When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Just to follow up on this post:
I was able to repair a couple of spots when I returned from my out of state road trip and it did look better. The before and after doesn't seem to show well in pictures on my black car and the results look better in person. My opinion is after doing this is if you have a couple of chips this product would be a good idea, but if you have many, many chips like my car I would not do this repair. It would just take too long to repair every chip. I think it would be better to have the bumper and, or hood resprayed.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
A friend of mine has a new Miata and he had the hood, front fenders and front area clear wrapped. You CANNOT detect that it has been wrapped. I no longer drive as much as @ThatsMyDawg so I've never really thought about doing it to my car. I know it doesn't help if you already have chips, but it may be worth considering if you drive a lot on crappy roads, like most of the I-95 corridor.
I wish it wasn't, but it is too late for me to wrap at this point, but on my next SL, or whatever I am wrapping at purchase. There has got to be at least 100 chips on my car easy. Freaking 95 and 695 highway construction!
Originally Posted by JettaRed
A friend of mine has a new Miata and he had the hood, front fenders and front area clear wrapped. You CANNOT detect that it has been wrapped. I no longer drive as much as @ThatsMyDawg so I've never really thought about doing it to my car. I know it doesn't help if you already have chips, but it may be worth considering if you drive a lot on crappy roads, like most of the I-95 corridor.
There’s a technique that wipes the paint over the road rash that is meant to handle a lot of chips….not sure if that would do the trick, but the pro that did a friend’s car…it looked pretty good. May make sense to see if someone local can give it a touch up. Those pros can do amazing things…
The new-to-me 2015 SL I picked up this year is in decent shape, but far from flawless. It will pass the five meter test, but get any closer and the front bumper has plenty of dings. Dr. ColorChip has helped but I think I'll likely have the bumper repainted sooner or later. I don't mind slow rolling down the interstate in the right lane with Distronic set just under the prevailing speed of traffic to keep back from vehicles in front of me. Would consider a wrap after the re-spray as there is a good shop here in Frederick for tinting and vinyl work.
I wouldn’t wrap or anything after painting. That new paint is pulling off whenever that wrap comes off.
Originally Posted by JustCruisin
The new-to-me 2015 SL I picked up this year is in decent shape, but far from flawless. It will pass the five meter test, but get any closer and the front bumper has plenty of dings. Dr. ColorChip has helped but I think I'll likely have the bumper repainted sooner or later. I don't mind slow rolling down the interstate in the right lane with Distronic set just under the prevailing speed of traffic to keep back from vehicles in front of me. Would consider a wrap after the re-spray as there is a good shop here in Frederick for tinting and vinyl work.
I had my front fascia resprayed at Mace Auto Body in Smithsburg, MD. They did a great job. When the yellowed PPF was pulled off by the selling dealer it pulled off a lot of paint. Selling dealer had it resprayed on their dime but the paint match was not perfect. I waited a couple years and paid to have it resprayed again. They removed it from the car and matched the paint perfectly.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. After lurking for a while i decided to join the party because the folks here lots of great experience and are genuinely willing to help spread the love of SL ownership.
Chips are unavoidable especially if you live in a state like Colorado. I suggest getting it repainted. When it comes to windshield chips, I trust Tim at Chick and A Windshield https://achickandawindshield.com/ for almost two years, I have always received excellent service. Better quality chip repair than many of the larger companies. If you are a fan of helping out small business owners, this is the place to go. The last chip I had in my windshield was much bigger than what I’ve had in the past and you can’t even tell where it is now.
After reading many things paint related in general and on this site about chips and paint I will likely get it resprayed should I not upgrade the SL. I will likely keep my car, but it is not impossible that I might be able to grab a facelift SL one day. I feel that I have made my current SL fit my style perfectly and I would not want a facelift SL unless it was similarly optioned. The originally owner selected some awesome options and I have everything I would have wanted except the night vision option. I just think that is cool. Not really thinking about it now, but if I start leaning heavily toward upgrading one day I wont paint my current SL. If I kept it I will paint. Really love my car, but would like it in a facelift year better.
Thanks for the input.
Originally Posted by kchue
Chips are unavoidable especially if you live in a state like Colorado. I suggest getting it repainted. When it comes to windshield chips, I trust Tim at Chick and A Windshield https://achickandawindshield.com/ for almost two years, I have always received excellent service. Better quality chip repair than many of the larger companies. If you are a fan of helping out small business owners, this is the place to go. The last chip I had in my windshield was much bigger than what I’ve had in the past and you can’t even tell where it is now.
Last edited by ThatsMyDawg; Oct 3, 2022 at 08:57 AM.
Just curious where most stand on this. I have quite a few rock chips on the front bumper and some on my hood. I am not sure it is worth it to have the bumper, etc. repainted. In the past when I have had a front bumper painted it looked good at first, but eventually got chips too. Painted bumper can look worse at times than the original painted bumpers when chipping.
Probably a personal preference thing, but do you have front bumpers and hoods repainted, or do you just let the chips do their thing?
Never ends, Stone chips. Best way is to bring it to a high-end bump and paint shop, REMOVE the bumper, repaint, then apply a 3M clear protective cover. Expensive but a good investment if you plan to keep the vehicle, if not, best touch up color. Wipe the chip with a slightly abrasive pad such as a scrubby pad with alcohol (lightly), find an old pack of matches, apply the color touch up to a piece of plastic, using the pulled out end of the match (not the striking portion), tab into the paint on the plastic, use only enough to cover the chip, no more. After it dries, seal with a good hard wax. As the individual stated above, the touch up is never as good as repainting. And quite frankly, unlikely you will lose any value if you touch it up correctly with a good matching color when you sell the vehicle.
I wonder if regular car wraps (those that change color) still show the chips, etc, through those wraps? I assume they would since the wraps are so tight on the car. I was thinking about a wrap, but not if it is still going to show all the chips and stuff.
Originally Posted by JettaRed
A friend of mine has a new Miata and he had the hood, front fenders and front area clear wrapped. You CANNOT detect that it has been wrapped. I no longer drive as much as @ThatsMyDawg so I've never really thought about doing it to my car. I know it doesn't help if you already have chips, but it may be worth considering if you drive a lot on crappy roads, like most of the I-95 corridor.
I wonder if regular car wraps (those that change color) still show the chips, etc, through those wraps? I assume they would since the wraps are so tight on the car. I was thinking about a wrap, but not if it is still going to show all the chips and stuff.
I have an SL 63 totally wrapped. Yes the stone chips still penetrate the wrap. Best if you do get a color wrap, to put a clear 3M over the color wrap. As you can see, the stone chips will still happen with a wrap. I decided today, not to make the same mistake here, match the color, I am having the front lower portion rewrapped with the original 3M color.
Thats not what I meant. I know a new rock chip will/can do damage to a wrapped car. (a rock hits the wrap and makes a chip/hole in the wrap) I was speaking of a wrapped car that already has the chips (the wrap is going onto of the old chips) will the old chips show through the new wrap? I think they will, but not sure how thick a wrap is. Never seen one in person....
Originally Posted by FIGHT BOSS
I have an SL 63 totally wrapped. Yes the stone chips still penetrate the wrap. Best if you do get a color wrap, to put a clear 3M over the color wrap. As you can see, the stone chips will still happen with a wrap. I decided today, not to make the same mistake here, match the color, I am having the front lower portion rewrapped with the original 3M color.
Hi there! If you're looking for an alternative to repainting your front bumper and hood, have you considered windshield chip repair? A Chick and a Windshield is a company in Colorado Springs that specializes in windshield chip repair, but they also offer services for repairing rock chips on other parts of your car, including your front bumper and hood. Their services are quick and affordable, and they use high-quality materials to ensure that your car looks great after the repair. You can learn more about their services and schedule an appointment on their website at https://achickandawindshield.com/. It's definitely worth considering as a cost-effective option to keep your car looking its best.
Sounds like a great service. I am wondering if there is anything like this in SoCal. I have tried my hand at fixing chips in paint with poor results. I think I lack the patience and steady hand.
I get my paint from scratcheshappen.com. It's a kit that contains primer, base coat, finish coat and clear for the white diamond paint code. I use small brushes and an air brush with thinner for the finish and clear coats. Takes patience and a couple of days to do it properly so it wont "pop off" a few years down the road.
Absolutely! Here's a shorter version incorporating the keyword and link:
Hey there!
I understand your concern about rock chips and repainting. Personally, I faced a similar dilemma, but I found a great solution: rock chip repair. In Colorado Springs, I discovered A Chick and a Windshield (<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->https://achickandawindshield.com/), where their skilled technicians expertly repaired the rock chips on my front bumper and hood. They blended the repairs seamlessly with the original paint, leaving no visible traces. It's a cost-effective and efficient alternative to repainting. Don't let the chips do their thing – visit A Chick and a Windshield for top-notch rock chip repair in Colorado Springs!
Absolutely! Here's a shorter version incorporating the keyword and link: Hey there! I understand your concern about rock chips and repainting. Personally, I faced a similar dilemma, but I found a great solution: rock chip repair. In Colorado Springs, I discovered A Chick and a Windshield (https://achickandawindshield.com/), where their skilled technicians expertly repaired the rock chips on my front bumper and hood. They blended the repairs seamlessly with the original paint, leaving no visible traces. It's a cost-effective and efficient alternative to repainting. Don't let the chips do their thing – visit A Chick and a Windshield for top-notch rock chip repair in Colorado Springs!
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Shoulda taken a picture of the stone that chipped my lower bumper. Wasn’t no kidney stone—more like Gibraltar. Of course, I was parking at the time and miscalculated it’s location. 🥴😩
I ending up getting a new bumper due to some highway debris from a pickup truck some time ago. I plan to one day have my hood and maybe my fenders painted to freshen things up a bit. I am glad the bumper is all good, because that was the worst. My hood is now the stand out problem. Chips a plenty. I can likely get by without having my fenders painted, (I gotta look at them again for the amount of chips) but depending on the deal the body shop gives me I may just do all 3 at the same time. Either way it wont be this year as funds are tight.
Do they remove the hood and fenders to repair and paint, or do they leave them on the car while working on them?
I ending up getting a new bumper due to some highway debris from a pickup truck some time ago. I plan to one day have my hood and maybe my fenders painted to freshen things up a bit. I am glad the bumper is all good, because that was the worst. My hood is now the stand out problem. Chips a plenty. I can likely get by without having my fenders painted, (I gotta look at them again for the amount of chips) but depending on the deal the body shop gives me I may just do all 3 at the same time. Either way it wont be this year as funds are tight.
Do they remove the hood and fenders to repair and paint, or do they leave them on the car while working on them?
Getting all three areas painted at the same time will guarantee a paint match on the whole front end. Rather than spend hours removing the parts, painting then re-installing and aligning a good prep man can mask off the rest on the car in 35-40 minutes with light plastic sheets and tape.
Since I wont be going back to the place that installed and painted the front bumper (good work, bad customer service) It is possible that the bumper paint could be slightly off when compared to the hood and fenders paint. I doubt it though. Well, at least the hood and fenders would all match perfectly. I might be hard pressed to spot a paint difference in the bumper paint when compared to the hood and fenders. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it...
Originally Posted by Utopia Texas
Getting all three areas painted at the same time will guarantee a paint match on the whole front end. Rather than spend hours removing the parts, painting then re-installing and aligning a good prep man can mask off the rest on the car in 35-40 minutes with light plastic sheets and tape.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
