Hi r0gue,

Congrats again on your new and awesome ride!

I was quite the 'regular' on Miata.net throughout my ~15 years of Miata (2001) ownership and this thin-paint concern as it were was a consistant topic of discussion back then.

A running joke then was that thin paint was not a flaw, but by design to add 'lightness' to the car.

Also back then there were painted on protective coatings that could be applied, a clear 3M tape to cover the nose and the front 1/4 of the hood, or putting on a fabric nose-bra.

All decent solutions, but not 100% perfect or possibly desirable.

I too wanted to protect my baby, to keep it as pristine as possible.

What it came down to for me, to not 'do' anything were two primary deciding factors -

- the first was fact that the hood is made of aluminum and a deep enough ding / chip would not result in the hood rusting

- the second was another Miata.net forum member gently mocking those of us who seemed to be overly worried about minor 'wear' on our Miata's, saying something along the line of "It's not like it's a priceless Faberge egg that cannot be repaired or replaced, so drive it hard like it's supposed to be and enjoy it!"

I'd have to say that when I sold it with ~65K or so on the clock, with many of those being pretty hard / sporting driving miles, the nose did have some pimples on it and the hood only two small chips that penetrated through the paint (which I put touch-up paint on).

If your Miata is not going to be a 'garage queen' or 'preserved' for some future resale value, I'd say forgo the extra protection and just enjoy driving the living snot out of it.

Hope this helps!

Rob

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
Any of you Miata guys heard talk of weak paint and the -- seemingly required -- application of paint protective film (PPF)? Everyone on the Miata forum is antsy about it. Some not driving their car until they have it. Costs thousands from what I can gather.

I think some of it is just pre-emptive care to prevent paint damage.
I guess to an extent it depends on driving conditions in your area.

Of my last few cars, I don't recall getting rock chips in my normal driving. 1 or 2 over the years, but nothing excessive.

Another that I recall, and can't remember the product, was a fabric protectant for the soft top, since it's fabric & not vinyl like they were formerly.

I'd say the driving conditions in my area go from pretty good to atrocious as the year goes from summer/fall through winter/spring. Like my W210, this car will never see a snowflake, nor -- nor, more to the point, any of that caustic salt, chemicals and road grit garbage. It will rarely, and only by accident, see rain.

I have visions of one day them learning that PPF somehow affects the paint in a way that it peels off in sheets when they go to replace the yellowed and checked PPF.

And --- I'm 48. Each year I care a little less about mythical perfection of things. Each year I see a little worse making it harder to detect imperfections. So.. Those two multiplied by the ever increasing (though hopefully still small) chance that I will go to meet my maker, and the end result makes me lean to skipping PPF. I have to be careful not to go too far down that line of thinking, lest I decide to forgo the 30AE all together! haha

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:
r0gue, if you do consider selling your w210 please contact me. (email in profile) I might be the right buyer.

email sent.

I agree with the PPF being more of a want than need.
I've seen some rough former AE cars. Drive & enjoy it without subjecting it to the harshness of winter treated roads & it should serve you well for years.

I think it's 303 that the miata.net guys use on the soft top, more of a priority to me than PPF. A front end touch up years from now is probably easier to swallow than a new top sooner.

Given my intended use, I don't believe that top is going to be up much at all except to keep the dust out when it's in the garage.

PA roads to suck, but I'm not a tailgater. And most of my driving is planned to be out in the wilds of the countryside. We'll see.

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:
Given my intended use, I don't believe that top is going to be up much at all except to keep the dust out when it's in the garage.

PA roads to suck, but I'm not a tailgater. And most of my driving is planned to be out in the wilds of the countryside. We'll see.

How is the 'bonding' going? Hopefully it's everything you expected and more.

It's been pretty hot lately for topless driving but slightly cooler weather is on the way.

Looking forward to your initial impressions, etc.!

quote:

Originally posted by Cookster:
How is the 'bonding' going? Hopefully it's everything you expected and more. ... Looking forward to your initial impressions, etc.!

I wish I could tell you that I was cutting the curvy hills of western Pennsylvania with the top dropped and the revs up. But... The web portal still shows no VIN assigned, and while it says it is in manufacturing, it has said that for nearly a month. I suspect it is still in a roll of steel and a bucket of orange paint.

I've read stories of them taking months from manufacturing to get across the water, and out of the port lots and onto trucks and to the dealer. As it is August 1st now, I am imagining it showing up as the snow starts to spit in November. And as such, I'll probably exercise my "right of refusal" that the agreement I signed online grants me. I don't want to drop that much money on a car to then pay to store and insure it having never driven it. And I don't want to try to figure out how to wash off the salt on a 30 degree day. And I don't want my rotors to be all rusted to shit for my first real drive and... and... and...

I'm sure my dealer will be thrilled to get it on the lot and have me turn it over to their inventory by refusal, so I've not done it yet. I'll let it show up. Who knows, maybe their system is jacked and it'll come off the truck tomorrow. But that's not been the case with others.

Personally, (wishful thinking), I think every Miata should be available by June 1, and every AWD SUV by Oct 1. Kind of like swim trunks and back to school corduroys!

I remember when the NDs were first being built, that some still showed pending VIN assignment & were on the ship en route to the US.
Cars would get a VIN updated in the system & be nearly to the dealer.

Here's hoping yours is ahead in the process & just behind in the system.

Thanks for the update r0gue, but it sucks to be totally in the dark about the delivery schedule along with the other valid concerns that you have.

It is good that you have "right of refusal" written into your sales agreement / contract, and perhaps you can leverage that to your advantage not to merely not purchase the vehicle, but possibly to negotiate a better price.

The last thing a car dealer wants is stale inventory, especially a 2019 convertible delivered in the Fall in a snow region that will most likely not be sellable until late March or April, which then, like it or not, makes it a one year old car.

If you still want to buy it, I'd push them hard to adjust the price downward for the one year depreciation hit, otherwise they can absorb it with it sitting on their lot for four or so months

ETA: This suggestion is feasible only if it is officially a 2019 m.y. vehicle.

Good luck, and I hope that you can get it on your terms!

Rob