Got a nice rock chip on my hood as you can see in the pic and my windshield has a nice little chip in it about the same size!!!

Grrrrr

 

sh|tty, what I have learned is not to drive too close to the backs of cars. I also try and avoid the highway as much as possible. I ususally take the highway to work in the morning, but I take the long slower riverside twisties on the way home. It avoids rocks as well as some nice scenery while cruizing.

 

Chips seem to be a fact of Z-life. Got them all over the front, hood, etc. The I-10 seems to be the worst enemy.
A repaint is merely a dream, since the same damage would happen immediately.

 

I wonder if there is any Z owner who has had their Z for at least a year and doesn't have a paint chip? (and doesn't have a clear bra or recent repaint)

 

weekend drive only then you will be able to keep it chip free.

 

FuKIN ROCKS... get the clear shield expensive but WORKS!!!!

 

quick question: how do we wax the car with clear shield/ clear bra on?

 

Make sure your finish is cleaned and polished (not waxed) and all swirls are removed before you put the bra on. Finish the bra like you finish the car, but use a premium polymer that doesn't turn white when it dries (Zaino or Mequiars NXT Tech Wax) because these clean up nicely and don't leave white caked edges on the bra. I have experience with the NXT, but someone else will have to speak for the Zaino. Use a cotton Qtip to remove any residue buildup on the edges of the bra. It cleans up easily.

 

Yeah, I got a damn large paint chip on the front bumper on the way home from picking it up, NEW, at the dealership. I had to have the bumper repainted before I could put the clear bra on.

 

Z = Rock Magnet

 

You should have put a dime beside it so I can judge the size. There are several posts in detailed describing a multi-step touch-up paint fix. That should help with a fix.

 

a 600$ Clear Bra is your best friend!!!

 

Wow, that's insane. You should've just done a real professional touch-up paint job on it. If you look in the detailing section of this forum, there are very detailed write-ups on how to go about this so it will look like nothing happened (depending on how big the large paint chip is of course).

How long did you wait before you put the clear bra on after you repainted it? You are supposed to wait 60-90 days after you repaint the front bumper before you put the clearbra on because the new paint needs to oxidize. Clearbra installers will tell you this as well.

 

and if u do decide on Clear Bra.. dont be cheap! you pay for what you get..

 

I got one right in the front bumper while driving home from the dealer same day I bough her. It was horrible, I saw the rock come up and then right down on my bumper. I cringed so bad....

 

There's no touch-up paint available anywhere. Nissan hasn't released it yet. Even the mobile spot painters don't have a formulation yet. I've got the Interlagos Fire paint. Don't blame me, my wife insisted on it. I stopped in at two different automotive paint supply stores and was quoted $200 and $250 for a pint (smallest size they would mix) of this **** and the associated materials. My only recource was to get it painted at a body shop for about the same price, labor included.

 

Ohhhhh noes. Blame the cheap Nissan paint. Rock chips are a fact of life for every car ever made you jackasses!

 

first off, rock chips in the frequency and severity of 350z's is nothing near average. its true that no factory paint job is likely to be impervious to rock chips, however I, as most fair minded consumers would expect the paint on a $30k car not to look like the craters of the moon within a year of normal driving.

second I would suggest that you watch what you say on here as I would venture to guess that calling fellow members "jackasses" will quickly get you banned.

 

I have an 04ZR and take the highway to work every day in it. I have a full clear bra (lights, half hood, fenders, splash guards, bumper) and still don't have a rock chip in the paint. They are more than worth the money. I have almost 14K miles on her now and would pay double for the clear bra. I do have small chips in the windshield, but that's it. (knock on wood)

 

+1 the z's paint seems to chip easily from cars I've seen.