ok....i know there have been issues with the quality of the paint on the tC. i have had mine for a little over a week, and i was considering gettin a few clear coats of paint on it to preserve the factory color...has anyone done this? is it worth the money? and ideas how much it would cost? thanx...

-solotC

 

i'm not even sure if that's something that can be done, but I had considered that several months ago. i think it'd be well worth it if you could find a shop to actually do it. I'd recommend calling around local paint and body shops in your area to see what they say.

 

Solo, Call around your area I know it can be done... Prices depend on your area aswell... All and all I think it would be a good investment.. Scion paint is cheap

 

actually, believe it or not, the more the layers of paint= the easier the paint will chip.

If you get too many layer of paint/clearcoat on a car, over time you will get crows feet and check marks in the paint because there is too much paint!

Basically , your better off getting paint protection film applied.....

 

the more layers of paint the easier it chips? thats new to me...maybe i should do some research. i know that most higher end models have multiple layers not only for color depth, but also for protection. for instance, my fathers jaguar xj6 has 10 layers of paint...i think something like 4 or 5 are clear coats. and my mothers volvo xc90 has 6 or 7 coats of paint. if it is true that the more paint layers, the easier it chips, why do so many manufactuers and aftermarket paint shops (as in custom paint jobs) apply multiple layers?
well, anyway....is this paint protection film your talking about some kind of chemical, or is it a plastic or vynl *spelling?* that u paste on top of the paint...?

i will call around and check prices...i'll try to post what i found incase anyone esle is interested in this.

 

Solo,

The protection film is made by 3M (I'm sure there are others) and there are a couple of tipics on it here. When I owned a TT, ALL the Audi owners swore by it...its basically a clear bra (most are applied to the front of the car), but pretty invisible to the eye unless you come up close to it.

Wish I could say something about the extra coats, but don't know...my car's clear coat has chipped and scratched off at a couple small spots on the driver's door side...funny that the grill and front hood are chip free so far! (KNOCK ON WOOD!)

 

The more layers of paint the higher chance of chipping.

The two things that keep paint alive, is oils, and flexability.

That's why dish detergent and car washes are some of
the worse things you can do to a car. They strip away the
natural oils and the paint gets dry, oxidizes, and then
eventually chips/flakes.

 

well put it this way, my focus I used to have (thank GOD i dont have it any more) it had 4 layer of pain on it . the fist layer was the original, and the 3 there after were combo's of repaint and clearcoats that were done because ever time someone, or something hit me- it was painted over.

well last year (right before I sold it ) the paint started to get crows feet in it ( little gashes that look like // / /// //// // )

I had to have the hood sanded down to bare metal, and repainted with ONE layer of paint. the reason why I had soo many layers of paint is that insurance companies usually wont pay to have a body panel sanded to bare metal- rather just have a body shop add more layers of paint to it.

your whole story of your parent's car have 7 or 8 layers of paint is compleate B.S. I dont know if the sales man told you guys this- but think about it- if you have that many layers of paint on metal- it going to be too thick- Trust me- Ive detailed every expensive car there is (not literally) and they ALL GET ROCK CHIPS. thats why dealers put paint protection film on expesive cars- not more paint!

Do you think your dad's 'jaguar xj6' has THAT many layers of paint . Im real sure Ford ( who owns Jag ) payed to have that done. Come on - the bean counters at FORD skimped on the Focus soo bad- i think they are up to 13 recalls now?

Bottom line- ask any professional body shop- the more layes of paint= more problems down the road-

When I asked the body shop that I trust if they could put on more clear coat- they laughed!- and told me about paint protection film....

 

ok, cool...so it seems i was wrong and more layers of paint can actually hurt the car...who knew? this clear bra thing seems like a big chance to me...i am very concerned about the price of it...i want whole car protection if possible, not just the front...well, who knows, i'll hafta decided what to do.

btw, i checked my car today and it got scratched...a truck threw a pebble and hit me on 495...but yea, i compared that to my fathers car and he has multiple chips (yes i noticed the crows feet), but his car still has paint under the chips. some of them are deeper then the chip on mine...i just dont want my car paint to chip away...but i'm prolly just makin a big deal out of nothing. hopefully the paint holds up for a good 4-5 years atleast

thanx for all your input.
-solo

 

just search for "paint protection film" on ebay, or other search engines. You dont have to buy a whole kit- you can buy like a 6" x 80" roll of it ( for $30) and save money!

 

The scion dealer offered an auto armor package deal with paint and undercoat for $800 with a 10yr rust warranty. They offer it to most dealers in the twin cities area. Good stuff. The shine is almost obnoxious. I love it. It was perfect for piece of mind concerning the paint issues I had heard about and that the reason I was getting a new car is because my 10yr old integra was rusted.

 

don't bother....I had my paint repaired under warranty...Your prob not gonna have the car for more then a few years anyway.

 

What are you going to cover with a 6 inch by 80 inch piece of paint protection film?



It may help if you try to buy a 6'x80' roll, then maybe you wouldn't need multiple pieces to cover a door or something.

 

Wax your paint like the manual suggests. thats the best way to protect your paint... the front of your car - the protective film is the best option over any bra or other paint scratching bug shield.

Plus you can wax over the paint protection film.

plenty of tips at www.topoftheline.com

 

bottom lip of bumper, front edge of hood, door sills, rear bumper, mirrors, ect...

 

I don't know what you had to do t oget that done - I'm sure Smash would want to know about it...

 

Oh... as someone who has the clear bra (3M paint protection film), you really don't want something 8" wide - the wider the better. Seams are the only problem with this stuff. The piece that covers the bottom of my hood is 21" wide. There are no seams other than where there has to be (the only one that isn't at the edge of a panel is the one that runs across the hood). That stuff works great.

 

Yeah, Im buying a roll of film off eBay and doing it myself...

 

I added two layers of PPG to my altima when I first got it. Went straight to the lot to my friends shop. Came out SHOWROOM!

 

yea thank you gary, i was wondering how he had his paint repaired under warranty. enlighten us, please!