Fancy Car

Hi Everyone,
I recently bought a 2008 TT 3.2 Quattro from California and drove it home to Ontario (Canada). During the trip I acquired several chips from trucks and stones, the usual culprits. Since then, my local driving has not helped the situation and even more chips are presenting themselves.
Below the grill, the paint chips leave black spots and above the grill, the chips are white under the paint. Is that odd?

I was hoping to have a look at some other TT's near my area to see their front ends but I think I may have one of two in a 100km range.

Does anyone else have this problem or does my particular TT have something wrong with it that's making it chip easier than others might?

Also, any suggestions on where I might find touch up pens for Sahara Silver paint?

Thanks, John

cheeba

I assume that, since you're asking, you're getting an inordinate amount of chips compared to other vehicles that you've owned? If so, the front end may have been repainted. Aftermarket paint jobs are rarely as tough as factory paint since they can't be baked at high temperatures (due to the interior, rubber parts, wiring, etc.).

mikep

I have had good success with 3M ChipGuard. I bought a 6 year old TT which had ChipGuard on the fenders and hood, but not the bumper. The bumper was pitted, as were some thin strips on the fenders where the ChipGuard didn't fully cover, but the part with the protective film looked like new. That had me convinced, so I had the bumper repainted and put ChipGuard on it.

Fancy Car

Hi Mikep,
Is that the 3M "invisibra" product you are talking about?
I was thinking about getting that as well but my local Audi dealer told me that after a few years the difference in colour from the old paint to the colour of the paint under the 3M product would be different due to sun damage on the old. But after looking at all these chips, I'm thinking, "why would I remove the invisibra?". Except to put a new layer on I guess.
Where did you have your 3M product put on?

Thanks to Cheeba as well. I was hoping that it wasn't repainted, that means something bad happened to it. So much for the Carfax report.

John

mikep

Hi Fancy Car,
I think there are various names for the stuff, and probably several manufacturers. I had mine done in Barrie, which seems like the 3M ChipGuard head office. My car is red, and there was was almost no difference in colour on the hood between the protected and unprotected area. In fact the unprotected area was slightly faded, but polish and wax restored it to the proper colour. I think most films have UV protection too.

Maybe if your bumper was repainted, it was for the same reason that I did mine - to get rid of stone chips.

The cost of putting the film on was about the same price as repainting, but in the 2 weeks that I was letting the paint cure before getting the ChipGuard put on, there were already chips in the paint that had to be touched up. So the way I look at it, the bumper will now look freshly painted for many years.

Mike