'Soft' paint

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Wed 1 Jun 2005 12:51
'Soft' paint - AlanGowdy
Anyone else with a Volkswagen group car noticed how prone the paintwork is to stone chipping? My SEAT Ibiza (otherwise admirable) is peppered with stone chips to the extent that I may eventually need to have the bonnet and front wings resprayed. The car is used for commuting over a route that I've used for 12 years. My driving technique has not altered in that time. The roads are the same. My previous cars did not suffer from the problem unduly. I note that Auto Express found the paint on the new VW Fox to be similarly prone to damage. Views?
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Wed 1 Jun 2005 13:25
'Soft' paint - mountainkat
think this is an increasingly common problem now following the adoption of water-based paints, think it's more a case of the paint been too hard & thus more brittle - oil based paints were that bit more flexible so withstood stonechipping better.

Car design is a problem too, many of todays cars have more surface area on the bonnets open to such damage, prompted by the need for "pedestrian safety" I think

Previously had a ford puma - was a nightmare for stone chips
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Wed 1 Jun 2005 13:59
'Soft' paint - Ivor E Tower
Any legal experts care to comment on taking car manufacturers to court on the basis that modern paint is not "fit for purpose" as it chips too easily? Bring back the proper stuff that was used until the 1980's; have had a problem with chipping/soft paint on all the cars I have owned that were built in 1990s onwards, but never with the cars I owned that were made prior to then. Modern car paint is dreadful.
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Wed 1 Jun 2005 14:28
'Soft' paint - Altea Ego
Funnily, on the 99 scenic, a flat blue, the paint was very very soft, did not chip but scratched easily (with a light grey undercoat - doh!), and did not like bird poo.

the 03 Laguna (metalic silver with laquer) is very very durable indeed. Hard to chip and scratch and shakes off bird poo with not a mark..

36000 miles later it has 1 chip on the bonnet. (nasty scrape on the plastic bumper tho!)
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Wed 1 Jun 2005 20:15
'Soft' paint - Bill Payer
You can get stick on plastic film from 3M for most cars to protect the vulnerable bits, and thicker film to protect the lights.
It's very popular in the US.
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Wed 1 Jun 2005 22:28
'Soft' paint - mare
Anyone else with a Volkswagen group car noticed how prone the
paintwork is to stone chipping?


FWIW, my Octavia has done 112,000 miles and hasn't suffered from stone chips.

The paint on my Micra used to suffer from bird poo though.
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