When I got my Maxima back in November '00 I had the misfortune of going through many snow storms and getting stuck behind many salt/sand speaders.....the point, my bumper looks like s#$t now. Everyone one Maxima.org said they had the same problem.

So how about you guys and what have you done to prevent it?

 

The paint on these cars gives new meaning to the term "Japanese Watercolors".

Durable it's not.

Some have applied clear film over the paint (clear bra).

I have just applied my 4th coat of Zaino, but I'm not fooling myself into thinking I'll end up with anythng but a shiny chipped car.

If I can't stand it, I'll have the car painted in a few years for about the cost of the clear bra. Probably have some door dings by then to fix anyway.

I've heard that the soft paint is due to air pollution laws banning oil based paints, but you'd think they would have solved the problem with acrylics by now.

Anyway, to answer your question, Yeah, I've got 5 paint chips after only three months, but on the other hand, there seems to be more gravel haulers on the freeways every day.

 

Just what I thought, not good news.

I thought the G's were made in Japan, pollution laws should not apply there.

I think Nissan was just being cheap and doing their usual corner cutting.

What area do you drive in?

I'm in Queens, NYC & LI area

 

I think the soft paint results from the elimination of lead from the paint formula. From what I've read, this is a fairly new requirement (2001) and the manufacturers have yet to figure out how to mix a durable, tough paint without the lead.

I did some bug removal this weekend and got so depressed, I have literally dozens of chips and nicks. It was so depressing that I couldn't finish the job. I'll do some real deep down cleaning this week and post some pics of my front end.

<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

I'm in So. Cal, and drive to work in the afternoon when it seems every other truck on the road is a dual-trailer gravel hauler. I even have chips in the windshield!

Another real joy is watching a bulldozer on a trailer drop chunks of dried mud on the Fwy. We get to enjoy the results of that moron for days.

chinee...

I know just how you feel.

I use the factory bra on long trips through bug country with good results.

 

I feel your pain. I bought the Infiniti nose mask after I bought
my G. I know everybody hates them. I put it on for highway driving.
My G had the front bumber painted before I bought it used.
The front end still loks pretty good with the nose mask off.

2003 Twilight Blue Sedan 5AT, sunroof, Graphite Leather,
splashguards, GG red 8 wire Hypergrounding kit, 350Z intake duct, Stillen CAI.

 

Im glad im not the only one with this problem and also the same view of: "It seems like every truck on the road is dropping pebbles and just showering my G with them" people think im crazy when I just jam on the breaks for no reason on the open road, but little do they know im doing it because of the pebble shower im getting from the uncovered dump truck infront of me or as mentioned the good old tractor trailer with dried mud falling off only to break into little pieces..

When I washed my car this weekend I too was so depressed to find a spot on my front bumper where it looked like a rock actually smugged the paint. I was so pissed, and the other little nicks from rocks didnt make me feel any better.. I guess the best solution is just to get the front sprayed every few years.

Or I could just avoid the NJ TurnPike all together, but that would cost me hours of traffic each day....




Check out My Home Page for some Hott Deals!

 

This must be a cheap pain issue. My mom has a 740iL that seems to hold up much better. Granted that car is almost twice the price of the G, but for the money we're paying we should get better. There are paint methods and mixes that help this, but they must have cut corners.

 

One thing to remember is that semi trucks in California are not allowed to drive in the Hammer Lane! So if you stay in the fast lane (or are lucky enough to have a passesnger to get into the diamond/'HOV lane during rush hour), you can minimize pebble damage.

If your vehicle is damaged by a gravel hauler, get its license and info....or better yet, use your cell to call 911 and report them to the CHP. They will get a ticket and you can report serious damage to their insurance company.

Think what it must be like to ride a motorcycle behind one of these things....makes bugs in the teeth a treat!

Cheers, Ted

'03 Sedan 5a: Silver/Graphite, Premium, Aero/Body, Sport, Nav

 

Yeah, I always try to stay in the fast lane too. Preferably behind an SUV. Let their rolling billboard silhouette take the hit for you ;-)

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but-- CG keeps a lot of this from happening. Some of those little chips won't happen if you have a polymer, but they will with a wax. I just CG'ed a friend's beater (two quarterpanels) last night to see if maybe I was just deceiving myself in thinking CG looked good and protected well. With his consent, I dragged a nail (iron, not finger) across an unobtrusive unprotected area and it scratched up really easily. I then took the same nail and applied the same pressure on a panel on which I'd put a carnumba-based wax (Zymol). It, too, scratched a bit- and it peeled up the wax. Finally, I dragged it over the CG'ed panel. Nada. I'll get him over here to take some pics later... but it literally acts like a clear "nailpolish" kind of consistancy on the hood of your car. It goes on like in a liquid consistency, but just let it cure for a while. Throw a rock at it, and you don't need to worry about a chip.

It won't get rid of them 100%, it's not magic; some rocks just hit you at the right angle and too fast, but it will make a significant difference when it comes to the number of chips you get.

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint

 

No, worse man, be carefull, some of the tires on SUV's have a tendancy to pick up rocks and throw em at ya.

 

What's CG, is it expensive?

 

CG's a flourine/glass particle suspension. You spray it on a newly-washed, wet car and it settles onto the paint. It forms a pretty hard shell. Yes, it is expensive (~$50 a bottle), BUT... you only need to apply it once every 6 months if you take care of your car. It can last even longer if your car is garaged. You can get anywhere from 2-10 uses out of a bottle, too. If you can learn to just be conservative with use, one bottle will last a few years.

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint

 

Thanks for the info, have you put it on you car yet and can it be seen up close?