[Wiggy]

All,

My Panther Black

has 1000 careful miles on it yet today when I came to clean it the drivers side plastic skirt under the door is covered in scratches some deep enough to see the white basecoat. Looks like a rubbing effect.

The Mrs had the car valeted on Monday and swears they weren't there after - the guy also went round and sorted out some very faint scratches which were even more difficult to see then these. The only thing I can think is that since Monday the salt and grit have been caught by feet/legs getting in and out. However I just cannot see that this has caused the depth and size of the scratches. I am a very careful owner.

Does anyone else have this problem and can anyone advise how to get rid of it? Am I going to have to replace the whole skirt section? A scratch has also appeared on the rear bumper. Seriously, this car has not been anywhere near anything else so how the hell have these happened and more importantly is the paintwork on the skirts and bumpers really this

... How can it be protected? Paint can be waxed but how can the plastics be more protected?

Not a happy Christmas

......any help would be greatly appreciated.

Wiggy

 

[Dabhand16]

My ST is the first car I've had for a long time that has not got mudflaps. I have to say that they make a huge difference to keeping muck off the car, but perhaps more importantly, thay also keep stones/gravel etc off the car too.

The forward facing ends of both of the skirts look like they have had a shotgun blast, but the sides are OK. It is a comfort that they are plastic so won't corrode.

It might be that you have been unlucky enough to have had some what they laughingly call 'grit' thrown up by the wheels that has caused the damage. A close inspection might give a clue as if this is the cause the marks should not be 'clean' but have a rough and ragged look and feel to them - a sort of gouge. Interesting that it is only on one side though - you'd expect both sides to have suffered if it was road grit. It might be that the car has picked up something on one side only, but I think you would have heard it if it was enough to do that damage. Could they be trolley jack marks or marks caused by rubbing something high in a tight manoeuvring situation?

It is unfortunate that the car is black as obviously the white base will show very easily, the EO does not show so much. You might be able to make them less obvious by carefully touching them in as they are low enough to be out of the normal sight line. However, you will know they are there and where to look for them, so you will always see them and it hurts inside.

 

[Wiggy]

QUOTE(Dabhand16 @ 26 Dec 2009, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>My ST is the first car I've had for a long time that has not got mudflaps. I have to say that they make a huge difference to keeping muck off the car, but perhaps more importantly, thay also keep stones/gravel etc off the car too.

The forward facing ends of both of the skirts look like they have had a shotgun blast, but the sides are OK. It is a comfort that they are plastic so won't corrode.

It might be that you have been unlucky enough to have had some what they laughingly call 'grit' thrown up by the wheels that has caused the damage. A close inspection might give a clue as if this is the cause the marks should not be 'clean' but have a rough and ragged look and feel to them - a sort of gouge. Interesting that it is only on one side though - you'd expect both sides to have suffered if it was road grit. It might be that the car has picked up something on one side only, but I think you would have heard it if it was enough to do that damage. Could they be trolley jack marks or marks caused by rubbing something high in a tight manoeuvring situation?

It is unfortunate that the car is black as obviously the white base will show very easily, the EO does not show so much. You might be able to make them less obvious by carefully touching them in as they are low enough to be out of the normal sight line. However, you will know they are there and where to look for them, so you will always see them and it hurts inside.

90% of the scratches are right on the crease on the plastic, the outermost part and it is already nearly down to the white and yes, they are only on the drivers side. It looks like they have been rubbed with sandpaper. Also, although the car was on ramps they were underneath the car, not near the sills and it has never been in a tight manouevering situation - all of this makes it mroe difficult to understand. (the 1 small stone chip I can live with, they happen) but this is just ridiculous.

Am thinking of taking it back to Ford, who valeted it in Monday, to see if they will replace free of charge as it has obviously happened since then. Will have to wait and see.

 

[Dabhand16]

When you say it was on a ramp - was this a drive-on ramp or a lift that has four arms that go under (or are supposed to go under) the car to lift it?

 

[Wiggy]

QUOTE(Dabhand16 @ 26 Dec 2009, 09:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>When you say it was on a ramp - was this a drive-on ramp or a lift that has four arms that go under (or are supposed to go under) the car to lift it?

The 4 arms. And I was there the whole time so I know it wasn't that.

 

[Dabhand16]

QUOTE(Wiggy @ 26 Dec 2009, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The 4 arms. And I was there the whole time so I know it wasn't that.

Good - at least you know that was not the cause. If you don't get anywhere with Ford I think you only have two options. First is to get an independent paint specialist to examine the paint to see if the cause can be found. This will cost you about £100 - £150 and might not get to the bottom of the problem. Second is to get a decent bodyshop to blow in the skirt at around the same cost or less.

Hope that Ford come up with something for you.