Bloody weather...
 

Hey everyone,

I searched around for a while this morning, and couldn't really find an answer to my question. (Searched, scrolled through page-after-page...) I found some related stuff, but not quite what I needed. If there is a thread already, I'd love to have a link thrown up. I apologize if there is a post.

Anyway, here's the deal: Anyone who lives in the north east knows this winter has been brutal. And it has not been nice to ol' Bruce. (I imagine he's feelin' like Bruce did in the beginning of Dark Knight Rises...) I've done my best to keep him off the road, and 99% of the time I just take my wife's Altima out for DD. We work like, 5 minutes from each other, so we drive together most mornings. There have, however, been a handful of times where I had no option but to roll in Bruce.

So, frigid-arse weather + endless road salt/gravel + PA's notoriously horrendous roads = plenty of rock chips. I've repaired rock chips before, and am not too concerned about them. However, the other day I found a big peeling spot on my front fender.

Does anyone have a good method for repairing stuff like this? I want to know how to stop the peeling before I apply any new paint. Thanks!

I wouldn't feel comfortable fixing that myself. Take it to a professional. They should also be able to answer any questions about how it happened and possibly how to prevent it from happening elsewhere. You might also find out whether it's a warranty issue, and whether the dealer would fix it for free.

No offense, but it seems to me that you having to ask this question is evidence that you don't have the proper experience to perform the repairs :twocents:

If you are fully comfortable doing paint repair, then you probably just need to find out how far the failure extends. Maybe you can chip away at it to see how much will chip off. Then you can sand it all down, prime, and blend the paint. It looks like it's just the front bumper, which might not be too much more expensive to repaint the whole thing. You'll want to make sure the paint matches your hood and fenders. If you take it somewhere, they will need your car to ensure the match.

No offense taken, at all. That was one of the things I was considering - whether or not I should just take it to a pro. There are some other dings on my front fender that are beyond my (lack of) expertise as well. Maybe I'll hold out for one more before I have the whole thing repainted. (Or once my wife and I buy a house with a garage...)

When it comes to sanding paint, it terrifies me. I'd rather sand my own flesh.

:tiphat: Holding out for a garage might be a good decision if the wait isn't too long.

:icon18: Yeah, I feel similar :icon17:

might as well have the entire bumper resprayed. thats the only correct way of fixing this. should cost around $300

Wow that's bad! Sorry for your troubles and good luck getting it fixed

like body shop? :ugh2: holyhell...

Ron, sorry to ask, but is that a turd on your shoulder?

:iagree: You could try fixing it yourself, but it probably won't look right. That's pretty bad to fix yourself unless you have painting experience/right equipment. I had my bumper repainted on my 350z because of the rock chips..I believe I paid 250-300 cash.

I agree with JARblue - get a professional opinion on how bad the damage is and what it will take to fix it and then decide if you think you can DIY. I'm also inclined to agree with "if ya gotta ask..."

We've been over this already... Yes. It is a turd. :yum:


Thanks for the input, and also the price estimates! I thought it would be significantly more to have the whole thing resprayed. Maybe I'll look into clear bras afterward.

Anyone used clear plastidip as a cheap alternative? Does it look horrendous?

please dont use the plasti-dip on your fine automobile.

Yeesh. That is bad. I think have it repainted and then see about the 3M clearbra a lot of folks seem to like.

Good luck :(

^^ This. Couldn't agree more