new Z4 - sills vulnerable to stone chips?

MikeZ4man

Member
 North West
Hi everyone,

I am a long term BMW owner having previously owned E30's and most recently an E46. I have just bought a new Z4 Sdrive35iS and even with only a couple of hundred miles on the clock I have noticed what appear to be stone chips on both sills which is disappointing (understatement).

Is this a particular weak spot as the sills are so slab sided? Any thoughts on solutions (apart from painting as i guess this will need repeating) welcome eg clear plastic covering, stainless steel etc?

Thanks all

Mike C
 
No actually it's mid sill just where driver and passenger would raise a foot to get in. My first thought was scuffing from shoes but they look just like stone chips as shoe scuffs would appear more like a scrape. All very mysterious!
 
Ive got a couple of stone chips on the drivers door just above the handle and I know it was from a lorry going the other way at speed through a contra flow on the A1. It was a 30 and it was clear he was doing more than that on my side of the carriageway and kicked up some stones and the door got it.

So it can be something as simple as stones being kicked up by other vehicles in close proximity.
 
Thanks guys. To stave off potential paranoia about stone chips or alternatively scuffs on sills when getting in or out of the car, I am presently trying to arrange to have said sills covered in clear protective film. May cost about £100 but that's much less that the cost of sill repainting. Apart from this episode I am very pleased with the car, particularly its performance.
 
MikeZ4man said:
. . . Apart from this episode I am very pleased with the car, particularly its performance.

I bet you are - the 35iS is the ///M equivalent in the E89 world isn't it :driving:
 
I was also going to get the protective film done, because people scuff the sills when getting in and out - they are quite big
 
Happy to keep folks posted if interested, the film guy is calling round later this week with a template so hopefully it will be done by the weekend and yes the sills being high is one of the reasons I want the job doing so as to avoid scuffs.

Although I have owned several BMW's - I sold my last one in May after owning it over 8 years (E46 325Ci) I had originally been looking for a Porsche Boxster. After months of searching for right model / right spec and colour and almost buying a 911 Cabrio instead, I found for the same money I could get a new beemer, the rest is history!
 
Is he interested in re-using the templates and sending me the film pre-cut in the post, then I just have to get local chaps to fit it?
Might save some time?
 
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