Hi,

Three months ago, I bought a new 2004 infiniti g35 coupe that was delivered with 2 tiny rock chips in the hood and some minor marks in the center of the hood from this flying stones (only visible in certain light). 3 months later the front and rear bumpers got scratched in a parking accident. A sliver of the fender (the bottom part that meets the top of the bumper) got scraped as well. Insurance offered to pay to repaint the hood, bumpers, and fender. However I have reservations against breaking the factory paint of a brand new car and repainting it for such minor problems (with the exception of the bumpers, which really need it). I suggested that the bumpers be repainted while the tiny rock chips get touched up (and small scrapes if possible) and that they attempt first to polish off the sliver from the bottom of the fender and then touch it up. Is this wiser? Of course, the insurance will also give me back some money for saving them money - but I'm thinking about what's best for my new and quite expensive car.

I guess I'm asking, when is it worth breaking the factory paint on a brand new car and when is it not? I've heard that factory paint jobs are baked on at much higher temperatures than they can do in any top body shop and that it is always thicker so more protective (against future chips). I've also heard that no aftermarket paint job will ever be as good as the factory paint job. My car is at Amotos, which is probably the best body shop in San Dirego (they do Ferraris, Porches, etc.) Also, one should assume that a top body shop can fix such small things beyond what you can see, correct? Or should I just go ahead and let them repaint all the panels and have it returned to new? This is my first new car and so I am very ignorant about such matters - I'm learning as I go. Any of your kind help and advise would be appreciated. I want to do what's best for my car. Is breaking the factory paint detrimental?

Please advise.

Respectfully yours, AJ

AJ: I usually wouldnt repaint a new car if it can be at all helped.Sadly the newer Infiniti's ( just like all newer cars from MB, BMW etc) have gone over to more enviromentally freindly painting process so they are not as strong as on a say 92.

But even so I would agre that the course of action you outlined above is the smart way to go for the exact reasons you mentioned.

Fred...

Painting an entire car can get quite expensive. At least if you want it done right and in such away that it doesn't start to lift at a later time. Much of the trim around the car must be removed. Most of the window seals as well as some of the windows need to be removed so that they can paint up to an area where the edge of the paint will not be exposed to weather. Headlights, tailights, bumpers, door handles, and perhaps some other miscellaneous parts likely will need to be removed as well. You're better off only painting the damaged portions. With the car eing so new, paintmatching should be fairly easy and as long as they blend the paint correctly, you should not be able to tell it was ever painted.

ajt011 wrote:Hi,

I guess I'm asking, when is it worth breaking the factory paint on a brand new car and when is it not? I've heard that factory paint jobs are baked on at much higher temperatures than they can do in any top body shop and that it is always thicker so more protective (against future chips). I've also heard that no aftermarket paint job will ever be as good as the factory paint job. My car is at Amotos, which is probably the best body shop in San Dirego (they do Ferraris, Porches, etc.) Also, one should assume that a top body shop can fix such small things beyond what you can see, correct? Or should I just go ahead and let them repaint all the panels and have it returned to new? This is my first new car and so I am very ignorant about such matters - I'm learning as I go. Any of your kind help and advise would be appreciated. I want to do what's best for my car. Is breaking the factory paint detrimental?

Please advise.

Respectfully yours, AJ

Just MHO but I do not see quality paint jobs on factory cars these days. The OEM's are on a slippery slope of diminishing quality, purposely I might add. It seems they are rapidly approaching the look of a modern appliance. Your Maytag may have less orangepeel than your new Nissan. And LESS clearcoat. Not more as you mentioned. Like cooking a frog by slowly elevating the water temp, we have been forced to grow accustomed to thin, orange-peely paint over the years. I know of Cadillac dealers that have factory paint so bad each car is clayed, sanded with 2000 wet and polished out before delivery.And with your car be careful colorsanding as you may go right through it and into the base coat. The body shop you mentioned probably routinely exceeds the quality of the factory paint even with the enviro friendly stuff they are forced to use in SoCal. Baking is nice but only useful in a production environment. It has little to do with quality. It makes the car ready to be handled sooner down the line, that's all. I think your problem is more likely to be the repaired panels making the rest of the car look like sheet.