My new Clubman S has a small dime sized paint flaw on the hood. Mini will fix it, but that would mean taking off a very expensive invisible bra installed in Las Vegas and no dealers in Portland, and the factory stripes, repainting the entire hood, waiting 6 weeks to cure, then trying to get someone to reapply the bra and stripes. Not to mention not driving the car so the hood doesn't get banged up before the bra can be put back on. What about putting some kind of metal badge, or painting a Union Jack or ? Here is the picture:

 

That should be repairable without respraying the whole hood. I'd talk to a couple paint & body shops before deciding.

Terry

 

6 weeks to cure? They make your whole car in 3 days, including paint.

 

I'm with Terry, but the questions will be 1. who will pay for it? Are you OK with paying for it yourself if MINI will not because you go "off site" and 2. How much are you being quoted for just the clearbra for the hood? It really shouldn't be a huge amount.

So this paint flaw was there when you took delivery, I am assuming. That I guess is the downside to taking delivery far from home. However, if the MINI dealership from whom you bought the car arranged for the clearbra install then they should be liable and cover the cost of your local clearbra installer. (This is when one wishes one were a lawyer!)

I'd definitely make some calls about that 6 week curing process.

Call me crazy, but a brand new car should be perfect looking. I feel for you.

 

Maybe I misunderstood, but the flaw looks like it is up near the windshield. Did you have your entire hood covered with the clearbra? If not, couldn't a good bodyshop touch that up without bothering the strip or clearbra?

And just so I'm clear, this was on the hood and the dealer still put on the stripes and clear bra? If so, what a pack of idiots!

 

First of all, that totally sucks and I am really sorry that happened to your new Clubbie!

Secondly, as others have stated, it seems like that could easily be fixed without harming the clearbra or the stripes?

 

when the MINI first came out in the US they had a little book with Motoring tales so to speak ... it mentioned that every little chip or ding you might get during the cars life has a story behind. I believe in that notion ...

 

I was told that because Sparkling Silver is a metallic color, it it very difficult to spot repair. I called the company that made the bra, and they told me if you don't wait 6 weeks for the paint to cure, when you remove the bra in a few years to put a new one on, it is likely to take the paint off with it. Factory paint jobs have much better ways of drying and curing the paint. The paint defect was a small bubble that was not seen until after the bra was put on. Mini said they would pay for it, and are now deciding if they can just spot paint it. I guess this problem has gone up the ladder to decide what to do, and they will tell me tomorrow. I posted this to get your advice so I kinow what to say when I get the final answer. If they can spot paint it, that would be best for me, but if they say they cannot, I may ask them for the money that it would cost to do the whole thing, and then put on a badge or get an artist to paint something cool to cover it.

 

Don't get me wrong. I would be livid if this happened to me. Especially after paying for the clearbra and the stripes. But the only thing I can think of that would be worse than spot repair would be an entirely re-painted hood.

This is what I would do: I understand that you live far away from the dealer in Vegas. I would get some very good recommendations for the best body shops in your city and then get estimates done from them first. I would be very hesitant to allow the "body shop that the local dealer uses" to repair this. They are gonna have one good shot at doing a good repair and I wouldn't mess around.

I am sure there is a shop in your city that routinely deals with Porsches, Mercedes and other 'high-line' German cars. They will know the paint and its properties better than anyone else. That is who I would go to, and that is who I would insist MINI agree to. MINI has a lot at risk, too, since if the local guy screws this up, they are out a set of stripes and a new clearbra. So they should be open to this, I would think.

BTW, I have a friend who just allowed GEICO to talk her into using their "Blue Ribbon" shop for a rear bumper repair on her 08 Lexus Hybrid. Not only did these idiots overspray her car in about 5 different areas, they used the 2007 White rather than the 2008 White. UNBELIEVABLE. Geico has now agreed to pay the original shop she wanted to take it to. They are re-doing the whole thing.

Sorry for the long post.....

 

If anyone happens to have a graphic on their Mini that might cover the spot, maybe go down the side or? I would appreciate a photo.

 

I'm really sorry to hear about your trouble . I discovered a run in the clear-coat on the hood of my Clubman the first week I had it home...it looks like two little drips, basically. I went through several people in the service department at the dealer trying to figure out what would be required to fix it...and I was told that they would have to repaint the whole hood in order to repair it. It's amazing how one tiny little thing can require so much work!!! Thankfully mine isn't very noticeable (unless you know it's there or happen to catch it in the sunlight all nice and clean), so I opted to just let them note it on my record and not have it fixed. I don't know what I would do if I were you though. I can't think of anything that you could put there to hide it...I hope someone else will come up with a brilliant idea for you!

 

The dealer just called, and said they would be on any graphic I want- any suggestions?

 

I guess you've checked in here:https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...cat.php/cat/64 I do feel badly for you and hope you can come up with a decision that will really make you happy. Don't settle for something unless you're 100% with it.

 

mrdunn, I feel so sorry for the paint damage on your new Clubman. They should have caught it before applying the clear bra and certainly before delivery. I would be equally livid and expect the dealer to make it right. Are you still brainstorming possible repairs for it? Rather than repainting the entire hood, or perhaps even spot painting, (both of which could end up looking worse), I would just cover the damage with a small badge of some kind and have the dealer compensate you for the problem. I've been searching for these since I first read your thread, and I think either of them would cover it beautifully and easily with very little expense (plus be a lot less hassle for you):

http://www.gominigo.com/accessories.html

http://www.americanminimates.com/ima...adge_macro.jpg

As previously mentioned, repaints are rarely as good as factory paint, plus the metallic makes the job all the harder. If it were me, this is what I'd do. AAMOF, I may order one to cover a small paint blemish on my Clubman (also metallic). If these badges don't suit you, maybe some initials or the car's name. Good Luck with it and let us know how it all turns out!

 

What kind of blemish did you end up with?

If it was from the factory too, methinks some people are really falling down on their jobs .

 

No, no, not from the factory (at least I don't think so ), but I appreciate your concern just the same. It's a series of 4 tiny chips on the driver's door just beneath the mirror which we think was caused by a glancing blow from a rock or something kicked up on the highway in the first few days of ownership. (It seems in a very unusual spot for a rock chip, however.) At first, we were sick about it but with no proof, there's no way to tell if we may have overlooked it on delivery or not. Anyway, it's really very minor and I've been thinking a tiny postage stamp sized emblem of some sort would take care of it completely so I wouldn't have to look at it when the light is just right. I filled them with a bit of touch-up paint so at least they're not white anymore and repeated polishing may eventually smooth them into oblivion. I know all about making a small problem into a big one by not leaving well enough alone, especially with automobile painting.

 

Well that's a bummer . I'm glad that it wasn't any worse though. Let us know what you end up doing as far as a badge/emblem! (that goes for you too, mrdunn!)

 

Thanks, and will do!

 

These may, or may not, interest you: http://www.fastmini.net/killdecals.html I've seen them in real life on another MINI owner's MCS and I have to say they looked quite good with his particular car.

 

It's not going to get better, so make a decision and move forward.

 

Hmmm. How about pin stripping? I have seen a few MINIs with pin stripping. You could have a clubman silhouette that is big enough to cover the blemish and then have the pin stripe come off of that and run along side the car with the belt line.


Kinda like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minichr...7600211121890/

But that runs up to that spot instead of the headligh

 

i find that the paint on my Pepper White Clubman is EXTREMELY thin. Almost just a suggestion.

I must have 10 little tiny chips all over the car.

It doesn't bother me much as I plan on re-painting the whole car anyway..

but it is really thin from the factory....

Maybe that's why it drys and cures so fast!!!!

 

I finally took my car in to get the flaw painted. They were able to paint the flaw only, and it is perfect. I cannot see where the flaw was. I worried about nothing. Thanks for the support.

 

That is most excellent news!!! HOORAY!!

 

As I expected. Wonderful news.