Do you get lots of rock chips on your crossfire?

I wonder is this due to poor paint quality on this car, I get a lot. I would say at least 10 new rock chips per year. mainly in the front of the hood and on the front side fenders.

My other cars are not bad at all. My previous 96' Ford taurus only had maybe 5 paint chips in it's entire life time. And my 06' toyota corolla has NONE paint chips at all. I'm sure my Taurus and Corolla also getting lots of rock attacks, because both cars have plenty of chips and a crack on the windshields. (Yes, even on the 06' Corolla )

I agree that my agressive driving style may be the main reason causing the rock chips, however, I drive all my other cars with the same style at the same speed. So what make the crossfire got so many paint chips but others doesn't?

 

The paint does seem to be very soft on these cars (as are the windshields).
Seems I read that MB uses a much softer paint than other makers.

 

I have often wondered at this phenomenum also. Wasn't sure if it was poor paint, low front end, or just me. All my other cars have have had large front grills that catch most objects, not to mention I'm probably just more sensitive to my crossfires' appearance.

ste7of1

 

I don't believe it's poor quality - just paint type and/or thickness/depth.

 

Very cheap but will save the paint.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chrys...mZ140194780185


Higher quality and more $$$.

https://www.xpel.com/products/paint_...ke=8&model=785

 

this is normal with sports cars, because your always speeding, so rock are like little BB's above 90mph.
makes sense since I doubt your ford taurus seen many 100-120mph sprints.

if it bothers you I would install 3M paint film. the same goes for your windshield, the glass isn't softer, your just sand blasting it when you drive faster, if it was softer it probably would absorb the rock strikes.

 

That's why I use a car bra on my vehicles!

 

I think it may partially have to do with the height and slope of the hood.


Another huge factor in the "appearance" of chips is the colour choice.

I was a road warrior for the past 10 years, and put lots of miles on various cars.

The first two cars were Intrepids and were the champagne colour. They hid the dirt and chips well.

The last two cars were the Nissan Altima in black. I purchased the 03 after the lease and had the hood and front bumper painted. It was a mess, all peppered with chips small and large.

Allot of this has to do with where you live, and if you do mostly hwy or city driving.
In Cali there is little sand or debris on the hwy whereas in other areas (where they get snow), the road has sand and gravel still remaining into late spring and early summer. Your car gets sand blasted, and its inevitable you will receive paint damage.

There are transparent plastic sheets advertised on ebay which can be applied to the front of the car. ( I see Valkryderguy has provided an exact reference to this product) However, I don't know how well they work. At one time there was a clear rubberized spray coating. ....Perhaps not the look you want for a sports car.

I purchased a car bra for my Altima however I would only use that in the winter/spring months. One has to be aware of the dust that accumulates under it, and the possibility of paint fade differences on the exposed surfaces.

I'd try a coloured wax and when if it gets too noticeable, have the front end painted.

Hope this helps.

 

oops...how do I remove an accidental posting?

 

This paint chip issue has come up on other car forums so it's not a specific Crossfire problem. The general consensus is that paint today is softer due to efforts to meet environmental standards.

 

~ ditto but only in clear form.

 

First of all, bras, other than clear, are horrible for your car. Second, many newer cars have the paint chip problem. The Infiniti forum I used to belong to discussed the same thing, but much worse!!! A few years ago, higher environmental restrictions called for the elimination of a certain compound used in paint as a hardener. Since then, manufacturers have had to use much softer paint formulas.

 

cgocifer,

In general that statement is correct but not a 100%. I agree that the black vinyl OEM bras by themselves can do more damage then good. However, I would not take my car a road trip without one, but I also have a 3M clear bra underneath. The clear bra is excellent for in town and can take quite an impact but take a car at above a 100 mph and factor in a rough tumbleweed and you can have some serious damage. The clear bra also protects the paint from the mechanical rubbing of the bra, especially when dust and weed pollen/debris get under the bra. My black vinyl bra has picked up a couple of deep cuts from rocks and debris, plus the little bug deflectors have help toss a few rocks over the top.

 

Make sense to me, but I still feel interesting that my 04' crossfire get a lot more chips on the paint but not the windshield, while my 06' corolla get plenty of chips and a crack on the windshield but none on the paint. Maybe just luck

 

That's what I always wonder, if the dirt underneath the black bra, or even the bra itself, would cause any scratch to the car.

I would never get those black bra on my cars because they looks so ugly. I mean a big black mask looks more ugly than a few dents and chips. (not talking about resell value of course. I don't know why some people have the black mask all the time. But I agree with idaho that it is totally fine when going on a road trip or any special events.

 

jackei,

I have to agree the black bra isn't the most attractive but on a white car I can live with it a lot easier then with the damage.

 

Can anyone tell me if it's hard to apply the clear bra film and if it's worth it?

 

I bought one for my car but have not installed it. Andrew says it is a rather difficult job and requires a lot of patience. I plan to have it installed by a local shop who has installed all the kits on the Ferrari's and Lamborghini and Z-51 Corvette. These are cars owned by the club I am a member of:
www.exoticcarshare.com

These clear bra's have proved themselves on these cars and have been exposed to many miles with not a single stone chip and not discoloring and peeling. These were sold and installed by :
http://www.body-skins.com/contactus.htm

 

When I first bought my roadster I stopped at the local window tint and clear bra dealer. The installer came out after the salesman told me they would love to do it and said that he had been putting clear bras on for a long time (years ) and had done four or five crossfires in his career. He said that it was difficult to get them on perfectly because of the contours of the hood, and mirrors. He said he would be willing to do the work, but was only about 50% successful and wanted to be honest about the difficulty getting it right. I thanked him and opted to wait and see how bad the chipping would be. I just didn't want to mees with something that even the installer was hesitant about. Has anyone experienced any problems with installation?

 

I installed a clear bra on my Crossfire myself. It's not exactly easy to do, but not quite as hard as I thought. I made sure I purchased the type with the "ribs" cut out. Much easier to apply as opposed to working each rib with the bra (that doesn't sound right). I also purchased several clear bras from Xtreamcity for my other cars. This is the outfit that pushes these on eBay. I have not yet used their bra but their prices are substantially less then the 3M version and the quility is close to 3M's (might be a bit thinner). Keep in mind that the eBay ones do not have the ribs cut out but do cover more area of the hood then the 3M version I used. Lots of patience is in order here for do it your-selvers.