MSG C5

Not for my Corvette, but for my retired daily driver.

My 2002 Acura TLS is now a third car being driven primarily by my teenage daughter.

The car is in excellent shape inside and out with the exception of the front bumper and hood due to highway road rash I experienced due the large amount of highway/higher speed driving I've done over the past five years. Apparently this is due to the blowing sand over the Florida peninsula per my body shop friends as they see a lot of this in Florida. Combined with the love bug swarms, the front bumpers/hoods take a beating.

Would Dr. Colorchip be able to repair this kind of rash or would a repaint be the only option? I would like to keep the car for another 100K miles as I think it will easily last that long, however I would like to clean up the front end without throwing too much money at it. The rest of the car/paint looks awesome.

If this requires a pro sanding, paint and clear, what is a target cost for this type of work? Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

The Bad Stuff - Road Rash:







The Good Stuff:

DansYellow66

Wow - that is some serious road rash. A little more distance between traffic in front might be advisable. I just bought a Dr Chip kit and plan to try it on a couple front end chips on my daily driver tomorrow. But, I just have a couple of chips and nothing like that to repair for comparison. I think Dr Chip is probably your best bet for a touch up and from what I've heard, will definately make that road rash look a lot better. But, it can only improve the appearance and not make it look like new. Only re-painting can accomplish that. I think you would need the deluxe kit for that much road rash.

MSG C5

Thanks. I really don't think distance between vehicles had too much to do with it. More like 100K+ expressway miles between Miami, Tampa, Orlando, etc. at an average (legal) speed of 70 MPH. Plus, when commuting, you don't have too much choice as any space you leave in front of you is usually filled in pretty quickly by another driver changing lanes.

During one of my oil change service appointments at the dealership, I asked the tech about it and he told me driving a car 70 MPH into a 20 MPH headwind in Florida is like sandblasting your car at 90 MPH due to the amound of sand that is always blowing through the air.

I believe him because I had drove the car for close to three years in Chicago, including two winters, and the front still looked perfect. It wasn't until I was driving in Florida that the damage occurred.

As a result, I think this job may be too large for Dr. Colorchip.

Below are a couple of crappy camera phone picture of my car after one commute drive home (50 miles) during love bug season. I had just had the car washed at our business parking garage before I left.

DUB

IN MY OPINION:

Nothing but sanding and re-painting will fix this problem. And the problem will re-occur due to traffic conditions....especially if cars are being followed too closely. If it is re-painted...and cured...then I would apply the clear plastic armor shield material. It might give you more life and it can be replaced...or try the new 3M stuff that is the clear protectant that is sprayed on. have not tried it but looks promising.

I can not give a cost estimate.

DUB

MSG C5

Thanks. The car is pretty much retired from the long commute and business expressway runs. I don't want to throw too much money at it, aka clear bra, however I would like to fix the paint if it's not too expensive.

I'm hoping someone can comment on how much a front bumper/hood pro paint repair would cost.

DUB

I would advise you taking ti to a paint shop and get an estimate. The costs are relative to the current rate of pay in your area. Also it can be effected by what type of paint you choose. I would still stick with a basecoat/clearcoat system...but using a paint from a sub-line could also save you money and still provide a good end result as long as the shop painting it know how to use it or has used it before.

Some shops might want to completely strip the hood while others may not. The bumper is going to be the "fun" part of this equation.

And maybe I did not write it correctly.. I did not mean a clear "bra". But rather the thick clear film that can be applied to a paints finish to protect it. And this film can be removed when needed. 3M has come out with a spray that appears to do the same thing...but I have not tested it to see how well it works.

Just be careful when shopping for the "cheapest" price in getting your car repaired. It is NOT the same as buying a specific model and part number of a TV. All the TV's are the same and the vendors are battling it out to get the lowest price for the same thing. Seeing how this takes manual labor, expertise and materials...if you go to CHEAP...you will more than likely have a problem that can escalate due to improper prep performed on the initial repair. It is NOT apples to apples....quite to the contrary....because shops standards are different from shop to shop and what one might think is OK to let a repair go out the door and on the road would make someone else STOP and re-work it entirely.

Just keep that in mind....unless you do not care if the paint fly off the car going down the road...or has more trash in it that would allow a blind person to be able to read your finish because it is like braille.

DUB

MSG C5

I agree. I will make sure to get some good shop recommendations.

I would like to get another 2-3 years out of the car and it still looks great with the exception of the front road rash. I've maintained it and kept it as clean as possible both inside and out. My daughter is the primary driver now and many of her friends think the car is only 3-4 years old based on how well it rides. Heck, it still drives better than most rental cars I drive on business trips.