Today I picked up an annoying stone chip on the front edge of the bonnet. The trouble is it has not only took all the paint off but it has put a tiny dent in the aluminium. Had this been a steel bonnet like my previous MY99 then it would just have chipped the paint. So, I have had to put a larger blob of touch up paint into the 2mm dia chip. Luckily I think it may go un noticed after I have polished it a few times and added a bit more paint, but that is not the point. Had I not been travelling at around 40 - 50 mph god knows how bad it would have been. I am dreading motorway blasts now. After 1 year I bet the bonnet will look like its been shotblasted [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]. Message to SUBARU: Ditch the flimsy alu bonnet and fit a steel one instead. To offset the weight gain put the bloody power up 20 bhp ! [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

Rant over
Other than this I cannot fault the new model

Yorkie

 

Anyone used armour fend or similar to prevent stone chips.

I cannot believe other WRX owners have not experienced this problem.

[Edited by Yorkie - 3/30/2002 8:53:36 PM]

 

I've had mine since 1st Sept and done 11500 miles, it looks like its been shotblasted as you say,I also have a dent from a half brick right at the front. Going to wait until i finder a spoiler or new bumber and get it all painted at once.

VKL

 

Half brick How did that happen ?

 

Yorkie

I had exactly the same thing about 2 months ago. I now have about 3 dents with chips in the paint across the front edge.

Nathan..

 

got my first bonnet dent in my MY01 - 200m up the road after picking it up from the dealers. Blamed DTS for driving too fast and showering me with stones. DTS blamed me for tailgating him

 

13 months on and no marks!
I need to get out more.

 

I think it's innovative of Sub to do this.
At least it wont rust and as they'll all get it no one will complain come trade in unless they're v bad.
I've more of a problem with having to pay £50 for fitted side strips that should be standard!

 

I've got a nice row of thumb dents along the leading edge from closing the bonnet rather than slamming it shut.

Subaru's attempt at an anti tailgating device....

 

Hi Yorkie,

I got a few chips too...
3 on the bonnet and 2 on the o/s/f wing just in front of the reflector

No dents, but down to primer....
How good a colour match is your touch up paint? where from? how much?

IIRC yours is Silver like mine

BOB

 

Me too,
Got my touch up in a 1 litre tin 16 quid from Autopaints they mix it while u wait colour is spot on.Going to need loads of it this summer flys have started wearing helmets up here!

 

I am going to ask for some fish to go with all of the chips I have on my bonnet / bumper. It's only 6 months old.

Oh well my father in law is a panel beater so he can beat my bonnet back into shape! It's just one of those things we are going to have to put up with i think. The rest of the car is pretty cool though

 

I think the bonnet is cool too,just that it is to soft,or in the wrong place??I think if we all drove backwards really fast we would be moaning about the soft spoilers on our boot lids.Its not the bonnets fault,its just been put in an unfortunate place!!

 

6 Imprezas owned between us.

4 with aluminium bonnets.

Apart from the one mentioned by Mrs T-S, hardly any stonechips on any of them.

Where do most stones come from - the car in front. Remedy.....?

 

Yorkie
Your post gave me the urge to go and touch in the 5 stone chips on my bonnet. I use the Subaru touch up paint.
With a very fine modellers brush (000 size). This paint is a very good match.
You need to shake it for about 30mins and stand it in hottish water so it is nice and warm, this also thins it slightly (being hot). just build up the layers, leave it 48hrs then very gently rub down on the new paint with 1200 wet n dry until flat avoid rubbing surrounding area (A bit fiddly). Once this is done use a cutting polish again gently to polish in new paint. Then clean whole panel and polish with normal polish, I use Autoglym.
WARNING THIS IS MY METHOD AND WORKS WELL FOR ME.

Pete

 

Dont follow DTS


I have ally bonnet no problems on a classic shape sonic blue.

 

WRXBOB - I got the touch up "pencil" from the main dealer (£10.65, YES I SAID £10.65 - they are only £3.99 in Halfords !!! but they don't stock Subaru). You need to quote the paint code thats under the bonnet (mines premium silver same as yours). The match is terrific. In fact, after initially filling the chip in I "polished" it down using a cotton bud soaked in Autoglym polish. Worked a treat. Added a bit more paint and repeated. Now I can hardly see it

Yorkie

p.s.
I don't tailgate, in fact I was keeping 3 car lengths from the vehicles in front of me all afternoon. I suspect the culprit stone came from either A: One of the manic motorcyclists that blasted past me at 200mph and cut in front or B: One of the many lorries travelling in the opposite direction. The road I was on had been recently relaid so thats the reason I think.

[Edited by Yorkie - 3/31/2002 8:13:20 PM]

 

No stone chips for 6 months then I let my old man drive the thing, he found his youth well in excess of 3 figures & 1 foot behind the car in front.

Now have 6, 2 large dents, touched in by me which looks dreadful, however have booked in to:

1. have respray/repair
2. have armour fend applied to whole of bonnet, hopefully it will look ok...........

 

How much is Armour fend and A: does it show ? B: Can it be fitted yourself ?

Thanks

Yorkie

 

Had my MY98 STI4 since 98 and had no problems, but then I rarely FOLLOW the car in front...
Still, some little ******* chucked a stone at the side of the car, just under the aerial, & Dentmaster don't want to know.
Moral? If you see a 10 year old with a stone in his hand at the side of the road, run over him.

JB

 

Yorkie, I'm waiting for a price & no it won't show as the whole bonnet is being done in 1 strip & curled under the edges.......

Though its going to be close to 150.00 but it will cost 200.00 for a repair & complete respray

 

The Alu bonnet is a pain in hte ****, not only have I got stone chips from blasting up the motorway, but I've got a sodding **** print just above the near side lights where some lard **** has flunked down on her!!!!!!!

Some people have no respect.!!!

 

I got a MY01 WRX with alum bonnet.
I'd had the car for 3 weeks when a golf caddy car fell off top shelf in my garage, landing on my Scooby's bonnet producing three large dents. On discovering this one morning, I added a few new words to our langauge.

Car now repaired (£400), caddy car launched across garden and then impaled on. Will make it's last journey (to a skip) v soon.

With a steel bonnet, I think it would have been as bad.