I've seen a lot of threads saying that if you don't get a clear bra you will be sorry. What is the experience of current Z owners? Do you find that the 350Z chips more easily than other cars?

I am expecting my SS/BO Roadster in April and trying to decide what to do on the day I pick it up...Go cruising or go to the detail shop.

I realize that you are going to hear more from people that have paint chipping problems that those who might not. Just like the transmission and tire feathering problems. You would think every Z owner was having a problem because why post if there is no issue to discuss. I also realize everyone has different driving conditions that might increase the need for added protection.

I currently have a seven year old toyota and am fortunate to have no chips on the front end at all. I use a strap-on (vinyl) bra for road trips but nothing other than that. From my experience I am more concerned about door dings than the front end.

So I'm interested in learning whether the consensus is that the paint really is more fragile and requires the $500-$600 investment in a clear bra.

 

I'm not a complainer type but, yes, it appears paint chipping on the bumper is endemic to the Z. Eithor clear-bra or repaint seems to be in the future of most Z owners.

 

No chips, but have clear bra

 

Is there anyone out there without a clear bra with over, say, 5000 miles on your Z and no paint chips?

How about the 04 guys?

 

I have very few, all just bumper, none on the hood with 16k on my car. Probably from driving it in the winter (I KNOW a sand and salt truck got me on the highway once, just opened up the truck and started spreading sand RIGHT in front of me).

Stupid nissan seems to have used black primer on the bumper?!? My Pikes Peak White car has several small black dots on the bumper.

 

I have had my roadster for about 4 weeks and already have soooo many rock pings that have chipped my paint. I have been thinking about the clear bra, but I want to get the ken style bumper and I don't know if the clear bra will fit it.

 

I had my clear bra installed after driving my roadster home from the dealership and getting a chip in the bumper with less than 10 miles on the car.

I touch-up painted the chip and had the bra installed. 5,600 miles later and "no new chips"

 

what is the price range that detail shops are charging for a clear bra and are there any reputable installers in the Kansas City area?

 

i just broke 3000 miles and i have like 4 chips on the front bumper, 1 behind my front left wheel well, and 1 behind my rear right wheel well... and no i don't go off-roading in it.

 

I have a Super Black 04 Touring Coupe with less than 3000 miles, and have chips on the hood, driver side door, and on the back. The worst is not a chip at all, but the paint under the door lock is actually cracking and peeling off. I don't know what to do about it. Right now it's pretty small, but it's getting worse. I'll post a pic when I get a chance. But, to answer your question, the Z is much more suceptible to paint chipping.

I also have a black 02 Civic Si, with perfect paint. That car was like half the price of the Z, and the paint is infinitely better. I've also had an 01 Audi S4, 98 Honda Prelude, and 91 CRX Si and never had so much as a single noticible chip in all the years I owned those cars. I've had the Z less than 3 months and it's already got multiple chips. Why hasn't there been a TSB??!

 

Its a Nissan thing my 03 Max as well as the 350 obtained mulitple chips up front before I obtained protection up front. The paint is thin on these cars and they scratch very easily!

 

Only had 5 stone chips on my Primera Gt in 6 yeras and 80000 miles, Have 3 on my Zed at 6000 miles

 

7,000 miles, no bra, one chip....can barely be seen.

Silverstone.

My 2000 Black Eclipse GT had chips all over it within the first 5k miles.

 

I had a lot on my front @4k. At 4200mi's front bumper was resprayed. No more chipping

 

I have about 4500 miles on mine, and I guess I'm just lucky because I don't see any. What is this clear bra?

 

Thick plastic like film that is applied to the front bumper, mirrors, rear bumper, hood etc....
Expensive and noticeable. Everyone I've seen you can see where it begins and ends. It also costs more than it would to correct the real problem. Which is the thin paint on the front bumpers of the '03 Zs. Respraying is the only way to correct this.

 

I have like 13k and probably about 5 chips, it helps if you don't follow closely, but it does seem to chip easily IMO

 

FYI - New paint from BASF at the Tochigi Plant. That's not what they used at the Oppama Plant. 350Z production moved to the Tochigi plant last month. The move to the new plant should improve the paint quality.


BASF NOF Coatings Co., Ltd. (BNC) BNC's Automotive OEM Coatings Division was able to land a three-year contract to supply spray paints to Nissan plants in Tochigi and Kyushu.

 

I'm reliably informed by a repairer friend that the problem's not so much in the paint but in the soft plastic that the bumper's made from.
sounds logical to me.

FROZTY

 

I've had my z 9 days now (950 miles). I didn't think that I would go with the clear bra until I looked at it everyday. There is a lot of vertical area on the front bumper, and it's low. The stones that are kicked up from the road are traveling perpendicular to the bumper and are going to expend most of their kinetic energy on the bumper. The stones that hit the hood are mostly traveling tangential to the hood and don't do as much damage. The paints that are going on cars today are more and more water based paints. These seem to be more susceptable to chipping that the oil based paints. Anyway, so much for quasi scientific theories. I went out and got a clear bra on the bumper today (x-pel). I am totally impressed with it. It is hardly noticable on the bumper. I still didn't put one on the hood and fenders. I want to see how the edges look after the car has been waxed again (I'm still a Meguire's fan, no zaino yet).
rich