Discussion
OK I know shit happens but after six months today I heard that horrible "ting" sound as White Van Man tore past and I just knew it would be a visible chip. Sure enough it's on the top of the wing just behind the headlight, not the biggest chip imaginable but when you know it's there etc.
After having the car six months, if it costs £150 to get Chips Away to sort out that along with the other tiny little marks on the bonnet it's not the end of the world so long as it looks better.
I know Chips Away are franchises so you get good and bad and I'm using the term quite generically.
Any experiences of a) smart repairs of that nature on a dark metallic? b) smart repairers in the Midlands (Lichfield/Tamworth/Nuneaton) area who are reputable?
I've been in touch with the place that Sutton Coldfield OPC use for smart repairs and he seemed pretty honest in saying that it's hard to get it perfect with a blob of touch-up paint, whilst the local Chips Away (Shenstone) seemed of the opinion that "you would never tell it was there". Both suggested having a look first of course.
After having the car six months, if it costs £150 to get Chips Away to sort out that along with the other tiny little marks on the bonnet it's not the end of the world so long as it looks better.
I know Chips Away are franchises so you get good and bad and I'm using the term quite generically.
Any experiences of a) smart repairs of that nature on a dark metallic? b) smart repairers in the Midlands (Lichfield/Tamworth/Nuneaton) area who are reputable?
I've been in touch with the place that Sutton Coldfield OPC use for smart repairs and he seemed pretty honest in saying that it's hard to get it perfect with a blob of touch-up paint, whilst the local Chips Away (Shenstone) seemed of the opinion that "you would never tell it was there". Both suggested having a look first of course.
In fairness most of them don't bother me, the newly acquired one on the wing does.
How much does a front end respray work out at? I'm naturally a little wary of the cost and quality, and loathe to consider having the front end of a six month old 987 resprayed simply to deal with a few chips - seems kind of heavy and I'd sooner look and think "annoying stone chip" than look and think "it's a different colour from the doors back"
How much does a front end respray work out at? I'm naturally a little wary of the cost and quality, and loathe to consider having the front end of a six month old 987 resprayed simply to deal with a few chips - seems kind of heavy and I'd sooner look and think "annoying stone chip" than look and think "it's a different colour from the doors back"
I recently got quotes for a front end re-spray on my 996TT.
Specialist paint shops were coming in at around £1200 - £1300 (VAT? what VAT?) and I also tried Porsche Guildford (it would go to Body Technics in Slough who do all their paint / repair work) and they quoted £1300 + VAT.
In both cases they insisted on doing the bumper, wings & bonnet and wouldn't do just the bumper (though sure you will find places that will)
Both places wanted the car for a full week.
Specialist paint shops were coming in at around £1200 - £1300 (VAT? what VAT?) and I also tried Porsche Guildford (it would go to Body Technics in Slough who do all their paint / repair work) and they quoted £1300 + VAT.
In both cases they insisted on doing the bumper, wings & bonnet and wouldn't do just the bumper (though sure you will find places that will)
Both places wanted the car for a full week.
Left a bit early and went to both Chips Away and the place Porsche use.
Chips Away reckon around £100 and they would "blow" an area approx 6" square and the chip wouldn't be noticeable etc.
Porsche place say they wouldn't touch Chips Away (not that specific one they meant "at all" as there is no way of totally sorting it without re-spraying the wing.
The chaps advice was basically that he would just live with it and if/when there were a few more consider having it sorted.
It's about £150 to do the wing, £200 or so for the bonnet and £300 or so for the front bumper.
Chips Away reckon around £100 and they would "blow" an area approx 6" square and the chip wouldn't be noticeable etc.
Porsche place say they wouldn't touch Chips Away (not that specific one they meant "at all" as there is no way of totally sorting it without re-spraying the wing.
The chaps advice was basically that he would just live with it and if/when there were a few more consider having it sorted.
It's about £150 to do the wing, £200 or so for the bonnet and £300 or so for the front bumper.
AFAIK the way they do with the chips are just touch up with a blob of touch up paint and then rub down with something like Langka chip repair stuff ( http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8... ) you can do it youself for a fraction of the cost!
Chips away and other smart repair systems are not designed to be a long term solution to paint repair and really only 'take your eye off' the problem temporarily(eventually the area that is repainted goes dull).Thats acceptable on a bread and butter car,or if you are not that fussy about paintwork but if the cars your pride and joy then a proper paintshop with an oven provides a better if more expensive solution.
Butzi said:
ED965 said:
Once painted, how much to Armourfend then, any ideas?
If you go for Paintshield, you can have a full frontal coverage with no visible lines! cost @@£1kAs mentioned, Paintshield do full coverage upto the A pillar but also two other sizes for the bonnet. This one is the extended coverage.
front end before film.
Front end with film
This is with high flash to make the line more pronounced for an idea where the film finishes
Overall front end with film fitted.
Hope this helps give some kind of idea of what the car would look like with a stone protection film fitted.
Kev
Edited by evolutionvalet on Thursday 24th May 21:27
I used chipsaway for a small scratch just above the sill (silver) and it was fine but a similar repair at waist height to my 4WD (dark blue met) looks bloody awful in bright sunlight!
Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
Mark911 said:
I used chipsaway for a small scratch just above the sill (silver) and it was fine but a similar repair at waist height to my 4WD (dark blue met) looks bloody awful in bright sunlight!
Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
Yup and that's the worry. Now that I've chilled out a bit about it (god how sad do I sound!) it is only a small chip but it's bloody annoying.Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
I'm picking up a touch-up pen from the OPC tomorrow, what I thought I might do was try out the "cocktail stick" method on a little ding down the bottom of the front bumper skirt and see how it looks - if I
it up I should either be able to dab it off quick enough or it'll be somewhere nobody will ever spot it.hutchingsp said:
I'm picking up a touch-up pen from the OPC tomorrow, what I thought I might do was try out the "cocktail stick" method on a little ding down the bottom of the front bumper skirt and see how it looks - if I it up I should either be able to dab it off quick enough or it'll be somewhere nobody will ever spot it.
I've done the 'cocktail stick' thing on my p/u and ,it looks as if I applied it more with a cocktail sausage than stick , but it does get your eye off the offending blemish 'til you loosen out your pocket and get the job done right. it up I should either be able to dab it off quick enough or it'll be somewhere nobody will ever spot it.The bottom line is , it means you can live with 'camouflaged' stone chips over a two year period rather than it driving you completely doolally and ending up toddling off to the paint shop every 12 months.
hutchingsp said:
Mark911 said:
I used chipsaway for a small scratch just above the sill (silver) and it was fine but a similar repair at waist height to my 4WD (dark blue met) looks bloody awful in bright sunlight!
Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
Yup and that's the worry. Now that I've chilled out a bit about it (god how sad do I sound!) it is only a small chip but it's bloody annoying.Most people accept you've had a bit of bad luck with a stone chip but a poor repair makes you look a cheapskate.
I'm picking up a touch-up pen from the OPC tomorrow, what I thought I might do was try out the "cocktail stick" method on a little ding down the bottom of the front bumper skirt and see how it looks - if I
it up I should either be able to dab it off quick enough or it'll be somewhere nobody will ever spot it.rimmer said:
hutchingsp said:
OK I know shit happens but after six months today I heard that horrible "ting" sound as White Van Man tore past and I just knew it would be a visible chip.
what are you doing letting white van man past?? lolunlucky about the stone chip by the way.
I could almost see it coming tbh but I could hardly slam the brakes on, especially as I had Mr Audi right up my arse end.
Found out a few tips/techniques to try and I'm popping to the OPC later to pick up the touch-up pen so we shall see.
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