[IGotId]

I have ~33,000 miles on my car & have numerous stone chips on my hood, particularly around the kidney/grill area; i don't want to use touch-up paint as i don't think it will look particularly good; one shop i went to said they could spray & blend the front part of the hood for me, however he said that he'd only do about the front 1/2-1/3 of the hood; i have smaller chips on the rest of the hood so i have considered having the entire hood repainted, what do you guys think of either option? thanks.:thumbup:

 

[S4izzle]

just buy a carbon fiber hood lol!!!!

 

[thais0n]

You know what you might want to consider....

Turtlewax makes a colored wax that comes with a wax stick (looks like lipstick). You use the wax stick to fill in the chip or scratch, and then go over it with the colored wax. Both the liquid wax and the wax stick are black. I used this today on my girlfriend's blue Jetta and it looked alot better!!!! Definitely better than touchup paint.

This stuff is only $8 at Advance Auto. It could save you a few hundred dollars.

 

[m3man]

Why do you care? You are just going to get more stone dings. Use touch up paint so you cant see them from 5 feet away and just live with the fact that from 6 inches it won't look perfect. Unless of course it bothers you so much that you need to spend all of the money to repaint. Be careful though as sometimes it is difficult, especially with metallic paints, to get the color to match 100%.

 

[dboffa]

I have the same problem with my hood. My car looks great if you're standing a few feet away, but get any closer (especially in direct light) and the hood looks like sh*t. One of the downsides of having a black car, I guess.
If you find any decent solutions let me know!

 

[IGotId]

Why do you care?

I want to put a clear bra on after having the hood refinished

 

[Nick3356]

I want to put a clear bra on after having the hood refinished

Exactly...The first thing I did when I bought my far and did it again when I replaced my front bumper with the Tornado kit. :thumbup:
Drive from ATL to CT and back, 2200 miles and not ONE scratch/dent/chip, etc

Only way to go...Period!

 

[2KBMW]

Clear bra dude, I have it and the car looks spotless, even if you get like really close. I have this http://www.armourfendamerica.com/ :thumbup:

 

[IGotId]

i guess the question is is it going to be very obvious that the hood was repainted? (i.e. will the colors not match?)

 

[premiumg]

can people tell that you have a clear car bra on when they get close? Is it easy to install? Permanent?

 

[RebelYell]

i guess the question is is it going to be very obvious that the hood was repainted? (i.e. will the colors not match?)

yes they can make the paint match. They call it blending the fenders etc. It will match don't worry.

 

[04ragtop]

Regarding clear bra:

Yes you can see it when you get close but it is subtle and it doesn't look bad.

It should be installed by a professional.

It is semi-permanent. It will last for many years but you can remove it if you want to.

 

[slow323ci]

From everything I have read, those clear things should only be installed on the factory paint - not over repainted parts. I guess sometimes when you peel it off the paint comes with it.

No matter what the body shop says, repainted IS NOT the same as factory. It may look the same and last as long as factory but the paint is not stuck on nearly as well.

 

[IGotId]

From everything I have read, those clear things should only be installed on the factory paint - not over repainted parts. I guess sometimes when you peel it off the paint comes with it.

No matter what the body shop says, repainted IS NOT the same as factory. It may look the same and last as long as factory but the paint is not stuck on nearly as well.

so do you guys suggest installing the clear bra over the front "as-is"? (stone chips uncovered?)

 

[04ragtop]

No don't install clear bra over your chipped hood. Get it painted, let the paint cure for few weeks and then install the clear bra. Check with the manufacturer first to see if it is okay to install on a repaint. I think it will be fine, as long as you give the paint some time to cure.

 

[slow323ci]

OK, this got me thinking, so here's what 3M has to say about their clear film and repaints:

"3M recommends that any repainted surfaces on your vehicle be professionally painted and fully cured before applying paint protection film. If you have touched up scratches or chips with a tube of "touch-up" paint and then apply paint protection film over it, the film will protect that area until it is removed. If the paint protection film is removed, it is possible that the area around the non-professional touch-up paint could peel off."

"The paint on a newly painted vehicle must be cured according to manufacturer's recommendations. Your body shop should be able to provide you with this information."

So sounds like a repaint, followed by adequate cure time, should be OK. Just don't get any new chips during that time!