Stone Chip On Bonnet :- What Can Be Done?

[Huster]

Hi all

I posted on here a few weeks ago when i picked up my Auris 1.6... (2007 Model)

Its an Ixion Light Metallic Blue.

I was on my way on holiday last week and a large brick hit my bonnet and its made a stone chip about the size of a 5p piece.

Its gone right through to the metal as well..

Ive put some touch up paint in it to keep the weather out but as I said its really big and noticable.

I took it to a few places and all say that it cant be smart repaired and it would have to have a full respray to make the bonnet as good as new.

I dont really have that kind of money spare so I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to fix it...

Like I said ive put some paint in it and flattened it off as best as I can but it looks a mess and obviously the colour doesnt really look the same when using metallic touch up kits over a certain size chip.

I was thinking if possible to try and get some light blue vinyl thats a similar colour to my car and have a couple of shaped strips made to put on the car..

Ive attached a couple of images, one of the shape im thinkin of and another of the front of a car with my doodle of what I mean.. (ive done the shape on the car in red to show what i mean)

I honestly know that it cant look as bad as it is now with a big blob of paint on the front of the bonnet.

Hope some of you guys can help as its much appreciated.

All the best

Hustler

[FROSTYBALLS]

Some Toyota dealers offer smart repairs - has one of these looked at it? Have you tried Chipsaway?

[Mooly]

If that's what various places say then I guess you have to take them at their word... I would still do as Frosty says though.

A 5p sized chip is huge. No metal damage ? Can you see the points of contact in the metal ?

Could there be a paint issue ? as IMO such a large chip shouldn't flake off, and if the object and contact area were so large that it would cause paint dissentegration, then I would expect to see more damage to the metal.

Hope you get it fixed without a respray.

How about a close up piccy.

[acetip]

If that's what various places say then I guess you have to take them at their word... I would still do as Frosty says though.

A 5p sized chip is huge. No metal damage ? Can you see the points of contact in the metal ?

Could there be a paint issue ? as IMO such a large chip shouldn't flake off, and if the object and contact area were so large that it would cause paint dissentegration, then I would expect to see more damage to the metal.

Hope you get it fixed without a respray.

How about a close up piccy.

there are plenty of independent mobile chip/knocks tradesmenabout.

old boy (my age) next door has a habit of hitting his garage door with his metalic coloured fiat.

this chap comes out gives him a quote on the pricing they agree a date for the fixing.

when the job is done,its a perfect match to the rest of the car.

any other chips etc he does at the same time with no extra charge.

on his van he colour mixing machines that he programes in the cars colour code and the correct paint is mixed.

i have watched him a few times and its more like airbrushing than spraying.he just works on the area of danage not the whole panel.

[Huster]

Some Toyota dealers offer smart repairs - has one of these looked at it? Have you tried Chipsaway?

Yes there based about 5 miles from me.. (Toyota & Chipsaway)

Took it to them and they said it cant even have a smart repair, it would require a complete respray of the bonnet..

[acetip]

Some Toyota dealers offer smart repairs - has one of these looked at it? Have you tried Chipsaway?

Yes there based about 5 miles from me.. (Toyota & Chipsaway)

Took it to them and they said it cant even have a smart repair, it would require a complete respray of the bonnet..

hi second or third opinion would do no harm,cost you nothing.

i was talking about an independent chipman not toyota.

[FROSTYBALLS]

An alternative would be fitting a 'car bra' or 'bonnet bra' - which is a PVC leatherette cover for the leading edge of the bonnet. These used to be common in the States. Prices seem to range from £ 50 upwards. Doing a Google search for 'bonnet protectors', I found that 'www.gbdriver.co.uk' and 'www.jkautospares.co.uk' do them. JK auto spares have a picture of the ones they do for the Auris on their website.

These should cover the area you identified on your pictures.

[Huster]

An alternative would be fitting a 'car bra' or 'bonnet bra' - which is a PVC leatherette cover for the leading edge of the bonnet. These used to be common in the States. Prices seem to range from £ 50 upwards. Doing a Google search for 'bonnet protectors', I found that 'www.gbdriver.co.uk' and 'www.jkautospares.co.uk' do them. JK auto spares have a picture of the ones they do for the Auris on their website.

These should cover the area you identified on your pictures.

Thanks for the reply... I did look at these but I think the leather would make me look like someone out of Village People :-)

Ive just called a guy whos local to me and he said he would take a look for me and if not he'd be able to design some vinyl patterns similar to the pattern im looking for and he said hes got about 150 differnt coloured vinyls to choose from..

Ive got to take it first thing on Monday morning so ill update you guys as soon as I hear anything..

Thanks again for the replies and I will add a picture as soon as I take one..

Thanks All

[jettech]

Check online there are plenty of guys fixing chips and dents. you can quite often send photos and get quote via email. You can also do what my neighbour did. Ford quoted him 250 + VAT for bonnet respray. He bought one from eBay for £80 delivered in perfect condition and it was 30 minutes to fit it.

[Huster]

Check online there are plenty of guys fixing chips and dents. you can quite often send photos and get quote via email. You can also do what my neighbour did. Ford quoted him 250 + VAT for bonnet respray. He bought one from ebay for £80 delivered in perfect condition and it was 30 minutes to fit it.

eBay was my first choice of call but unfortunatly I couldnt seem to find anyone selling a bonnet

[Huster]

Update :-

I've taken the car to several bodyshops and also had a few of the mobile repairers come to the house to see the damage.

All of them say that there is no way a smart repair is possible and the only option would be to respray and laquer the whole bonnet and also the drivers side wing to match it.

I've also been on the internet and contacted loads and loads of companys who do the vinyl signs etc... and all of them told me that there isnt no metallic light bluey silver at all..

So now im stuck and dont know what to do..

Only option is probably to have chrome vinyl and try and get it the same pattern as I have posted above and hopefully it will look like its being blended into the chrome in the front headlamps.

If anyone else has any more ideas then im all ears..

Cheers guys and all the best

Hustler

[FROSTYBALLS]

Only other thing I can suggest is to consider an insurance repair - but obviously one has to weigh up the size of excess/loss of no-claims/whether or not you have protected or guaranteed no-claims versus cost of respraying bonnet and wing. We're fortunate enough to only have £ 50 excess and guaranteed no claims on both of our policies, but most people have higher excesses, which makes this option unviable.

[ABZ-T2]

Only other thing I can suggest is to consider an insurance repair - but obviously one has to weigh up the size of excess/loss of no-claims/whether or not you have protected or guaranteed no-claims versus cost of respraying bonnet and wing. We're fortunate enough to only have £ 50 excess and guaranteed no claims on both of our policies, but most people have higher excesses, which makes this option unviable.

Hi just a quick q unrelated to the topic. What do u mean by guaranteed no claims? Will making a claim not affect your no claims bonus? Coz tht snds great!Which company r u with?! lol

ABZ-T2

[FROSTYBALLS]

Hi just a quick q unrelated to the topic. What do u mean by guaranteed no claims? Will making a claim not affect your no claims bonus? Coz tht snds great!Which company r u with?! lol

ABZ-T2

We're currently insured through Frizzells/Liverpool Victoria (LV as they're branded on TV). We've had protected no claims on each of our policies for a number of years. Back in 2008 when we had our renewal come through for our Mazda, we noticed small print about 'guaranteed no claims' and 'protected no claims' - when I enquired, for a small added premium, they would guarantee the no claims discount. 'Protected no claims' allows you to have something like two claims in five years before the NCD is affected. 'Guaranteed no claims' means no claim will affect the ncd - so it will stay at the same level regardless. Think it depends on history, etc. For us the additional premium worked out to be about £ 5 per year on each car. So we added this to our policies.

From memory Zurich used to do something similar.

[Mooly]

The problem with all this is that (I think from what I have heard/read) is that in many cases the basic premium goes up, so yes, they still say you get 65% ncd or whatever, but now the basic premium instead of £250 might be £350 for example. Having said that I always take out the protected ncd option, but do wonder how worthwhile it is, particularly if you do make a claim and then change insurers, as I seem to do most years to get the best quote.

[FROSTYBALLS]

That's not our experience. We've had two renewals since changing - one of which has been for a new car - and the premiums are both around the £ 280 mark with the guaranteed bonus, class one business use for us both on each car, and a £ 50 excess for accidental damage

[Mooly]

That's not our experience. We've had two renewals since changing - one of which has been for a new car - and the premiums are both around the £ 280 mark with the guaranteed bonus, class one business use for us both on each car, and a £ 50 excess for accidental damage

What if you made a claim though... would the "basic" premium go up. They might say it's now a £1000 premium less your "protected" ncd of say 60%. It's the ncd that's protected, not the premium it's calculated against... that's my limited understanding of it anyway from odd bit's I have picked up.

I don't know for sure though :)

[FROSTYBALLS]

We did have an uninsured loss claim on our second car after we'd taken out the guaranteed ncd. Basically an uninsured driver on suspicion of handling drugs being chased by the police, hit the front offside of ours trying to get down a side street. Approx £ 1800 to repair. Our insurance company would have had to sue the uninsured driver to recoup their costs - as far as I know, they haven't got their costs back.

As regards the premium, we haven't seen any change (apart from the usual small annual increase - which one expects anyway).

[Mooly]

That's good to hear...