Not really tech, but this is my first post here so if I'm in the wrong section I plead 'n00b'.

Anyway I picked up a 2003 Z Touring yesterday with only 35k miles. Car is in AWESOME shape all around with one exception...The original dealer had put their damn decal on the back above the "350Z" emblem and whoever decided to take it off wasn't exactly gentle and it took the clearcoat and paint with it...




Any ideas for the cheapest best looking fix? I don't suppose you can get this factory paint color any more...Maybe just slap another decal over it lol...

 

Why does it look completely janky around the "350z" as well? I smell something.

Oh and you can definitely get the right paint.. but it won't ever look right just painting over that... You would have to respray the hatch I would assume.

I hope the car was pretty cheap.

 

that's wax...

someone didn't know how to wax properly.

 

First take a Q-tip to that wax build up around your emblems. Then, slap another decal back over it. I never understood why dealers do that or why people put paper bumper stickers on their car's paint. Vinyl comes off...

 

Lol at the wax.... that would drive me nuts.

 

haha yeah, its driving me nuts the more I look at it. I've been rubbing off excess deposits left by the dealerships "expert" retailer since I brought it home.

I HATE putting decals on my vehicles but I guess I'll start looking =/

 

If the sticker really did remove the paint, why are you worrying about this and not letting the dealership worry about it?

 

Most likely the car received some type of touch paint or repair near that area. Look closer.

 

I assume the paint was in that condition when you bought the car. If so, why did you not insist the hatch be repaired prior to purchase? If you didn't notice, it is probably too late now so you will probably have to pay for the repair yourself.

 

sucks even more that it says Mitsubishi

 

I have been in the automobile business for about 8 years and have never seen anything like this.

Sometimes the stickers might leave a residue that cleans off pretty easily but this is odd. A lot of detailers have no clue.....

I bought my Z from the dealership I was working at about 3 years ago. Drove the car for 6 weeks on a dealer tag. The day I signed the contracts I sent the car to our "detail department". The clueless bastahd sprayed acid on my minty wheels on a blazing hot day and burned the sheit out of the paint on the wheels. These guys were an outside company we used so I had to hunt down the owner and get him to pay for a fresh paint job on the wheels. They were never the same.

 

How does someone let all that wax buildup? If the paints gone there is no cheap fix. It will have to be repainted. I'd just put another decal over it until you can paint it and let the dealer know at least. Even though I doubt you will have much luck with them.

 

Thats a powerful sticker...ask for the same sticker in daytona blue and just use that to cover up the missing paint

 

Agree. This does not look like original paint. With poor preparation and application it is easily susceptible to damage.

 

I bought the car so I had something fuel efficient and fun to drive so I think I'm just going to put a decal over it.

Any ideas? What decals/stickers give the most noticeable increase in HP?

 

The paint code is B17. Touch it up.

 

let the dealership worry about cleaning it up. otherwise get one of these it's a cheap fix unless you detail or repaint the hatch.

 

plus all that white crap around the letters is more of a polishing compound. not a wax.

 

Thanks for the color code.

 

Well, it looks like fresh paint. They painted the car before selling... slapped on the stickers and if the purchase was in the summer... the paint becomes soft. The cure time for a paintjob is 1 to 2 years. 6 months you have a buffable surface. They recommend heavy buffing untill after 6 months.

Also to note,

If you look at the lower left under the "3", I could be wrong, but it looks like paint build up on the edge of the hatch.. the edge has a sort of "Paint Lip". If it is what i think it is, you get this after either paint or clear coat builds up after a spray. It tries to fill the area just before a paint drip would occur.


-NissanTracker