Does anybody have any experience with a paint problem of this nature? Is there anything that I can do to make the car look presentable until I can afford to have it painted? I would appreciate any advice.

 

Mark: I think there's a rule of thumb...if you can feel the "nick" by catching the indentation with your fingernail, you're screwed. You are through the clearcoat as well as the paint....the light flecks you see are the undercoat....I don't think there's any reputable detailer that can do much except for using the colored wax to mask the nicks. This is a repaint job on your nickle....or a lucky not-too-extensive strike by a CalTrans truck.

 

I guess I could always buy a couple cans of Krylon from Pep Boys.

 

If you want to try and tackle it, I'll bring my Porter Cable and polishing compounds up...you're due for surgery, so you just be a voyeur and watch....I'll do the hard part. You put on the coffee and get some Krispy Cream donuts....Oh yeah!

 

Just have it repainted. The insurance may even cover it since the damage appeared after the purchase. $5k to repaint hood, trunk only seems high. I'd get a few more estimates.

 

You can always take the dealer to court. Find the last owner ..can they document that the damage was known to them and the dealer as well ? You could have a provable case for fraud in court.

 

I bought 2 cars from ebay that I never saw until I went to pick them up. One was a dealer, the other was a broker. The dealer told me that the 996 had some standard road debris in the nose typical of many cars. He was right and I wasn't surprised when I picked up the car. I had the nose repainted last week.
The other car came from a broker and is the wife's CTS-V. This person said that there were zero defects in the paint. There were none. Zip. Better than any new car I had bought and this V was 3 years old! Driving it from NYS to Houston I picked up 2 chips in the paint.
You never know what you get and need to keep the emotion out of it somehow. I got lucky. Some people aren't so much lucky.

 

One thing you could try, Mark, is to find a detailer that works with Langka. In the right hands, the stuff is pretty effective. It probably wouldn't be economical to fix every single chip, but you could get the worst of them and it would be a lot cheaper than a repaint. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I really appreciate the offer Chuck....I polished my Dad's SL and it turned out great....unfortunately, it only worked on scratches, not chips. Insurance won't cover this because it was a preexisting problem when I bought the car...thanks anyway though.
I know that I could go to court, but I would have to do it in the area where I bought the car (100 miles away). I'm three weeks away from major surgery (again)...I don't have the energy. I still blame myself for this...I should have been able to spot the damage.
I have bought three cars off autotrader.com from both dealerships and private parties, I have always been extremely pleased. I still think the majority of people out there are honest and ethical in their business dealings.
I'll look up the "Langka" and see what it is...Thanks.

 

www.langka.com

I've never used it myself, but I've heard nothing but good things about it, especially if the person using it is experienced.

Sorry to hear about your car and, more important, your surgery. Good luck with that. Don't sweat the car too much. It's understandable that Porsche owners are so fussy about their cars' appearance, but at the end of the day these things were made to go more than show. Enjoy it.

 

You can file in your home town under the argument that a substantial part of the transation occurred where you live since it was over the phone. The dealer would have the burden to transfer it to their home jurisdiction, and there is a good shot that they will either waive it or not do it. In Texas, there is a statute called Deceptive Trade Practice Act. It would apply in this situation and not only are you entitled to your actual damages, you can also get your attorney's fees, and possibly treble damages (if a willfull act on behalf of the dealer). It requires that you send a specific demand letter outlining your allegations and what sub sections under the act you intend to sue under. When the dealership gets this letter, they will refer it to their counsel, who will be easier to work with. Basically, you are in a good position because the defense of a suit will far out weigh a fair settlement to you. I suggest you hire an attorney just to write the letter and see what happens. They will have 60 days to respond. It is highly likely that your state has the same or similar statute. If they do not respond favorably then you can decide to sue or not to sue.

 

PS

I do not practice or am I licensed in CA (where I think you are from), so it is best to consult with a CA attorney.

 

BruceP, Thanks for the encouraging words...you are right this is kind of a low priority right now. sat40th911, I really appreciate the legal advice and the time you took to give it. I will consider it. Here are the pictures that were attached to the ad in Autotrader.com. You can see why I believed them when they told me that the car was in "showroom" condition.

 

Here is what it looked like after I washed and waxed it. And no, I don't have a severe case of dandruff.

 

Yep....IF that is the same car in the showroom as what you have in the driveway, it was color-waxed. They should be sued.