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Forester Body Work: Fixing Dents and Dings
My 2003 Silver Forester XS went through a nasty hail storm yesterday. My hood ended up with about a dozen or more dimples
. I guess this is just one of negatives of having an aluminum hood. Anyway, has anyone experienced this type of damage? Was it cheaper to replace the entire hood (new or used) or have it repaired? Can an aluminum hood be repaired as well as a steel hood? I am also worried about a color match if I go with a new or used hood. I am in the process of investigating this and would appreciate any feedback.

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1) If you have a dent wizard shop around you, and they're willing to offer you a "satisfaction or you don't pay" offer, I'd give them a shot. I've used a similar independent around here to take out some dents I thought would never look right, both on my red 04 FXT, and my wife's dark green 03 OBW.
2) To avoid bondo, I'd just go with a new hood. The cost of the hood might be about the same after the labor of taking out (or worse, filling) the dents. If you use a good paint shop, color matching shouldn't be a problem. My ex's 04 Elantra (silver) just had the rear hatch and bumper redone and I can't see a difference.
I'd be leery of a used hood unless you get to do a thorough inspection before you buy it. You might be getting someone else's bondo. Also, if the hood's a dark color, they'll have to prime it really well so the silver doesn't get a "tint" to it.
HTH
Larry
-juice
-juice
http://drcolorchip.com/
-Frank
I understand there no chipping of the paint - the paint is intact.
Is the problem that the bug residue cannot be removed, or that when the residue is removed, the paint is discolored?
Surely the residue can be removed, so the problem must be that the chemicals in the residue have discolored the paint.
This would seem to be a function of the paint's composition more than its thickness.
That stuff was awesome. You got a dent and it would actually pop out by itself, self-repairing.
Bring it back, please!
So what are we suppose to do wash the car instantly after we drive it? Put wax on it? please what a joke.
My 1998 Legacy NEVER had this problem. They have changed the quality of the paint and the thickness of the paint. Sheet metal is also thinner on the newer models.
The newer cars chip alot easier. Which confirms that the paint layer is not as thick as before. The bug splatter on the 2008 hood NEVER causes the paint to deteriorate only on the bumper. Paint adheres differenty on plastic then on metal and that's a fact.
I've washed and waxed my Subaru cars since 1993 and I have never noticed this problem before.
This is a big problem and GM has lost millions of customers because of there paint quality issues. I still don't like GM paint, even though they have improved it.
Bottom line, poor business decision.
Wake up Subaru before it's too late.
My question is what products do you recommend for treatment of the exterior? We have been using a product called "Mothers' Back-to-Black Exterior Bumper & Trim Care" on the exterior plastic parts and "Turtle Wax Ultra Gloss Paste Wax" on the exterior metal. Does anyone recommend anything different?
Another issue has to do with CV joint boots. I have a friend who, years ago, convinced me to use silicone lubricant spray to periodically treat the CV joint boots in the hope of keeping the boot rubber from cracking. I know that some rubber/plastic parts do not "like" conventional silicone sprays and I was wondering if anyone knows if these are okay for use on the Forester. I have been using silicone spray on our 2000 Honda CRV AWD and have not had any problems...knock wood.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
It's new so you're enthusiastic now, the trick is to stay motivated after it's a few years old. :shades:
I sold my old '98 Forester about 18 months ago and just saw it for the first time - I nearly cried.
It looked like it had not been washed since the guy bought it. The wheels were filthy with brake dust (I used to WAX those wheels), some stickers on it were half peeling off, and he had some old duct tape peeling off that looked like it was used to hold up the front bumper.
It was 9 years old when I sold it, and it looked like a 4 year old vehicle.
Now it's 11 years old and it looks like a 15 year old vehicle.