I brought my 2011 Mustang home on Saturday afternoon after a long 18 week wait and by Monday afternoon I had a paint chip in the hood already. Here's a picture of the chip in the hood with plenty of swirls in the background due in part to the sun in the background.

Should I take it to the dealer for this or should I brush it off as character and say it's normal wear and tear? What would you do? It's driving me nuts.

By the way, I've not been able to get the swirls out of the paint yet. I've tried Mother's Carnuba Wax and a Meguiar's Claybar Kit to no avail.

 

Ouch!
I haven't had that happen yet, but it's only a matter of time if your going to drive it.
I know it would bother me. What would I do? I'm not sure.
I guess I would find out what it cost to fix it, that would help me decide if I could live with it!
Chip or no chip, it's still one fine car!

 

I wouldn't worry about it. It seems like life is way easier not getting wrapped around the axle, so to speak, when things like that happen. There are a lot worse things in life to worry about.

Enjoy the car. Chips, scrapes, swirls, and all the goodness it has to offer.

 

OEM paint is better than anything you'll get from most auto body painters. I say forget about it.

 

I would probably take it to the dealer and see if the paint guy will touch it up for you. It IS normal wear and tear. If it were there before you drove it off the lot, you should have brought it to their attention then.

As for the swirl marks, a wax or claybar kit will not fix it. Some polishes will fill the swirls temporarily, but won't take them away. You need to do some research on removing swirls. You could try Scratch-X and hopefully that would help.

Where did the swirls come from? If you have had your car washed at some car wash, chances are that is where it came from. If you are the one cleaning it, you need to review the materials you are using for washing/drying to pinpoint what is causing that swirling.

 

It probably won't be the last. Fortunately the hoods are aluminum, so rust won't be an issue. Have you considered the clear film to prevent chips and such?

 

I had a very small scratch on the hood of my car. I used 3M Scratch remover on it and the scratch is gone.

 

Thanks all for the feedback. I've sent my salesman an email asking if he's aware of someone there that is good with touch-up work. I'm also going to see if some ScratchX has any affect on the swirl marks on the hood.

 

Trey Pappas happens do be right down the road and I understand that he's one of the original creators of the clear kits. I didn't think I was going to need it originally but I'm quickly changing my mind.

 

I have only had the clear bra on my Mustang since 7/14 so I am no expert. But I think it helps prevent damage. I inadvertently drove onto a fresh section of chip-and-seal on the interstate at 80 mph while stuck behind a semi. I heard a lot of hits, but found only two chips - one through the clear bra and one in an uncovered area. If you get it, be sure you establish clearly exactly which surfaces will be covered.

It's not a chip in the paint, it's a beauty mark

 

So, I've heard back from the dealer and they've got someone in house that's very good with touch-up work.

As for the swirls, I've tried waxes, claybar, Mother's scratch remover, and Meguiar's ScratchX. Nothing has worked. As it turns out, I work a block away from an automotive detailing and paint finishing supply shop and they've sold me a bottle of Farecla Fast Track Universal Compound. They say it's a very, very light grit polishing compound that shouldn't damage the clear. I'll post info when I have results.

 

Good luck man!

 

Thanks, I'll need all the help I can get on this one. If this doesn't work, it's going back to the dealer.

 

ahhhh I am going to cancel my purchase!!! I am entirely TOO LAZY to have another black car!

But I bet she looks HOT when clean, eh?

 

Couldn't stand drivin' a diapermobile after all, eh?

 

It's totally worth it when I can keep it clean. I just use a California Duster on it every day when I get home from work and rain is somewhat rare here in Texas. She looks like this almost every day but I am a bit obsessive.

 

Wow, SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Alright, after a little work, a lot of sweat, and some buffing, here's the final product before waxing. Farecla seems to have removed the majority of the scratches in the paint. I put a good coat of Maguiar's on it after these pics which seems to have helped even more.

The last two pics I snapped because I got my tint installed last Friday and just got around to getting them on here.

Sorry for the quality of all pics, taken with my cell phone.

 

Nice work, is the chip still showing ? I'll be doing some 2000 wet sanding of my own when winter shows up, paint has some paint dimples on it and will remove them with mild sanding and buffing.

 

Stone chips seem to either happen more or show up more on black. The front of my low mileage '07 is peppered with them. The swirls can be taken care of as long as you stay ahead of the problem. I've not detailed mine as I should have the past year and I can tell.