I just washed the truck. It's a beautiful day, it's 50 outside! I break out the chamois to dry it off to reveal chips all over my hood. I guess I shouldn't have gotten behind a salt truck during the last storm. The salt sling really f*#$'d up my hood. I guess that teaches me a lesson! God, I hate winter and salt!

 

They mix gravel in with the salt up here. Last year my car was sprayed by an oncomming truck, I was doing about 60 and the truck maybe 40-50. The result of the 100mph+ salt/gravel was hundreds of chips and a cracked windshild. (now about 2 ft long) If I can't pass with an extra lane between us I sit back 1/4 mile and curse.

 

I can totally relate...

My 05' has chips all over the front and several up on the hood. Mine, unfortunately, occur year-round due to an adjacent gravel quarry.

RP

 

I'm really pissed now. I just got back from taking the kids to grandma's house. The neighbor compliments me on how my truck looks. I take the kids inside and come out. The neighbor says " Man your truck looks great till I saw the hood. Is that paint spray on it!"

I'm going to the shop Monday to get prices on re-painting the hood

 

Now being the naive little boy I am, I ask for minimal flaming. But what about those plastic little deflectors?



Couldn't you just gt one of those guys to take the fall for you when you're traveling? I know they're tacky, so mabye just for the traveling/practicality. And then take it off for when youre driving through town, collecting women's phone numbers on your way to the supermarket.

 

the Bug deflectors can only help just some. It can't protect the bumper paint or anything though. I also have chips on the bumper and hood with the bug guard on from winter beating of salt trucks. Yeah, it gets me mad, but what are you going to do about it though? Its going to happen again next winter, and so on. Salt trucks suck

 

I just backoff when I see a Plow/Salt truck, they win all the time.

 

there seem to be a bunch of this with the problem...count me in. my grille guard saved me last week- ive got a dent in the top crossbar from a gravel truck rock- yea, a dent the size of a dime in the member- man if that wasnt there i'd have a hole in the windshield.
hey rp, as you are the detail master- you've got these pits too all over the front fascia- do you do anything with them- you know, seal them or do anything to keep em from spreading/flaking? (other than sanding it down, and refinishing)

 

No salt or gravel worries down here in Houston, TX -- just Love Bugs!

But I remember the problem well, having grown up in Minneapolis, MN! My solution back then was driving a "winter beater" from November through March -- I just couldn't bear the thought of driving my "baby" in the snow, salt, slush, and cold of a long Minnesota winter!

 

This spring, I'll do a little touchup paint work... that'll consist of a blob, sanding it down, polishing out the scuffs and moving forward. If the 3M film didn't show up so bad on black, I would've installed it on day one.

 

3M Film? What is it and how much does it cost?

 

It is a clear plastic film that is applied to the surface of your paint in a fashion similar to how tinting is applied to your windows. When installed, it provides a layer of protection against rock chips and other nicks and dings to the surface of your paint.

I had it applied to the leading edge of my hood, the painted fascia area between my grille and bumper, the leading edge of my front quarter panels, my headlights, and my foglights -- all for $350.00.

I only have 475 miles on my F-150, so I can't really say that it has saved me any nicks on this vehicle so far. However, I also had it applied to my wife's '05 Escape when we purchased it a year ago, and can attest to the fact that it has already saved several nicks on that vehicle!

Below are a couple of pictures that show how difficult it is to see against my Medium Wedgewood Blue paint.

The edge of the film is about 1/4" above my finger in this shot:




Here's a sideways shot across the hood in direct sunlight:

 

After I get my hood re-painted, I'm going to get tht done as well. Not a bad idea of doing to try to save the hood! Bug deflectors and hood shields look really gay. They don't go on my truck

 

Yep, my shield is gonna be off soon. Its kinda stylish on my paint though. In winter might as well put a whole bra cover on in winter maybe, but all that leaves is the windshield.

 

Living in South Georgia just gets better and better.

Snow? What's that?
Ice? On the roads???!!
Salt? You mean the stuff you put in icecream churns?

Sorry guys.