Hey, guys,

 

Just wondering how you're finding the paint on the MK4 in terms of resistance to stone chips. I've got mine for about 5 months now and noticed quite a few chips on the bonnet, mainly around the badge. (Not sure how visible is on the pic, but I'm talking about the white dots next to the badge.) It seems it's a stone magnet, lol. I've had a few chips on my previous MK 3.5, but they appeared within 2 years of owning it, not 5 months. I thought I've learnt my lesson, so I am trying to stay further back from lorries and other cars on the road, and haven't even heard any stones hitting the car (maybe the music is too loud, lol). I have the car fully ceramic coated, which apparently doesn't help much. Maybe I'm too much focused on the details but thinking of putting a ppf at least on the bonnet. 

 

What's other people's experience with that?🤔🙄

I think this is the problem of all new cars since classic paints were changed with water based paints which are much more sensitive to outside forces. Our second car, 2017 Fabia with 110 000 km, has a horrible bonnet. Much much worse than my ex car, 2003 Honda Accord with 330 000 km. 

 

Regarding the ceramic coating and protection against stones, PPF is the only protection that helps. I wrapped the whole front end on mine soon after I got it and after 11 000 km (cca 4 000 km made during the winter) I must say I'm very satisfied with the choice. Front end is holding very well. On the other hand I just cleaned my front windshield today and I saw there are already quite a few stone chips visible. 😞

Yeah, I know about the water-based paint, but the top coat is not water-based, as far as I'm aware... It's just ridiculous how easy it is to chip the paitn! The PPF is so damn expensive where I live, but I'm wrapping the bonnet and front bumper, which are mostly affected by the stone chipping in my opinion.

@Tishout

Is Essex now no longer in the UK where Ebay / Amazon deliver PPF which is not that expensive and is not that difficult to apply properly if you learn how to using Youtube.

Well, it is, but it's never that simple, is it? Did you do the PPF yourself?

Yes but then i was a Car Sprayer & Refinnisher, but not a Wrapper. But i apply PPF like i do Window Tints.  Carefully.

Now using the likes of 3M Line Knifeless Tape is very good when applying PPF.

Being a Car Sprayer & Refinnisher says a lot... I'm a simple solutions consultant, so don't really have the skills, nor the appropriate working environment to do the job. Doing it on the driveway is not great, is it?

It's quite expensive, I agree. But the effect is very worth it. I would never do the PPF by myself. The bonnet has some very "hard to do" lines and curves. Not to mention the front bumper. 

Yeah, I will do the bonnet and the front bumper only for the time-being...

The paint on my MK4 was okay but I was disappointed in the stone chip on the windscreen, from a stone so small I didn't even see it when it hit the window directly in my line of sight (leaving a chip directly in my line of sight....which is the dealers problem, as it was rejected months ago. Take THAT Skoda!).

 

For what it's worth, I don't particularly hang back from anything, as flying stones are so random. The one that hit the MK4 was from a car travelling in the opposing direction which somehow sent a stone flying forwards. I've had a car years ago being hit on the rear window by a stone thrown up from a vehicle two lanes away on the other side of the A1. 

 

Stone chips are down to the stone chip Gods unfortunately, and not worth worrying about.

1 hour ago, Gax said:

I've had a car years ago being hit on the rear window by a stone thrown up from a vehicle two lanes away on the other side of the A1. 

What sort of sorcery was that?!

 

1 hour ago, Gax said:

Stone chips are down to the stone chip Gods unfortunately, and not worth worrying about.

I will make a sacrifice to the stone chip Gods - a PPF at the front... I'm a bit of a perfectionist, unfortunately, so once I see a defect, I cannot un-see it and haunts me in my dreams, lol. Also, I'm concerned that if I had 5-6 stone chips already for the 5 months I had the car, what will happen in a couple of years time... 

On 26/09/2021 at 19:44, Tishout said:

Yeah, I know about the water-based paint, but the top coat is not water-based, as far as I'm aware... It's just ridiculous how easy it is to chip the paitn! The PPF is so damn expensive where I live, but I'm wrapping the bonnet and front bumper, which are mostly affected by the stone chipping in my opinion.

When water based paints were introduced some manufacturers had adhesion problems, Mercedes being one of the worst affected. Current water based paints have no particular issues with chipping and as you say the clearcoat is not water based. There are some very good PPFs, saw an Aston Martin press car recently, but the odd chip on a daily driver is less likely than getting you car doors dinged in Tesco.

So right about the door dings. That's why I park at the furthest bay possible, preferably end of the row, lol...

1 hour ago, Tishout said:

So right about the door dings. That's why I park at the furthest bay possible, preferably end of the row, lol...

The most significant factor with respect to paint chips is paint thickness, the thinner the paint film the better. Any panel refinished will be far more likely to chip especially on front facing areas.

This might interest some interested in the paints & clearcoats hardness by the manufacturers.

http://theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care-blog/detailing/paintwork

 

 

Edited 27 September, 20214 yr by e-Roottoot

8 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

This might interest some interested in the paints & clearcoats hardness by the manufacturers.

http://theultimatefinish.co.uk/car-care-blog/detailing/paintwork

 

 

All of no significance.

It is just a link for anyone interested in their paint or paint in general, at no point do i suggest it has significance.  

I found it interesting, is factory applied clear coat not water based these days?

 

I am very rusty having been in a different country from my spray equipment whenever I have needed to do a repair for the last 15 years I have had to make do with 2 pack aérosols and have not yet sprayed water based paints, all my gear is now stored in my removal trailers so it could be a few more years before I can get my hand back in properly.

4 minutes ago, J.R. said:

I found it interesting, is factory applied clear coat not water based these days?

 

I am very rusty having been in a different country from my spray equipment whenever I have needed to do a repair for the last 15 years I have had to make do with 2 pack aérosols and have not yet sprayed water based paints, all my gear is now stored in my removal trailers so it could be a few more years before I can get my hand back in properly.

Lots of alternatives to water based paint so avoid it.

16 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

It is just a link for anyone interested in their paint or paint in general, at no point do i suggest it has significance.  

It doesn't so best ignored.

8 hours ago, Tishout said:

So right about the door dings. That's why I park at the furthest bay possible, preferably end of the row, lol...

I always get that killer look from my GF when we go shopping and I start looking for a suitable parking slot. 

12 hours ago, TheUltraRunner said:

I always get that killer look from my GF when we go shopping and I start looking for a suitable parking slot. 

I try and shop at stores with proper sized parking spaces like many branches of Lidl, Aldi and all Costco.

1 hour ago, byteme said:

I try and shop at stores with proper sized parking spaces like many branches of Lidl, Aldi and all Costco.

In Slovenia the size of parking spaces doesn't matter. There is always someone who decides to park very close to your car.

 

1 minute ago, TheUltraRunner said:

In Slovenia the size of parking spaces doesn't matter. There is always someone who decides to park very close to your car.

 

It's odd how countries vary. I spend much of my time working in the far east and there seems to be some unwritten law that the occupants on a parked car have to open them with full force to hit the car next to them. Another one is to turn the car onto the roof every time a tyre blows out with bonus points for killing the occupants.

1 hour ago, byteme said:

I try and shop at stores with proper sized parking spaces like many branches of Lidl, Aldi and all Costco.

 

Don't go to the Lidl at Horley then!

 

No store has parking spaces less than the reglementary sizes, the problem is peoples desire for bigger & bigger vehicles which is usually in inverse proportion to their ability to drive & park them.

13 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

Don't go to the Lidl at Horley then!

 

No store has parking spaces less than the reglementary sizes, the problem is peoples desire for bigger & bigger vehicles which is usually in inverse proportion to their ability to drive & park them.

Oddly enough my Octavia only came with one width option. 🤣