Am I the first GIII owner to get a rock chip on the hood of my 2010 Prius? The chip is ~ 1/16" w X 1/8" h located about 8 inches above the Toyota emblem (3" + above the bottom edge of the opening hood edge). It is white; at first I thought it was just another smashed bug. What has been your experience in repairing such chips? Should I buy a bottle of paint from the dealer and apply a small drop to the spot or ??????
I have had good luck with touch up paint on other cars. Sometimes a toothpick works better than the little brush depending on the size of the blemish. Be sure to shake the bottle real good to mix the color properly. After you get a few more you won't even mind to much. I get a lot of them here (Hermiston) as well, it's even worse in the winter when they put the little rocks that pass for sand on the roads.
Hi... I looked at your nice pics but I didn't see anything with a chip on it . I guess you haven't posted it yet. I can imagine how you feel. I am sure that they are going to come out with an aftermarket protector like the one I have on my 2004. It is smoked acrylic and really looks sharp and at the same time protects the hood from debris that can cause chips. BTW... those pics were really nice. Beautiful country out there!!!
I might have one as well, that or some stubborn bug junk that wouldn't come off w/ pressure washing (wide spread, 1700 psi), or minor picking w/ my nail.
Is the exposed hood substrate white? That bodes well for white care owners. I own a non-Prius that is silver and the rock chips show up black.
I had a SUV kick up a rock that hit my driver’s side rear passenger door. It left a very small dent that I will have rubbed out. I did buy the touchup paint and filled the chip in with paint. I first clean the area with Turpentine. Next, fill in the chip with a bubble sized amount of paint. Let it sit up for 10 to 15 minutes and then go over it with Turpentine again to get the excess paint off the paint or any paint outside of the chip. You will have to do that a few times to fill it in with paint. Look in your phone book. The Chip Doctor is one in the San Diego area. It feels bad to get a chip early on but everyone will get them eventually. All my cars are very nice inside and out but I don't want nor do I own a trailer queen. White is the best color to fix. I can fix those so well I have a hard time finding them after I'm done. The Barcelona Red is a great color to fix. Silver is a tough one to make disappear. I have a five and ten rule. If you can't see it five feet away or while moving at 10 mph, it's not there.
Yep! Looks like a plastic. []Just leave the dead bugs on the car and you will never notice any scratches. [] I'm beginning to wish I had insisted on the Sandy Beach color as it seems to be closest to the dirt that coats especially the rear below the spoiler. Have washed IIIBlueII about once a week but that will not likely continue for too long.
Bummer. Looks like you live on gravel, though...so sadly you'll have to be extra careful. Some people had talked about a clear plastic coating that can be applied to the front end, so you could maybe look into doing that to save some future chips. Great pictures, btw...beautiful scenery.
The hood is aluminum. What you see is probably the primer. At least it won't rust. I have a dint in the hood of my GII, caused by a rock (saw it happen - about a 1" chunk of gravel). Can't get in behind it without drilling a hole to work it out.
i have a 2006 prius that got a lot of chip marks. i bought a front bra for that and it worked well. then i bought a 2010 and with a little research i got the 3M plastic sheet that goes over the paint. you can barely see it and it works well also. it is a little expensive tho.
I'm thinking of getting that on my hood as well. I know that you can see the line where it ends, but on the 2010 I was thinking they might be able to make it so the edge of the film is on the part of the hood where it (I don't know how to describe it) "folds", goes from sloping up to flat, up towards the windshield. Where does the edge of yours land?
Body shop can make it like new. Then install Clear Bra plastic paint protection film, or worry about more chips, scratches, and dings on the nose.
I have a friend who bought these decals that make it look like the car has bullet holes in it, and he used them to cover the big chips in his car. Of course living in New York City, makes the bullet holes seem real too. I always thought it was an imaginative way to deal with paint chips.
Get the entire hood covered in one piece. Armortec (Steve Cohen) in Monmouth Beach does an excellent job.
Ventureshield, In July it will have been on for a year. 80 miles round trip a day, 5 days a week, lifetime warranty. Still looks brand new.