Rock magnet? Car is chipped to hell

[Viper007Bond]

My car is attracting rocks like crazy and I've never driven on a gravel road or anything like that.

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Any suggestions on how to avoid this?

I think I'm going to try getting it resprayed and then wrapped close to the wheel but I can't wrap that far back to the heat.

 

[tattooed]

How many miles on it? Most/all of the driving in NW?

 

[Viper007Bond]

How many miles on it? Most/all of the driving in NW?

I just passed 15k. When I got it at ~9200, it was not like this or at least not this bad (the car was from Saint Louis). It keeps getting worse and worse too.

The past ~5k miles were all in the NW, yes. I guess there's a lot of gravel on the road here...

 

[Garron]

I just passed 15k. When I got it at ~9200, it was not like this or at least not this bad (the car was from Saint Louis). It keeps getting worse and worse too.

The damage you have is very common, You can clear bra the whole sill it is fine (I put clear bra on my side sills in 2007) Will not discolour. The best protection for sill damage is a front mud flap. I now use clear bra and a mud flap for the front sills.

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[Allan]

Mine's not quite that bad, but almost. Sickening isn't it. Nobody notices it except us though. Or somebody looking to buy the car.

 

[GTS Bruce]

Chips are normal and a good painter will have no problem doing a color match. I hate mud flaps on a Viper and that clear stuff does yellow slightly and detracts from the original color. I got a respray a couple years ago. Side sills,front bumper/facia. Perfect match. GTS Bruce

 

[purplesnake]

I LOVE my CF rock guards and they really help!

 

[VYPR BYT 94]

Alex, I'm not trying to funny here... did you wash it before taking those pics?
Some of those marks are quite a bit higher than I've ever seen... thought maybe some of it was dirt.
If not, man that's rough.
Mike

 

[Viper Specialty]

Tired of chips?

http://viperspecialtyperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=199

Available as front and/or rear.

 

[georgethedog]

Tired of chips?

http://viperspecialtyperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=199

Available as front and/or rear.

 

[Steve-Indy]

The problem is that PS 2's and Cup tires are sticky!! We are VERY happy with CF stone guards on 3 Vipers shod with these tires!!


Would also look at Dan's guards (2 types)...add 3-M products as YOU feel necessary.

 

[Viper007Bond]

Alex, I'm not trying to funny here... did you wash it before taking those pics?
Some of those marks are quite a bit higher than I've ever seen... thought maybe some of it was dirt.
If not, man that's rough.
Mike

Some of the higher ones may be dirt. I've driven it a little bit after I last washed it (no easy place to wash it at my place).

The vast majority, if not all, of the lower ones are chips though.


Anyway, good to know that I can wrap over the hot rocker panel without it bubbling. I may just wrap the whole thing then.

 

[Steve M]

Having driven on Portland roads, I'm honestly not all that surprised. While it *****, at least you are driving/enjoying your car.

 

[Bobpantax]

It looks like most of it is dirt and some of it may just be in the clear coat. Try having it cleaned properly first. Then have it buffed out a bit by a good body shop. You may be surprised at how little is actually in the paint. Another alternative to reducing the problem is to have a better clear coat put on. ( Note the Gen V Viper uses a new, upgraded clear coat.)

 

[ssjcreeper]

Might try using a clay bar after cleaning then hit it with a rubbing compound. I've seen colored wax help with minor scratching and chips before as well.

 

[Viper007Bond]

It looks like most of it is dirt and some of it may just be in the clear coat. Try having it cleaned properly first. Then have it buffed out a bit by a good body shop. You may be surprised at how little is actually in the paint. Another alternative to reducing the problem is to have a better clear coat put on. ( Note the Gen V Viper uses a new, upgraded clear coat.)

Sadly it's mostly chips -- they stay there between multiple hand washings. It's the light undercoat showing through the blue paint.

Here is my full review on the product in detail.

http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/642639-Carbon-Fiber-Front-and-Rear-Stone-Guards-Mud-Flaps-Review

Thanks, I'll check that out!

 

[SYNFULL]

I have the same problem. You only notice it in certain light. But when you see it, it looks horrible. I don't really like the way the mud flaps look (at least the parts rack ones), so I guess I will just repaint when I can no longer take it.

 

[Viper007Bond]

I don't like the look of them either but it's better than the chips I have now. Plus I can always remove them for shows, etc.

 

[Viper Specialty]

Hi Guys,

When ours are installed, they are nearly invisible. The entire point of our design was to make something functional was as little exposed as possible. [Note that in Picture 2 half of what you are seeing is a reflection, not the guard itself]

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[slysnake]

I have the Viper Specialty front ones. Look fine, work great. Gotta get the rear ones soon too.

 

[Viper007Bond]

Hi Guys,

When ours are installed, they are nearly invisible. The entire point of our design was to make something functional was as little exposed as possible. [Note that in Picture 2 half of what you are seeing is a reflection, not the guard itself]

Wouldn't sticking out further be an advantage and stop more rocks from getting past?

 

[Viper Specialty]

Wouldn't sticking out further be an advantage and stop more rocks from getting past?

Actually, not as much as you would think. When you get out passed a certain point, all you are doing is preventing rocks from hitting the car next to you, not your own. As long as the painted surface is not in the line of sight from the furthest outside edge of the tire when straight, the paint will be protected. When the wheel is turned, the rocks will not exit laterally, they will exit away from the side of the car, or in towards the wheel well.

That being said, it is still a balancing act. We choose to not try and stop that last 1% of rocks at the expense of a design much more noticeable. We have sold dozens and dozens of sets, without a single complaint......... Wait, I take that back- We have had a single complaint. However, said complainer made sure to go through the hassle of copying our product and attaching them to his car before be complained and returned ours .

[Side note: You don't copy, install and then return someones product when you live 20 miles from them... and you especially don't forget to take the trimmings out of the box from when you copied them before sending it back. ]

 

[VIPPY2]

Dan;

Are you attending VOI12 in Charlotte as a vendor? If so would you bring a couple sets with you? They would fit nicely in my luggage.

They look fine to me; my 2008 sills are damaged already but when I repaint I want to preserve the fresh look.

Regards,

Jim

 

[Viper Specialty]

Dan;

Are you attending VOI12 in Charlotte as a vendor? If so would you bring a couple sets with you? They would fit nicely in my luggage.

They look fine to me; my 2008 sills are damaged already but when I repaint I want to preserve the fresh look.

Regards,

Jim

Hi Jim,

I am unsure at this point if I will be attending, as there are just so many things on my plate at the moment. It is not looking good unfortunately.

 

[squiderm3]

Tired of chips?

http://viperspecialtyperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=199

Available as front and/or rear.

These are exactly what I have been looking for!

Do you have to drill any holes or modify anything for installation?

 

[Viper Specialty]

These are exactly what I have been looking for!

Do you have to drill any holes or modify anything for installation?

Hello,

The Fronts are a direct fit, and use all of the OEM fasteners.

The Rears use 2 of the OEM fasteners, and also require installing 2 push pins into the inner splash shield. This is a black, unpainted and replaceable wear item, not a painted surface or anything like that.

 

[BlknBlu]

i have a clear bra and both front and back mud flaps from Viper Specialty. Have had no problems with 2k miles on the car. They way the side sills wrap around, large tires and thin paint are a bad combination for chips.

Bruce

 

[bluesrt]

did you ever make carbon fibre ones yet?

 

[Mamba52]

This is what i have.

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[Viper Specialty]

did you ever make carbon fibre ones yet?

Actually was going to start a pre-order on them in the next week or two.