I got a good one for you guys
 

Well I've had my 2011 370 for a little over a month now. Washed religiously and taken care of better than most newborn children. For some reason I thought I could actually keep this car flawless forever, all was going well until...

Last night I was washing my car, I was working on the front end when I noticed that my passenger-side air guide looked all ****** up (that rubber flap in front of the tire). I never go near curbs so I knew I didn't rub anything, I got in for a closer look and I realized some type of animal had been chewing away at it! I unbolted it to confirm. Here's a couple pics of the horror.

http://i52.tinypic.com/r02osw.jpg

http://oi52.tinypic.com/65zcle.jpg

Already ordered a new air guide, as you can see the creature did a number on the paint as well. I'll touch it up. Maybe this is a sign that I need to order that Stillen splitter I've been looking at? Haha. I don't think I'll ever recover from this, my poor baby. Comforting thoughts would be appreciated.

Clearly those are the teeth marks of a human. Check your neighborhood for people with black plastic stuck in their teeth.:p:p

Seriously, that is strange!

I know! I was tempted to bite this myself to see what all the fuss was about. Stupid animals.

freaky

nom nom nom

:inoutroflpuke: hahah sorry but that's just hilarious. you should've just bought a used one in the market section. pretty sure the dealer would charge a crazy price.

Now that you get your first one, the next one wont hurt nearly as much

Do you own a gun? :stirthepot:

Don't worry about it, when you lower the car you're gonna want to remove those things anyway. ;)

Haha, that is pretty interesting. Mice and rats like to eat plastic; our outside grill had all the plastic buttons and knobs chewed to pieces by a couple of mice, I had to cover them with fabric softener sheets to keep them away.

OP where are you going to get the touch up paint? I want to grab some for mine as well (Monterrey blue).

Anywho back on track, that is pretty interesting. Heard of mice eating hoses etc but never actual body stuff!

Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com

I got my touch up paint and a couple other things from them, including that air guide (which I looked for in the used parts, but the last person to try selling them hasn't been online since May). The air guide piece was only $20. I'll probably get the Stillen splitter later because I think it looks great, and it will cover the spots I'll have to touch up. I've got no idea what was eating this thing or why. Northern Cali has some retarded animals. **** happens, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

Stillen splitter ordered :hello: This should cover up those nasty bite marks haha. I touched them up pretty well though.

Wow, good thing they dont really like the painted surfaces.

Went out to visit an old friend about a month ago... big house out in the country. All of his pool furniture was chewed up. Not really an exceptional story except that it is ALUMINUM. Squirrels were eating the coating off the the furniture and actually chewing into the aluminum. Fairly deep too! Wish I had take some pics. :)

i didn't know those things could be eaten... :icon17:

Yeah no kidding. He didn't do too much damage to the paint, but it still pissed me off pretty good. If it only ate the air guide I wouldn't be that upset, but the bottom that I've tried so hard to never scrape is blemished now. :mad: Animals used to be my friends, but not anymore.

I hear ya! I would be hot too. Open season!

Until it bites/chews on your new splitter....




Seriously though, are you SURE it was an animal and not you accidentally curbing it at some point and not remembering? Yeah it looks like "teeth" marks, but that could have just been how your OEM splitter looks after you went too fast on driveway turn, curb, etc etc etc. Just saying.

There's no way it was me. The car didn't even move. Look at the second picture, it's pretty obvious that is from something chewing on it. I've never hit a curb in my life. My old man raised me right.

Here's another picture for the skeptics (I was one initially), this is the other side of the same piece... I don't know what animal was chewing on this, but there certainly was. Doesn't take an animal dentist to verify this ****...

http://i56.tinypic.com/hx9hxf.jpg

wow ok... you convinced me OP. Those are definitely bite marks in that pic above. WTF is biting black plastic?!?!?!?

Haha I really wanna know too. I just hope nothing is living in my engine bay or something.

Holy crap, dude. That is no squirrel. They bite, gnaw with thier two front teeth. Not a whole mouth full. Gremlins??? Actually, that looks more like the bite mark of a racoon.

I think I would be mixing up some cayenne pepper, habanero, etc. and spraying my new splitter... just in case. If you mix it with olive oil, it will keep your plastic shiney too. :ugh2:

It probably was a raccoon. Those bastards are all around here and I haven't maintained the best relationship with those things.

Looks like manbearpig bite marks to me!

Thats what happens when you feed them after midnight!... Now keep them away from the water hose

I'm slowly getting over this. Better than a scrape I guess but I'm still in disbelief. I'm moving soon anyways, I don't think this will ever happen again unless I cover my car in peanut butter (raccoons love peanut butter). If something chews my splitter, I'm going to hide under my car in a big raccoon suit ready to ambush.

We are gonna need a video of that one! :bowrofl:

chupacabra..

^^^ Haha, I almost typed that but I was too lazy to look up how to spell it.

toss some mothballs under your car and see if it helps... your neighbors will luv the smell too. :icon17:

LMAO! I would take dental imprints of the nearest 350Z owner..:stirthepot:

In that case, this thread just got super cereal.

MANBEARPIG does exist!

Porcupines where u live??
 

Believe it or not, porcupines will eat plastic and/or vinyl. A friend owns a hunting cabin and cayches them constantly chewing on his vinyl siding.

Hi,

You might want to check to see whether you have pine martens in your area.
They are notorious for enjoying the taste of car plastics, rubber or cables.

If it is a local pine marten (related to weasels) then it will come back
to your car as they are territorial.

We have them here in Germany and are about as much loved as the tax man.

Anyway, good luck with the repairs!

Would a pine marten eat rubber tubes in a car? - WebAnswers.com

Thanks for the info. Not sure if we have those around my parts. It's an arid climate here and I've only seen raccoons and jackrabbits. The raccoons like to travel in packs and hunt garbage. They've ambushed me several times on late-night walks to the gym but I always manage to outwit the alpha male. I did move my car and so far nothing has come back for the other air flap. I knew it was only a matter of time before an animal ****** with my car though, I always have that gut feeling.