Intersted in DE but worried about my paint

[88carrera]

I am thinking about signing up for a DE class, but I want to ask about the effects on my paint.

Since it's not a race, do I have worry about stone chips from cars ahead? I figure DE would force rookie drivers to run with wide margins for safety.

[Jazzbass]

Since it's not a race, do I have worry about stone chips from cars ahead?
Yes. There's a lot of small crap on the track, and as tire temps go up, the tires start to throw it at you. Guys who are super obsessive about their cars <cough>Vu, Ted</cough> still do DEs, but tape the hell out of the front of their cars and/or use magnetic track skins. So also have the clear bra applied. Also, its important to remember to squeegy your car between run sessions, so I hear. :mrgreen:
I figure DE would force rookie drivers to run with wide margins for safety.
Nothing is forced, but the instructors encourage it alot, becuase of the occasional stupid things some of us rookies sometimes do.

[photoeditor]

Also, its important to remember to squeegy your car between run sessions, so I hear. :mrgreen:.

it COULD happen - especially right after he gets new wiper blades :twisted:

M2

[Mackpipes]

Howard,
As one of the obsesive car cleaners at the track, (squeegy and all) I can attest you will get stone chips. I used to concour my car before I started tracking it. The more agressive you are, the more stone chips you will get. At Potomac DE's they (the instructors) frown on tailgating and aggressive driving on the track, or off. A good wax job proir to a DE will help protect the paint some. I use an obscene amount of racers tape on the front of my car when at the track. It helps. A bra would work better.
But that doesn't look as cool, and that's important. It's not how fast you go, it's how good you look going fast that matters.:p
In all seriousness, it won't destroy your car. Just keep up with the detailing and you'll be fine. Once you get the track bug, stone chips will be the last thing on your mind I promise.

[nova996]

Even without a clear bra or tape, it's really not that bad. I've found that I get more rubber from other tires than rock chips. I sometimes use the top (trunk) portion of the porsche bra that came with my car if I feel like it. It takes 2 min and protects a few sq ft without flapping around or potentially falling off on track.

But at the end of the day, I'm not a concours guy, so a few extra chips for me is a small price to pay for enjoying the car so much and becoming a much better driver even on the street.

Now after your first couple DEs, you won't be worried about rock chips. You'll be worried about getting child care for all the weekends at the track, motels in Danville/WatkinsGlen/etc, avoiding divorce from your track widow/widower, scraping together funds for pads, tires, and dubious mods. Not to mention wholesale track car purchases, trailers, a second wife/husband after your divorce. That's when it gets ugly :)

Firoze

[APKhaos]

Track Time is perfect aversion therapy for obsessive concours behavior.

Cheaper than a shrink, and MUCH more fun. :twisted:

[forklift]

My name is Jim and I am a track addict. I touch up my stone chips twice a year. The front of my car looks good about 10 feet away.

Looks like someone got a GT3! Damn it! I want one.

[nova996]

Cheaper than a shrink, and MUCH more fun. :twisted:

Agreed on the fun. Not sure about cheaper, though. Someone told me when I got started last year that this is more addictive than heroin. It's just that it's a little more expensive. :)

Firoze

[nova996]

My name is Jim and I am a track addict. I touch up my stone chips twice a year. The front of my car looks good about 10 feet away.



Do you touch them up yourself? (I know I just said I'm not a concours guy, but I'm curious)

Firoze

[forklift]

Yeah, but it looks pretty crappy close up...but better than the white spots on my black car. I buy the touch up from P of Arlington. I just bought some last week and might put some on this weekend.

Tony, thanks for spacer/stud advice at SPR last weekend.

[APKhaos]

If you really want to nail the stone chips, try Langka - http://www.langka.com/It actually works, and produces invisible repairs if your touch-up paint is reasonably well matched. Langka will literally blend the relair seamlessly, without any abrasives. Its simple and effective.

Hey Jim, my pleasure. I went down the same rathole before somebody clued me in on hub-centric wheel fitment.

[Charlie Stylianos]

Last year I used a magnetic bra to cover the hood, taped up the lights and leading edges of the bumper, etc with racers tape. This year I cut up the magnetic bra into little circles to give to my friends as number magnets. I found the bra to cause more scratches from putting it on, adjusting, etc, than it protected. Any bit of moisture that gets under it will haze your paint. In the hot sun, the racers tape likes to shed its glue onto your paint. This year I just used the number magnets and some tape on the lights (if I felt inspired).

Like Firoze said, I see more rubber stuck to the hood than new chips. If you think about it, you drive closer (and longer duration) to the car in front of you on I-95 doing 70mph than you would at the track....seriously.

[Vicegrip]

I am a confessed track rat with 6 years of track induced enlighten and the front of my car now looks like I shovel gravel with it. I don't care and each chip actually lightens the car some. I am clean compulsive if that is what it means by washing the car once a year or so regardless of it needing it or not.

I used to protect the paint and it can be done with care and effort but after time the question "Will this effort and or $ make me faster?" comes into play.

All kidding aside you can do DE and also keep a clean nice car. Yes, you will have your toy out of its protective plastic storage case but Porsches are meant to be driven, driving them is truly fun and DE is something you should at least try. Tape off the front end and have some fun. You might find that you like it so much that you can then rationalize a second track oriented car. But I am getting a little ahead. This is next year’s conversation...

[brianr]

Yeah, but it looks pretty crappy close up...but better than the white spots on my black car.


Same here. FYI, try a black Sharpie marker for the small ones that aren't all the way through to the metal. Also for fine scratches where otherwise touch up would make them look like a big scar. Buy the smallest sharpie sizes, it's amazing how many spots you can find! If you look at the right angle you can see sort of an oily purple black color where the sharpie is. Lasts forever though. Also the Black wax is ok, except it's not good enough to work with on the whole car I have found. Also washes off pretty quick.

Oh yeah this thread was about DE's. I am a masking taper myself. I got a whole bra from PO, is it too much of a pain to install for the track / flap around / fall off?

[87turbolook911]

Guys who are super obsessive about their cars <cough>Vu, Ted</cough> still do DEs,

After 10 track days, I've accumulated three small rock chips. Driving on the street and behind Kurt during a Fun Run has accumulated also about three chips in the last 3 years. So as long as you tape up, you'll be fine. It's definitely worth it.

http://www.dorkiphus.com/gallery/files/0/PCA_Potomac_5_23_04_546_600dpi.jpg

I still do the occassional concours event and the chips show that the car isn't just a garage queen.

That said, I just ordered some paint to practice touching up all the chips on all my cars. :roll:

[MatP]

I read somewhere that stone chips are manly ;)

You will be fine with some extra precautions as mentioned above. The important thing to remember is that the fun you will have at driver's ed. WAY outweighs any remorse you will feel from some stone chips.

That being said, go here for a fantastic "how-to" on protecting your car during track events:
http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=10

And here to learn how to properly repair stone chips:
http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=8

See you at the track.

[Rick Lee]

Howard, no worries. This one buffed right out. It was and still is a concourse car.

[brianr]

Howard, no worries. This one buffed right out. It was and still is a concourse car.

Don't scare Howard away now!
BTW I just got DE Insurance from American Collector's Inc. 1.5% value of car per year, 20% deductible. They know exactly what DE is, it is called a DE Policy. No chance of misunderstandings..

see discussion "DE Insurance" on page 2 of Track Talk

[Jazzbass]

BTW I just got DE Insurance from American Collector's Inc.
Good call. RLs pictures below scared me into doing the same. All the racer's tape in the world won't save you from the wall.

[}{arlequin]

I can attest to the fact that the magnetic stuff ruins paint. Maybe my paint wasn't a quality job, or product, but I have hazy areas where the numbers sit on the car. Maybe that can get taken care of w/ some clay/compound, but it's a lot of work.

Not sure how Vu keeps his paint so nice, maybe b/c he hasn't seen rain w/ the magnetic stuff? Or his paint is high quality... either way, once moisture got between body and numbers, and then sun came out and started baking away... I got hazed

Don't bother with it and get some road rash on the nose of the car. (One DE may not give you that much damage, or none at all. You spend waaay more time behind an suv on a highway.


Wear it w/ pride, like stubble burn on your face.................

[Vicegrip]

I had some paint fogging from water under a mag # and it went away on its own after a month or two.

[}{arlequin]

that's my favorite solution so far :mrgreen:

[brianr]

If you really want to nail the stone chips, try Langka - http://www.langka.com/It actually works, and produces invisible repairs if your touch-up paint is reasonably well matched. Langka will literally blend the relair seamlessly, without any abrasives. Its simple and effective.

Ordered, anxiously awaiting shipment!

BTW, the fogging is ususlly the wax i think, just lieka wet can of beer on the coffee table. It eventually goes away on the car, if you haven't left a wet bra on it for weeks. hmmm, wet bra, hood of car.....