I've never had a car with so many stone chips. OK, so I drive quite quickly quite often, but I always have and previous cars have remained comparatively chip-free. Now, after nearly 5 years, the bonnet of the Zed has more than a dozen. Am I just unlucky or is this a common feature?
Stone chips?
- Thread starter Busterboo
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Anonymous
Guest
The stone chips I assume come from the wheels of traffic you are following plus those spun out by traffic in the other lane?
I have about 6 noticeable chips from 5 years and 30,000 miles of driving….
I hang back when following traffic and then overtake…but still accumulate them..
I think it’s an inevitable consequence of using your car :driving:
I have about 6 noticeable chips from 5 years and 30,000 miles of driving….
I hang back when following traffic and then overtake…but still accumulate them..
I think it’s an inevitable consequence of using your car :driving:
The only answer in my book is Paint Protection Film (PPF). I used to get stone chips on cars until I started protecting the front, bonnet, door mirrors and wings. I have done this on my last six cars (various shapes and sizes) and I have only had one stone chip on an M5 bonnet. It pierced the film but the bonnet was relatively unscathed. Yes, it will cost about £1000 or so, but I always factor it in to the purchase price. With the state of todays roads, stones being thrown up is inevitable.
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
It’s a common feature because the car has a long low bonnet.
PPF is a good call if the paintwork is already immaculate, or if you are having a respray, but you can’t add it to an imperfect car body, or it will magnify every chip and imperfection in the paint.
Over lockdown I got hold of some auto paper, 480 grit all the way up to 7000, and a bmw touch up kit. With some patience and a bit of learning you can get rid of most chips for about £20. Still not mastered the art of applying the clear coat with a brush! I think this needs a spray can!
I am not saying the chips look perfect after a good fettle, but they are 90% less noticeable and somewhat blended in with the 7000 grit paper and some autoglym paint renovator.
I suppose if you knew how to use clearcoat spray and had a DA polisher you could get much better results.
PPF is a good call if the paintwork is already immaculate, or if you are having a respray, but you can’t add it to an imperfect car body, or it will magnify every chip and imperfection in the paint.
Over lockdown I got hold of some auto paper, 480 grit all the way up to 7000, and a bmw touch up kit. With some patience and a bit of learning you can get rid of most chips for about £20. Still not mastered the art of applying the clear coat with a brush! I think this needs a spray can!
I am not saying the chips look perfect after a good fettle, but they are 90% less noticeable and somewhat blended in with the 7000 grit paper and some autoglym paint renovator.
I suppose if you knew how to use clearcoat spray and had a DA polisher you could get much better results.
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Anonymous
Guest
Deepseaskateboard said:
Useful to know..at least with E89s with an alloy bonnet and plastic nose it’s not going to rust away if not treated…
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
Some results… really need to do some before / after pics next time…
There was this stone chip on the front splitter which had deformed the plastic.
I used a plastic razor to scrape it back, then used ‘high build primer’ from a halfords kit to re profile the front edge, then used bmw aplineweiss paint. (Not the awful halfords paint!)
I let it dry and blended it back.
There was this stone chip on the front splitter which had deformed the plastic.
I used a plastic razor to scrape it back, then used ‘high build primer’ from a halfords kit to re profile the front edge, then used bmw aplineweiss paint. (Not the awful halfords paint!)
I let it dry and blended it back.
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Anonymous
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Impressive…I’m offer free cappuccinos for anyone that can do mine to that standard…
Is your paintwork original? I have not notice that many additional (beside the ones that were already there from the last owner) stone chips in the two years or so I have had my car.
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
Pbondar said:Impressive…I’m offer free cappuccinos for anyone that can do mine to that standard…
Hehe, it took five days in total.
Paint takes ages to dry and have to keep sanding and adding layers. I probably looked mentally ill going out each day and messing with it!
I have to add, this is just alpine white, I presume metallic paints would be more difficult.
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Anonymous
Guest
Deepseaskateboard said:Pbondar said:Impressive…I’m offer free cappuccinos for anyone that can do mine to that standard…
Hehe, it took five days in total.
Paint takes ages to dry and have to keep sanding and adding layers. I probably looked mentally ill going out each day and messing with it!
I have to add, this is just alpine white, I presume metallic paints would be more difficult.
Well I could put up a tent in my garden and give you 5 cappuccinos…
Thanks for the heads up and the time / scale of effort required
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
Pbondar said:Deepseaskateboard said:Pbondar said:Impressive…I’m offer free cappuccinos for anyone that can do mine to that standard…
Hehe, it took five days in total.
Paint takes ages to dry and have to keep sanding and adding layers. I probably looked mentally ill going out each day and messing with it!
I have to add, this is just alpine white, I presume metallic paints would be more difficult.
Well I could put up a tent in my garden and give you 5 cappuccinos…
Thanks for the heads up and the time / scale of effort required
It’s not five eight hour days, sanding and painting is about
5 mins each day. The initial prep can take maybe 10 mins.
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Anonymous
Guest
Deepseaskateboard said:Pbondar said:Deepseaskateboard said:
Well I could put up a tent in my garden and give you 5 cappuccinos…
Thanks for the heads up and the time / scale of effort required
It’s not five eight hour days, sanding and painting is about
5 mins each day. The initial prep can take maybe 10 mins.
Yes got it thnx…
When looking for a Zed i fancied a blue one. First one i saw bonnet was covered in grey undercoat stone chips.
I then went with orion silver, at least the undercoat almost matches the paint.
Don't really have many in 92k of motoring but i always hold way back from traffic in front.
I then went with orion silver, at least the undercoat almost matches the paint.
Don't really have many in 92k of motoring but i always hold way back from traffic in front.
I bought a small touch up pen from Ebay.
For upward facing chips the trick is to amke sure the 'hole' is absolutely clean, no wax polish round the edges etc.
Then make sure you have only anough paint on the brush so that capillary action draws it into the 'hole'.
After its dry a little bit of coloured T cut and its invisible..
For upward facing chips the trick is to amke sure the 'hole' is absolutely clean, no wax polish round the edges etc.
Then make sure you have only anough paint on the brush so that capillary action draws it into the 'hole'.
After its dry a little bit of coloured T cut and its invisible..
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
2k35is said:
Search for your paint code on ebay. I got mine from a bmw dealer but they all list on ebay these days. You want to be using official bmw paint, not some substitute, it will never match.
