I have a VPB Fit and I have a stone chip on the hood since day one. It's located in the middle near the upper portion of the hood. They have touched it up with the paint pen but one can still see it under the sun. I have been talking to the dealer and the manager has been accommodating. He's offered me two choices:

1.) Free accessories: All season floor mats and cargo tray.

2.) Repainting the hood: Get rid of clearcoat > fix chipped area > recoat with clearcoat > the actual paint will be untouched other than the chipped area. (I talked to the shop that would handle the job without the manager's knowing, and the shop said it would cost about $250-300 Cdn).

Will repainting the hood in the above method change the resale value of the vehicle, even though it's not a collision? It's a hard choice to make for me as I know my car will get chips one way or another, sooner or later. Should I go with the paint job or take the accessories?

Opinion please.

 

Get it repainted...then put on a hood deflector to prevent any more chips.

 

Rock chips happen...You have one and you will get many more, just touch them up when you get them, alot cheaper then the other option..

 

The dealer will pay for one or the other – repainting or free accessories. It's really down to my choice. It's hard cos I've only had the vehicle for two months, and every week I wash the car I see the blemish dead centre on the hood.

Gummyrabbit, I do have a deflector on now. The chip came from transportation of the vehicle and was only noticed after delivery.

 

Have it repainted. It won't affect the value. No one will know it was done

 

I would also have it repainted - at least it won't bug you anymore and any further chips will be "your fault - so to speak and less irritating I would imagine.)
I had the clear stone guard done on my entire front end. All the hood except the last foot or so is done. You could do the whole hood for not much more.
It is a personal choice. For me, any stone chips will drive me wacky. I would suggest having it fixed - will not affect resale value whatsoever.

 

I would not get it repainted. Usually repaints lack the quality and durability of the factory paint. I can usually notice repainted panels. Besides, you can't just get an entire panel repainted everytime you get a chip, their quite common.

If anything, have the bodyshop level the touch up paint blob with sandpaper and a sanding block, and buff the paint. Then enjoy your free accessorys.

 

I initially thought it would be a bad idea as well. However, the procedure does not require repainting the entire hood. They will just take the clear coat off (polish it off?) and then fix the chip, apply matching paint to the chipped area (3 big dots) and then reapply the clear coat. I think that's different than repainting the entire hood with an after market paint?

What does everyone else think? I have to let the dealer know by next Tuesday, after Thanksgiving.

 

well do you have any plans for a new hood in the future? if so...take the mats and what not...if you have no plans on getting a new hood or body work...get it touched up. ive had a chip(in the actual hood, not the paint...they painted over the indent on the hood...its storm silver but indents) on my fit since i bought it(brand new)...doesnt bother me, plans on getting new hood...i think it all pretty much boils down to...how much does it bother you? and if you have any plans on swappin the hood any ways... and if it bothers you enough...just get it fixed. you can spend a couple hunred and get the mats/cargo tray on your own...but which one is more important? GL

 

Question to my own question? What will they use to take the clearcoat off of the entire hood?

 

You cant just seperate the clearcoat from the color coat, there kindof fused together. Also, you cant just sand off the clearcoat and stop at the color coat without ruining it or exposing primer. From the sound of it, they'll work with the area, and blend the paint. Then reclearcoat the entire hood. It's not necessary to remove the factory clearcoat before respreying new clearcoat.

Its common to just blend the color to the surrounding paint, then reclear the whole pannel.

I still would not have it repainted or recleared, unless its absolutely necessary.

 

Talked to the shop further today. What you described is exactly what they would do if I chose to fix the problem. They would sand down the affected area, blend the paint in and reclear the hood.

To answer some questions you helpful people raised, I have no plan to get an after market hood in a few years time. This is a keeper for me and I plan to keep it look original as it can be.

The dealer is paying for whatever choice I make - accesorries or fixing the hood. The problem is I don't really need any more accesorries as I have everything I need.

For those who oppose to the idea of repainting the hood, it is mostly a quality issue that you guys have right? I mean as in the hood will not match the rest of the car? But they only have to blend the paint in in three different spots? If they reclear the hood, wouldn't there be even more protection afterwards? The stone chips are about the sizes of 3 pennies spread in a triangular formation, two inches down the front from the windshield and pretty much in the middle.

 

Well if the chips are as big as pennies, then you'll have to have it repainted. I thought you were talking about real small chips. Yeah, useally quality is the thing you have to be conserned about with repaints. A good bodyshop would make it look like it was'nt repainted. Unfortuanetly alot of bodyshops suck, and you can tell it was repainted.