I've got a 2005 ZR with the full rockguard on the front and after only 2k miles on the car I've got 5 rock chips on the passenger side of the car...2 on the fender...3 on the door. How in the **** does this happen??? I can understand it happening on the front of the car but the sides? Anybody else have rock chips on the sides of the car?

 

last time i got something like that happened to me was from the freakin gardeners using weedwackers and mowers it kicks rocks to the side, 2 places that can happen, 1) if you park in a drive way that has a lawn next to it, or 2) you park curbside like me at work and i get the gardeners using weedwackers and mowers that kicks rocks up at the car.

 

I was driving on the 10 in LA near the center divider and BAM! sounded like something hit my door...parked and checked....2 rock chips the size of half a toothpick. I'm guessing the rock hit the center divider then slammed into my car.

 

Rocks don't just fly only from the back of a car's tire. It can come at your fender or side if the highway is turning. Also, depending on the shape of the rock, it can be thrown at different angles.

 

Also, curves on the highway, the angle at which the rear tires of other cars in the next lanes are directed to partially the side of your car if you are behind them.

 

My ZR is always garaged...even at work (underground garage) so no weedwacker/mower incidents. The last two chips just happened today and I just happened to get stuck next to one of them ****ing pavement cutters for road construction. Wonder if that did it...I was about 10ft back but parallel to it.

 

I ran over something once and it bit the crease on the passengers door, chippied down to the metal, and left a decent dent! OH WELL... Praise the Lord.

 

Never thought about the angles...just the ricochets. I guess passing would expose the car to side chips as well...and I do alot of passing.

 

Big truck tires will hit a rock and “fire” it to the side with considerable velocity.

 

Yep ! That is how I have gotten a couple of them. Fortunately, none in the Z yet. I been lucky so far but I have taken some precautionary measures during rush hour traffic:

 

The reason you keep getting them on the passenger side is cause your always passing people.

Rocks fly off the tires of other cars...they roll around in their wheels wells then shoot out sideways...right into the side of passing cars.

 

The nice big black bra is not gonna protect the sides. Perhaps a "side bra"?

 

LOL...I bet that would look cool. Maybe a clear bra on the sides. The car would look really weird with too much bra though.

BTW I used some touch-up paint on the chips and it worked pretty good. I'm not done repairing yet but from 5ft away you can't see it at all. I searched the forum and somebody posted a link to a car care specialties web site that tells you how to fix rock chips...its a must read. I'm not so worried about rock chips anymore.

 

small rock chips can actually be fixed by GS27 scratch remover. I've tried it on my hood, and it took about 3 applications to fade it out enough to where you can only see it from the side/at an angle.

 

LOL !!!! We'll the side doesn't get chipped nearly as much as the front. Maybe 30:1 ratio. I can live with that. They generally are much lower on the car and aren't as noticable. It is also a lot easier for me to touch those ones up for some reason.

Frankly, at times I think the front bra looks kinda lame.
I think rock chips look even more lame on the weekend.
On my car with the black rear spoiler it kinda balances it out.
Also, the bra made by Colgan is of such good quality I don't mind it much.

I had a bra for my 1984 300ZX Turbo AE. It looked like He!! and the 300ZXT was not as suceptable to front rock chips so I did not use it. The 350Z will have 10 rock chips in the front if you just drive it down the freeway where I live just once.
Below is a picture of the bra that was on the 300ZXT.

 

I have a few teeny tiny chips on my doors as well. Just blows me away at how $hitty the paint is.

After waxing today, I dicovered I now have a small chip on the back part of my roof too.

I have no idea how TF it got there because it is well below the line of fire from flying crap.

 

Rock chips on the sides? Man, that's what I call extreme drifting.

 

I have a couple chips on the back part of my roof as well that now have a bit of rust forming in them. Better touch it up before rust forms like it did on mine. I heard it isn't too hard to take out though, but the paint still sucks on the Z.

 

yeah, i have one on each door. i also have a small one on the hatch right under the spoiler! how the hell it got there i do not know.

i am in rock chip hell.

 

Have you ever watched objects irrespective of size being sucked up and over your zed, that's why the stonechip on the roof. I have a few on the roof for that reason too.