surprised how far a rock can fly once it is picked up from another cars tire.

Detailing doesn`t stop in the driveway.... we must drive a detailed car as we detail it; which is kind of silly but I do it. I bob and weave holes, bumps, cups on the road and anything else. Remember not to tail gate, those rocks are killer"

Hmm.... ok.

First: You know nothing about my driving style.

I do not tailgate. I am very much aware of my surroundings while I drive. As you would say "Detailing doesn`t stop in the driveway.... we must drive a detailed car as we detail it"

I am very carefull with my car.

I think I asked for a solution of a prob. not a driving lesson.

Second: I think speed and constantly being in harms way has every thing to do with it. That and a very low front end.

example: If you hit a shopping cart going 5mph vs. 80mph I think there will be a slightly different effect.

With peables it`s on a smaller scall thus the small little nicks.

I`m sure if I hit a tiny peable doing 20mph it wouldn`t harm the finish.

Thank you for your opinions but I`m really looking for a way clean up the front end of my car.

SW

**jkochis** · 01-31-2002, 02:32 PM

Sfiveten.
You might want to take a look at Xpel...

http://www.xpel.com/

Search the archives here for Xpel and you will see lots of discussion on it. While it wont help your current paint problems, it should help prevent additional damage.

Good luck, dark green is tough to maintain since it shows everything.
RH

**Mr. Drew** · 01-31-2002, 02:41 PM

Thanks

I`ll be looking into this.

You are very correct about Green.

I think I should`ve stuck with my silver....

Oh well.

Thanks again.

SW

**Preachers Sheets** · 01-31-2002, 02:59 PM

Ok, so your telling me there are little magic rocks that float in the air and when you drive 80 miles per hour they MAGICALLY hit the car???

If your driving fast and there is nothing in front of you then how the HECK do the rocks get on your bumper, there is nothing lifting them from the ground in front of you and projecting them onto your car.... your telling me you see jumping rocks right ............ your driving along on the road that is empt and there are rocks being throw upon your car right? Whats throwing them?????????????

Think before you reply with a post of that sort, you could answer your own questions before you post.

**imported_Intermezzo** · 01-31-2002, 03:04 PM

SFiveTen, my wife has a black bimmer with a beautiful shine except for the front part of the hood and bumper. She commutes 50 miles a day while taking a freeway with a heavy population of freight trucks and her hood has been tattered raw by flying pebbles and stuff. The good news is that just about every forum member here who has the XPEL clear bra reports great results and are very satisfied with it. My next car will definitely have one.

Also, welcome to the forum......but let`s not diss another forum member who`s just trying to help. :up

**Preachers Sheets** · 01-31-2002, 03:08 PM

Hope you don`t think I was putting him out there....

I was just trying to say ......... in a nice way "your chips are from something, they dont magically appear" and he went grapes.

**Lemonxxs** · 01-31-2002, 03:21 PM

Please no personal attacks.

IF you have chips two ways to fix them

1. touch up paint

2. paint job

3. maybe a colored waxes like the guys in UK have or a colored wax pencil or something.

I cannot count so make that 3 possible ways to fix it.

Once fixed I would suggest looking into the XPel.