First Road Trip
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 56
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From: West Paterson NJ
First Road Trip
I recently returned from my first extended trip (1,100 plus miles) with my 2004 coupe. The car performed very well in all aspects, especially during the torrential downpour the last four hours of the trip. The only negative came courtesy of a tractor trailer which threw up a piece of tire causing a small gash on the front and a scratch on the hood. I also noticed that the paint seems more prone to chips than other cars I have owned. Is this because of the design of the nose? Does anyone know of a product to eliminate/minimize light scratches and chips while not harming the paint? I believe rubbing compound would be too aggressive.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,454
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From: Hells Sister City Phoenix AZ
St. Jude Donor '03
I have the same complaint about the paint. Mine is a daily drive and looks like it's been through a dust storm on the frontend. I haven't had it in any kind of situation that would warrant the damage it has. I put a nose mask on for two reasons... to cover the damage and prevent any further damage. My only suggestion is a mask or bra. If you don't like the blk, there's always speed lingerie or the 3M clear bra.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
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Joined: Mar 2003
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You might consider ClearTastic. They're a Forum Vendor. Good stuff. I've seen it on and you have to know where to look to even know it's there. Not fool proof but will help with the small stone chips.
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Michael
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Michael
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Congrats on the new car and a successful trip. The low profile of the front end does lend itself to chips. You could run a bra or some clear film to help keep the bugs and chips off. Try some 3M products to help remove scratches. A body shop should be able to steer you in the right direction.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 313
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From: Bloomsburg Pa
Trust me, the paint on the vette is no different than any other new car. The big problem with today's paint is that you can't use lead in the paint anymore. This of course means that the paint is much softer than paint just a couple of years older. Take a look at a lot of newer cars and you'll see a lot of paint chips. I just traded my 2003 Lexus for my 04 Vert. I had a lot of problem initially with the Lexus paint with terrible stone chips. Ultimately, they bought the car back and gave me a new one. This one was better, but today's paints are really soft. I would recommend Xpel by 3M for this problem. However, if you're car is already chipped up, you'll have to repaint that area first and then apply the Xpel. That will save you tons of headaches in the future. Good luck!
P.S. Sorry to hear about the unfortunate end to your otherwise great trip.
P.S. Sorry to hear about the unfortunate end to your otherwise great trip.
