Paint Problems - Please make sticky - HUGE Concern for us all

[P5Alive]

Maybe Mazda took it easy on the paint to make it lighter. Who knows how much slower our cars would be with five coats of paint.

 

[Dimitrios]

I'm just looking for trends in the data; build dates, color (mica colors vs. non-mica? - I have Midnight Blue Mica), geographic location (Nevada worse than Canada?), driving habits (you can get hit by a rock from a car ahead of you 120 ft....for those tailgaters among you, you get rocks a plent thrown up by that old lady's Buick you run up on daily.....don't complain if you're getting chips-o-plenty - I have no pity on tailgaters that face the consequences of driving like a$$holes...).

I think we need to look at this more than just "who has paint problems"; root-cause analysis is needed.

[start app] Excel.........ready for data

 

[fkmp5]

sunlight silver P5 -- build date 02/2003 -- got a chip on the edge of the hood above the drivers side headlamp the second day i owned the car.

 

[zum zum]

Paper thin paint...

In addition to concerns about thin paint causing pits on your hoods, I've found that the paint rubs off when the edges of the door contact shrubs and other brush in my driveway (when I open a door). The door edge has numerous thin spots and a few where the paint is gone. I've lived in my house and used this same driveway for 10 years, have driven and parked 4 other cars there and never before had a problem (including Hyundai and Ford)! Frustrating!!!!!!

 

[TexP5]

Hey just kidding buddy, but zum zum if you've been using the same driveway for 10 years haven't ya figured out how to open the door wihtout hitting the bushes?

How do you find out your build date?

 

[cbcbd]

2002 Yellow P5
- numerous chips on hood (13 - just went outside and counted)

- paint scrape line on driver's side from someone's door

- huge paint "flaked" (because of other car's doors hitting) off both passenger doors (paint is off and you can see a white coat

- every time I wash my car there's basically a new chip/flake/scratch on there (it's about right since I've had the car for 1yr 2months)

-I don't tailgate at all, in traffic people get pissed because I actually leave a couple car's space in front.

-I always avoid driving behind cars that usually have tires with wide tread - SUVs, trucks, semis - they really kick up some mad s***

-AND, when I got my car I had them put on this Auto Armor Exterior Protection coating - yeah, that really helped:wtf:


The thing that sucks is that my car's color is a major part of it's character. I figure in a few years I'll get it repainted with some quality paint

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

E-mail your hearts out I get the response I just gave everytime. Paint is a normal wear item. Has nothing to do with complacent has everything to with just not having a panic attack over every chip I get. I would have a heart attack before I was thirty if that were the case. I am going to repaint my car anyways I has no real concern about this. Until then I will continue to give it good wax coat and touch up where I can and send my one e-mail a month to Mazda and go on.

 

[Dimitrios]

/\/\/\/\
That's probably the best policy.

Granted, you shouldn't *HAVE* to repaint your car, but considering the move towards a water based paint system for most manufacturers, it is almost a requirement now-a-days.

 

[Action Jackson]

I feel like I'm evil...almost 17k miles and literally NO chips in my Midnight Blue paint??? I'd like a color poll? Which ones are worse? and the build date idea is interesting too

Drat you!

I was at about 2800 km when I noticed my first ding on my hood!

 

[Action Jackson]

Okay, if I touch up the ding with paint, what do I put over it to protect it?

Is there some kind of clearcoat touchup stuff I can use?

 

[DeviouzOne]

i have had my car a total of three months and i already have a chip in the hood. i got it two weeks ago. i know this cause i wash my laser blue p5 twice a week. the only thing i have found that helps is trying not to tailgate or (my personal favorite) staying in front.

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

Action, buy a can on spray clearcoat. Get a piece of tin foil double it up and spray some on the tin foil enough to coat and pool in the foil. Then heat it stlightly with a cigarette lighter, so that it thins and then apply enough to fill in the chip with a very fine model brush. Chances are you probally won't even know it is there after it dries. Just my opinion.

 

[fkmp5]

How do you find out your build date?

i found it on the sticker on the inside door jam on the drivers door..

 

[TheLedge]

My cars got chips all over it :mad: And I have only had it a month. I hate to think what it is going to look like next spring after a winter full of rock salt covered roads

 

[Dimitrios]

www.stongard.com

I think I'm going to front the cash for this....

 

[Snacks McGee]

Re: Paint Problems - - HUGE Concern for us all

... this is a huge concern for me as I live out here in the Las Vegas desert and am expecting sandstorms and such. I haven't even touched a "real" sandstorm yet, and this is already happening , I Shudder to think of what will happen WHEN I do ....

Totally agree with you man....Vegas isn't too friendly on one's paint job. All this new construction sucks ass out here. I was behind a huge construction truck the other day on the 15 and the thing was dropping rocks the size of ******* golf balls. I've had my p5 for less than 3 months and there are already chips and scratches on it.

 

[Action Jackson]

Action, buy a can on spray clearcoat. Get a piece of tin foil double it up and spray some on the tin foil enough to coat and pool in the foil. Then heat it stlightly with a cigarette lighter, so that it thins and then apply enough to fill in the chip with a very fine model brush. Chances are you probally won't even know it is there after it dries. Just my opinion.

Have you tried this personally?

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

Yep it works just fine. A small amount of touch up paint to cover chip. Then use the clear coat to fill in once the touch up has dried and no more chip. I would not do it on large spots but small ones it works just fine.

 

[Lil Freek]

i have to get my whole car repainted either next year or the year after.

would using an extra 2-3 layers of clearcoat help?
I'm still debating on what colour i want (either ti gray or silver or both)

 

[z00mer]

Multiple layers of clearcoat help somewhat. But given time, where the chip occur...slight discoloration may result, as well as a change in surface texture.