So I'm cruisin down I-5, doing 70 and what looks like a flange of aluminum suddenly flips up from the car in front of me and scrapes up my hood. Now I've got a series of scratches/scrapes running from the front of the hood all the way up to the front windshield.

The area of damage looks is large enough that if I just try to cover it with touch up paint, it'll look lousy - are there any tips or tricks that will help me repair the damage?

 

Repair the hood completely. It will be easier and get the best results. You will be happier.

<font color=blue>Merlin</font color=blue>

 

You mean just have the whole hood repainted?

 

i think that sounds right...
i wonder if insurance covers crap like this...

sorry to hear about the bad luck, btw

b0h

 

Yes it does if you have comp coverage (which you should)

Yes, the only way to go is have the whole hood repainted. Don't do anything else. You will be happier and it will kill your resale value if you don't.

 

I was on the 5 frwy also (just south of El Toro) yesterday, going south and had a piece of metal come up from the car in front of me. It hit on the front bumper (made a loud clunck) then went under the car and out the back somewhere. When I looked at the damage later, a section of plastic had been gouged out of the bumper near the front plate.

The good news is, I was in my wife's 02 Camry at the time and my G-sedan was safely at home in the garage. Let's just say, the wife wasn't too impressed since it was my idea to take her car that afternoon to save my gas.

Carl

Emerald Green Sedan / CA License: MY G RYD

 

Comprehensive insurance would cover the hood, but unless your deductible is $100 or less, it probably won't do you much good. If you do decide to get it repainted, make sure you go to a quality body shop. Some place that actually removes the hood from the car to paint it, so they can paint the whole thing. If they just tape off the car and paint the top of the hood, the paint around the edges will eventually start to chip off.

You could also look into Langka (www.langka.com). I've heard it mentioned, but haven't tried it. Or just use the touch-up paint and wait for the next piece of sheetmetal to bang your hood before you bother to repaint the whole thing.


2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter