Clear Bra Question

2

2002 Maxima SE

New member
I just bought some bulk Xpel film (4"X12") to cover an area near my rear wheel that is becoming a problem. My question is, how can I fill in/color in the pitting to match the car before adding the Xpel?



passrear_fix.jpg
 
Given that degree and density of paint damage, I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish with the 3M paint film.



The Scotchcal film is designed to be protective, not restorative. It will only look as good (or bad) as the underlying paint finish.



The film is only 8 mils thick, so any attempt to touch up the innumerable chips in that area is going to look horrible with the film over it. If the chips are wide and deep enough you'll even get "fish egg" air bubbles trapped in the film.



Like my father always says, do it right the first time or don't do it at all.



My advice is to repaint the damaged area, wait 3 months and then apply the clear paint film over the refinished area.



Dean
 
Yeah, I don't think it is possible to touch up all those pits. I also don't beleive that the xpel will restore the finish.



I'm looking to:



1) Minimize the appearance of the pits

2) Apply xpel to protect what is left of the finish





Eventually, this area will get much much worse if I do not try to stop it now. Repainted at this point is not an option.



How can I minimize the pits appearance?
 
You might have some luck with langka .. its worth a try. I used it on a few chips on my front and with a little patience and s bit of buffing I had trouble finding them .
 
I used my 3m Swirl/Polish last night and the area looks better. I'm going to try DACP today to see if that helps. Last night I cut out the template for the 3m to apply to each side.



I'm surprised no one on here has ever dealt with pitting before, guess I'll be the first to do a write up on it. :)
 
2002 Maxima SE said:
I used my 3m Swirl/Polish last night and the area looks better. I'm going to try DACP today to see if that helps. Last night I cut out the template for the 3m to apply to each side.



I'm surprised no one on here has ever dealt with pitting before, guess I'll be the first to do a write up on it. :)
Click to expand...



Actually my car has the film there and its either I replace the film every spring or the film looks just about as bad as the chips come spring.



I have used touchup on a large amount like that then wet sanded and polished .. takes a *lot* of time an patience.



What I do now in the winter is apply a few strips of vinyl electricians tape up the leading edge of the fender bulges, the mirror fronts and the leading edge of the roof where it meets the windshield. This saves the clouding your going to get on the 3M and the chips the fender bulges etc are suseptable to. I leave the tape on all winter and on my black car it is hardly noticable from past 5' .. Might look like crap on yours but I would prefer that over the damage.



The tape peals off in the spring with no damage and just the odd bit of adhesive residue to use WD-40 on.
 
^^^



Did you try any cleaners/waxes on the 3m tape? I put some on my foglights a year ago and have not had any clouding or yellowing. I use a plastic cleaner and apply PUPP every few months.



The electrician's tape is a good idea. The area is pretty inconspicuous and only about 2" by 4".
 
2002 Maxima SE said:
^^^



Did you try any cleaners/waxes on the 3m tape? I put some on my foglights a year ago and have not had any clouding or yellowing. I use a plastic cleaner and apply PUPP every few months.



The electrician's tape is a good idea. The area is pretty inconspicuous and only about 2" by 4".
Click to expand...



Its not yellowing or clouding as such .. the rocks hitting the area mar the 3M even tho it protects the paint.
 
Jesstzn said:
Its not yellowing or clouding as such .. the rocks hitting the area mar the 3M even tho it protects the paint.
Click to expand...



Gotcha.:up



Yeah, I'm curious to how this will stand up. My Maxima's paint is like china dinnerware so it is tough to say whether those were caused by rocks big enough to chip the 3M or just grains of sand that won't bother the 3M at all.



I went by PepBoys today to get some DACP and they don't carry it. Know of any local places that carry DACP (Autozone, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc)?
 
Try Mequiar's search engine in the pro area...



Most dealer oriented touchup services would airbrush the areas for $40-60.



Curing time is an issue, but maybe not with the Scotchcal film... Allow the frshm paint to gain adhesion for a few days... apply the film.



My two cents.



Jim
 
Well, I got one piece on. The other bunched up a little to much so I had to cut another piece. I'm waiting for a warm day now to install the second piece. The first piece still has a few water/air bubble that need to be purged...but the install went great.



3m_far.JPG
 
Is Xpel just came in a 4x12 piece and you can basically cut it to fit anything you want covered up? I've been looking for something that's not precut for a specific vehicle. It's a year away but I will be adding a body kit to my Z and I want to protect it.
 
2002 Maxima SE Woulf that stuff be flexable enough to mold to the cups ubder the outside door handles? To eliminate fingernail scratches?
 
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