Most Fragile Car I've Ever Owned!

NXTAZEE

I have PG and have owned it since December and have driven it most every day. Had clear bra put on after about a month. It's been washed over 30 times and I don't have any marring in the paint what so ever. Well, those damn B-pillars are marred, but will have CF ones very soon. I wash with a foam gun and a 100% sheep skin wash mitt and rinse bucket, the best method by the way if you don't want marring. I have one rock chip on the door from a massive rock a car spit out at me as it drove by. So far the paint has been one of the best I've had. I also operate my own detailing business, so I have seen many cars over the years, and can say the paint on this car is very average in comparison. I have have spot polish one other 370 (blue) and the paint seemed to be about the same hardness. I feel for everyone who is having such a tough time with their paint. From what I've been reading hear it seems most people would truly benefit from a proper wash program, especially the people with black cars, it will help with the marring issue.

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2010 Carbon Silver 370Z 7AT charcoal int. sports package | Clear Bra | Invidia Gemini CBE | CF B-Pillars | CF Fangs | CF Z emblems | Swift Springs | 20mm & 25mm Spacers | SPC Camber Arms | Brushed Aluminum shift knob

OtaconZ

Congrats on keeping your paint in good shape, but you are definitely an exception to the rule. I've used proper washing/waxing methods since day 1 and haven't been able to avoid chips and the like.

dad

I do not know the name of the devise. But there is an instrument that is used, to measure the thickness of paint on cars. Out of curiosity! I would like to know/ compare the thickness of the 370 paint, compared to other cars*!

*except the GTR, I believe it has multiple coats of clear coat & paint!

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

joshs09slvrZ

It's called a PTG (Paint Thickness Guage).

Here is a great one for not too much money!

Paint Meter, Paint Gauge, Paint Gage - HighLineMeter.com

NXTAZEE

Like already mentioned it's a paint thickness gauge. I've owned one for many years and measure every paint job I work on. The Z is 4.5-5 mills thick. This is an average thickness, and I also find, for my car, it's an average hardness. But, I would like to mention that from my personal experience, no two paint jobs are alike in hardness even for the same model of car. Here is an example; I polished two 2006 BMW 545i's. One black and one silver. The black colored BMW had very soft paint where the silver one had rock hard paint . Neither one was a repaint, as they were new, and they measured the same thickness, give or take a fraction of a mill. I see this all the time. So some of us are bound to have soft clear coats while others, like myself, will have harder clear coats. It's just the nature of the paint process. This is not a new topic, we have discussed this on the Autopia detailing site for years to no avail. All I can say is, if your one of the unlucky ones with a soft paint job, you better invest in a clear bra and a "PROPER" wash program. Good luck.

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2010 Carbon Silver 370Z 7AT charcoal int. sports package | Clear Bra | Invidia Gemini CBE | CF B-Pillars | CF Fangs | CF Z emblems | Swift Springs | 20mm & 25mm Spacers | SPC Camber Arms | Brushed Aluminum shift knob

Zsteve

So how much would it cost to have the whole car resprayed with a hard clear coat? And would it look ok?

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2010 LS3 C6 Silver coupe corvette

dropped1

I had a clear bra installed on my car immediately after picking it up from the dealership. I was never a fan of how they look, but it is worth it. I only have one small chip in the middle of the roof and that's it. 3300 miles and a 8hr road trip later. Swirling and such can be controlled like others have said with proper washing techniques. Invest in a Porter cable dual action buffer and you can keep the scratches and such under control .

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Aaron
Do you own a 40th anniversary? Join the club!

SMcK23

How do you wash/wax the car with the sections of clear bra on it? Do you even wax the section?

joshs09slvrZ

You can correct a clear bra with machine polishing, you just can't use too much heat or be too aggressive.

NXTAZEE

You should regularly seal the clear bra with a polymer sealant. Polymer based products are generally better than wax for plastic. Be very carful if you polish the clear bra. I'm not saying you can't polish it, it just very delicate and you need to use a very mild abrasive with a mild process. That means a soft pad on low speed with a mild polish. Rotary polishers are not recommended.

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2010 Carbon Silver 370Z 7AT charcoal int. sports package | Clear Bra | Invidia Gemini CBE | CF B-Pillars | CF Fangs | CF Z emblems | Swift Springs | 20mm & 25mm Spacers | SPC Camber Arms | Brushed Aluminum shift knob