Damn Rocks
 

I swear I'm gonna cry....

I had my front bumper painted maybe 6 months ago at best and already it's damn near destroyed with rock chips from driving. I don't know what it is, I stay so far behind trucks, I don't drive on crappy roads but for whatever reason every time I drive the car I find another damn chip in the paint.

I know 3m makes clear guards and what not but what have people's experiences been with solving this problem? And how hard are these synthetic protectants to apply?

Thanks

go buy a car bra and cover it when youre not showing off your ride. 3m and other clear guards tend to stretch and crack or yellow (not only yellowing and fading but fogs and dulls) after a while so thats not a good idea. nothing works as well as the car bra.

I'd rather pay $200 every few months to get it painted that put a bra on the car. They are so fowl looking.

Anyone make a Bra for a 99 spec bumper?

Also where did you get your paint job. I've seen people with shitty cheap paint jobs that would chip even if the wind blew hard enough.

No idea

Well the odds are against a shitty paint job, I've had it done 3 times by 3 different places in the last 2 years and have had the same results. Maybe it's just a rock magnent.

He's got it right. It was my shitty paint job. :)

sounds like a lack of flex agent in the paint, but three times!!!

3m works really well and doesn't fade or yellow. my friend does it on alot of cars for leasing ,the dealers gets it before it even leaves the showroom. He has put them on M3s, Boxters, 911s, a Porsche GT, and many other cars. I think it costs about $400 for front bumper, hood, and front fenders. The only thing is the films is cut by the computer with templates, and I don't know if they have 99 spec template as it was not sold in the US.

Jon, maybe you should paint your car yellow and then do the 3M thing! :)

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha

bras = gay

Now there's a plan :)

I'm half tempted to just pick up another bumper and rock two, one for when I want the car to be really pretty and one when I just want to drive.

i feel your pain, mine was painted around december and already i have rock chips. Im very carful not to ride anyones bumper (2 mississippi second rule) and somehow they still appear.

were they using laquer paint or polyurethane paint? and how many coats?

I'd place blame on the body shop. Many of them will practice the same economical (see: half-ass) methods. Some of them will even do it after you have asked for super top notch work. Your best bet is to ask around and find the best body guy in your area. 10 to 1 you won't have near as many chips...unless you're rallying and not telling anyone, lol.

Some FD's stock had problems with paint chipping. The root of the problem was a lack of bonding from the stock primer to the stock paint. The only fix was to have the car sanded to bare metal, then re-primed and re-painted.

They may be trying to get paint to adhere to the original junky primer. Most shops just sand enough to roughen the surface and smooth it out, then paint.

A 3M clear bra would help, but I'd rather have the core problem fixed than try and patch it up somehow. I have heard of RX-8 guys who've had really good luck with the clear car bra.

Dale

Maybe you could find a paint shop to apply this
http://armorcoat.armorauto.com/
I have yet to find anyone in DFW that uses it.

I am the one who painted his bumper last. I did use flex adhesion additives in the paint, which has nothing to do with chips from rocks. It was primed properly, I used two coats of black base. Two coats of Montego and three coats of clear. There is nothing wrong with the paint job in that regards. It's not lifting off the bumper.

You guys kill me. If you hit a rock at 50mph or higher your going to chip the paint. Unfortunately it is inherently damaging to paint to drive on public roads with debris. It's the front bumper, be realistic. Once DuPont starts making paint that doesn't chip, let me know.

Just paint the car the same color as whatever rocks are hitting it, then you want be able to tell the difference ;) j/k

Exactly, that's why I said it wasn't the paint job earlier but apparently everyone liked that idea anyway.

In all seriousness, how come nobody can make a paint that is more durible, it's 2006.

Mine's doing the same, and it's a Mr. Spoiler job. My repainted factory piece had some of the same. I may get it resprayed and 3M'd, I don't know, but Dan does good work, so I think it's a fact of life. I think it's the car... i've never seen one that collects bugs on the bumper on road trips the way this one does either.

Thats the best idea I have seen yet. :D

It does seem to be a magnet, mine was bug free this morning and 25 miles later it seems to have digested 2 bee's and a couple flys.