Why do our cars have that texture along the bottom of the body?

[Absolomb]

As the title states, why do the fenders, ect have that rippled or textured effect near the bottom of most of the panels?
I ask because i accidentally starting going over it with too high a grit on my sander and wore some of it smooth.
Now I'm wondering if I have to get a whole new fender or if it will look stupid when its painted.

[NolimitZ32]

How you deal with it is going to be totally up to you, i'm sure a decent body shop can replicate it. The reason it's there was to protect the body's color against chips and road grime, as you can tell its a but more forgiving to nicks and bumps and with such a low car the thought was that it would outlast paint being that close to the ground. There's no golf-ball aerodynamics voodoo with this one.

[Absolomb]

How you deal with it is going to be totally up to you, i'm sure a decent body shop can replicate it. The reason it's there was to protect the body's color against chips and road grime, as you can tell its a but more forgiving to nicks and bumps and with such a low car the thought was that it would outlast paint being that close to the ground. There's no golf-ball aerodynamics voodoo with this one.

Is it a coating on the panel? Do you know what the term for it is?

[macgiver]

mac, my God it's FLEX-SEAL yeeeeeaaaaah , weeeeeeedogggie !!!!!!

[NolimitZ32]

It is a coating, I have no idea what it is.

[evildky]

How you deal with it is going to be totally up to you, i'm sure a decent body shop can replicate it. The reason it's there was to protect the body's color against chips and road grime, as you can tell its a but more forgiving to nicks and bumps and with such a low car the thought was that it would outlast paint being that close to the ground. There's no golf-ball aerodynamics voodoo with this one.

Is it a coating on the panel? Do you know what the term for it is?

It has a few names, stone guard, rock guard, gravel guard, chip guard, body guard, just depends on brand and location.

[Ace2cool]

I've always heard to it referred to as rock guard.

[macgiver]

mac , FLEX SEAL

[Golden300zx]

I know PPG makes anti chip primers. I imagine the texture is from such a primer application as apposed to the top coat application.

the following from PPG site:

PPG’s B1:B2 Compact Paint System eliminates the need for primer by enhancing the properties of the two layers of basecoat that are used. In this system, the B1 layer provides primer, filling, anti-chip, and durability benefits. The B2 layer provides color and additional durability. Both the B1 and B2 layers are applied wet-on-wet without a heated flash-off zone in between.
3C1B Compact Paint System