[NWeber]

Ok, so Im driving to work this morning and im about a half mile away from work. Beautiful morning, the car is running great, just washed it and waxed it last nite, looking nice and shiny. Well im driving on a road on the outskirts of Manhattan, and I notice some kids up ahead on the side of the road. Ive seen them there before, waiting for the school bus to come pick them up. Well one of the little bastards picks up a small dime sized rock and throws it at the road, well it just happened to hit the front of my car, on the hood as I drove by. I seen the rock bounce of my hood, and instantly whipped the car around. Got out of my car, and noticed about a half inch sized scratch glaring off my hood. I wanted to give those little bastards a beating of a lifetime, but I kept it cool, asked for their folks, who were at work at the time. So I got their phone number and names first and last, and I also have their address. So I will be making a "friendly" visit after work today. Talking about bad luck, and this reiterates just how stupid kids actually are today.

Now my question is, about two weeks ago I received a touch - up paint container from GM for my car. Should I just touch it up with that, or do I need to take it in to the dealer, have them look at it, and then have the little bastards folks pay for it? I mean, the scratch doesnt look to deep, it took the paint off, but im not for sure if it took the primer with it or not. I dont want rust to start setting in. Any ideas from some paint experts on here?

 

[Ninjured]

dude, that sucks bigtime,
touching it up is going to look like crap...

Hey! I haven't recieved any touch up paint for my car! Nor have I been able to find any! grrr....

Can you see bare metal? If you can, it will rust...

 

[mumrah]

Definitely get an estimate. Then you can negotiate down depending on cooperation from the parents. They may give you a hard time saying it is no big deal. The problem is not the kids today it is the lack of responsible parents that is ruining them. When I was growing up, my father would beat me right in front of everyone if that ever happened. Tell me the last time you saw a parent discipline their child. I am considered a freak for spanking my son when he misbehaves.

Well goodluck. Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

 

[mumrah]

dude, that sucks bigtime,
touching it up is going to look like crap...

Hey! I haven't recieved any touch up paint for my car! Nor have I been able to find any! grrr....

Can you see bare metal? If you can, it will rust...

Call the dealer and demand it. It won't be available in any stores, I have the same color as you and they sent it to me for free after I complained about the thin paint and lack of ability to get touchup.

 

[GM Kid]

Let's put aside our mutual angst over today's kids and talk about your scratch.

A brand new tube of touch-up paint is PERFECT for what you need to do. New touch-up is still very thin and runny--exactly the right consistency for fixing a small scratch. Follow these steps, and you should be pretty satisfied with the results.

1. Shake the daylights out of your touch-up, then wipe the little brush until there's virtually no paint left on it. Try to get the brush flat as you wipe it on the top of the tube. Using one little corner of the brush, gently TOUCH (not brush) the scratch--dab dab dab dab--down its whole length. You're almost trying to let the surface of the car "suck" that thin paint off the brush. Work quickly so the paint on the brush doesn't dry and thicken.

2. Don't worry about making your work perfect. You're going to polish it flat later. Just fill the void of the scratch with enough paint to slightly overflow the actual scratch.

3. Buy a clearcoat-safe rubbing compound like this one: http://www.autogeek.net/3mperllrubco.html

4. Wrap an old credit card with two thicknesses of soft, 100% cotton t-shirt and pull it taut across the face of the card.

5. Apply a dab of your rubbing compound to a corner of your t-shirt-covered credit card and begin rubbing the touch-up flat. Work the compound back and forth, up and down and in circles, trying not to work in any one direction for too long (or you'll leave lines). Rub that initial dollop of compound until it starts drying and gives resistance--that's when it does the most cutting.

6. Wipe off the dried material with a microfiber cloth and see what progress you've made. Repeat step 5 until you like what you see and can accept it. Last, use a bigger dollop of compound and hold your credit card flatter, polishing the whole general area in which the scratch is located. You're trying to even out and blend your work.

7. DON'T GO TOO FAR. You're using a clearcoat-safe compound, but rubbing one spot too long will wear through the clearcoat. At some point, you're just going to have to accept that your work is as good as it'll get.

 

[arch&69]

I would save what GM kid said for last. Talk to the parents, see if they will pay for a professional fix. If they are responsible parents they will.

I agree with NWeber.
Kids are very stupid these days. My kid brother who's only 15 has already lost his freakin mind. So I go over to my parents house and find out that just two days ago, the kid was drinking vodka at 2:00 in the afternoon! Then he goes outside with his paintball gun and blows about 200 rounds on the neighbor's house, directly behind them!! What the hell was he thinking? Now, it isn't my parents that have let him get this bad, cause he is getting punished big time. And besides, I turned out alright, and never did anything that dumb. Not to make myself sound innocent though, I have done some idiotic things. But kids are plain stupid these days, and it is getting worse every year.

 

[NWeber]

I would save what GM kid said for last. Talk to the parents, see if they will pay for a professional fix. If they are responsible parents they will.

I agree with NWeber.
Kids are very stupid these days. My kid brother who's only 15 has already lost his freakin mind. So I go over to my parents house and find out that just two days ago, the kid was drinking vodka at 2:00 in the afternoon! Then he goes outside with his paintball gun and blows about 200 rounds on the neighbor's house, directly behind them!! What the hell was he thinking? Now, it isn't my parents that have let him get this bad, cause he is getting punished big time. And besides, I turned out alright, and never did anything that dumb. Not to make myself sound innocent though, I have done some idiotic things. But kids are plain stupid these days, and it is getting worse every year.

Thank you arch&69, you couldnt have said it any better, "kids are very stupid these days"!!! And the idiots bringing these little bastards in this world arent a hell of alot smarter either. Well, this is what has transpired since this morning. I went back to the house where the kids live at, and decided to see if the folks were at home, maybe the kid was lying. Well the maid answered the door, she told me that the parents wouldnt be back until 5pm today and she had no idea where they worked at either, smelled fishy to me. So I blew up, I said screw it, im calling the police and filing a report, im tired of bad luck, and its time to get some vengence. Filed a report with Riley County Policy Department, the officer advised me to speak with the kids folks tonite before I file criminal charges against the little bastards. So I agreed to it, and he wrote down some info, and gave me a case # and phone # to call back in case the parents dont cooperate with me. He also complimented on the car !

So then I decided to keep this train a rolling, went down to the dealership where I bought my "black stallion" from and got a quick estimate from them. They advised me touch up paint would look like ass, since the scratch went into the metal of the hood and kind of dented it a little. So now they are going to remove the hood, take it off and just repaint the entire hood. Estimate came back around the $350-$400 range.:willy:

Actually I was suprised with the estimate, I thought it was going to be more like $800/range, but doesnt matter, im not paying a cent on it, nor should I. Well I meet with the bastards folks at 5, I hope things go well, and I dont get any type of runaround. I went ahead and scheduled the paint job for early next week. Hopefully they dont fight me on it, hell a lawyer is going to cost more than $400 anyways...i figured when I tell them either pay for the damage or im filing a criminal complaint....then that ought to get their immediate attention.

Like my dad would always say....sometimes your better off just staying in bed! Im starting to become a big believer in that motto, when the luck goes bad, IT GOES BAD!

TO ALL PARENTS OUT THERE: HAVING STUPID KIDS IS NOT COOL!

 

[kwiktsi]

Man, best of luck to you. Someone on the other forum has an avatar of Michael Douglas from "Falling Down" with the broken glasses- if you've seen the movie, I think it would apply here .
Joe

 

[hardball75006]

When did it become ok for kids to throw rocks at cars? When I was a kid if I did something like that, my Dad would have beat me within an inch of my life!

 

[NWeber]

When did it become ok for kids to throw rocks at cars? When I was a kid if I did something like that, my Dad would have beat me within an inch of my life!

Yeah thats the point, generally kids with some common sense (which by the way, common sense is a dying trait in our country) know better than to throw rocks at oncomming cars. Im willing to bet though, that was the last rock that kids going to be throwin in a while. The more I think about it, the kid and I are BOTH going to be getting off lucky. Cause if he was older, I would have gone Tony Soprano on his ass, then gone to jail.
Man, I could go for a beer or ten right about now.

 

[kwiktsi]

When did it become ok for kids to throw rocks at cars? When I was a kid if I did something like that, my Dad would have beat me within an inch of my life!

That's the problem. My friends 9 year old son came home one day mouthing off and when my friend gave him the "you're going to get it" speach, his son replied "go ahead and I'll tell my teacher. She told us that if our parent hit us you'll get arrested"- Me personally, I would have cracked him just for saying that and then give him another one to pass on to his teacher. Any little thing now and you will have social services knocking on your door. It's a shame. Not that abuse is right either by any means, but to have the parents afraid to correct their kids when they do wrong??? No wonder kids are the way they are- the parents are either afraid to hit them, the "coddle them with love and let them do what they want" types or just flat out don't have common sense themselves. Hell, even my damn step mother with my step brother and sister is one of those "you can't tell a kid no or use any negative words, you have to use positive words and explain why it isn't right for them to do it"- bull****...

There was one guy I spoke with on another forum who had a kid steal something from him or damage his property, or something like that- he went to the parents house pissed off to explain what happened, the dad turned to the son and said "is this true?" the son had one of those "yeah, whatever" attitudes, so the father said "kick his ass uf you need to" (or something to that extent, this was a while ago so it isn't very fresh word for word) and went in the house and locked the door behind him. That is what my dad would have done with me if he didn't do it himself .
Joe

 

[UdnUdnGTO]

If you have to repair it yourself, here is a website that makes an interesting product to repair small chips etc. I bought the kit and a friend of mine used it all repairing a gouge on he Subie. He never bought me more, I moved. so that was that. Website: Langka.com
Check it out. Best of luck

 

[ShoddyHog]

I'm so sick of parents these days, I could spit. No, I'm not tired of the kids...I did some pretty stupid stuff as a kid too, but I wouldn't be able to sit for a week pulling some BS like that.

Today? Eh, why parent when you can just blame your kid's behavior on rap music, video games, and the school.

If my 10-year-old did that, she'd get the 2nd spanking of her life and be grounded until the day she turns 16. On that day, she would have a job and start paying me back...with interest.

Gerry

 

[UdnUdnGTO]

I'm so sick of parents these days, I could spit. No, I'm not tired of the kids...I did some pretty stupid stuff as a kid too, but I wouldn't be able to sit for a week pulling some BS like that.

Today? Eh, why parent when you can just blame your kid's behavior on rap music, video games, and the school.

If my 10-year-old did that, she'd get the 2nd spanking of her life and be grounded until the day she turns 16. On that day, she would have a job and start paying me back...with interest.

Gerry

I do parenting classes for people having difficulty. My expert opinion is that we are going through the by far WORST generation of parents this old world has seen. The company I represent is called "Triple P" It is a research based parenting intevention out of Austrailia. It is used in many countries across the world, with great sucess I might add.

EARL

 

[MJGTOWISH]

Hey don't Stereo type us,I have the upmost respect for people and there cars, I think the main problem is that parents don't whop kid's asses I know my mom did, When they were little, working out for my lil, sis. IMO all these parent laws and all that other bull **** is bull ****. My mom Has 7 Sis And bro And all have at least 2 kids,me and my sis and about 20 cousins all turned out fine and all my aunts and uncles, and my mom belived in whop there ass rule.



Ok about the scratch see if you can get the partents to pay up or fix with the touch up. for reason like thes I have 4 pin hole cam's around my car. has worked a few times.

 

[ShoddyHog]

...I have 4 pin hole cam's around my car. has worked a few times.

Holy cow, didn't you just get your car?

So how / where do you have these cameras hooked up? Is it your own carport or something? If your system has needed to work "a few times" already, I think I'd move :lol:

Gerry

 

[ShoddyHog]

I do parenting classes for people having difficulty. My expert opinion is that we are going through the by far WORST generation of parents this old world has seen. The company I represent is called "Triple P" It is a research based parenting intevention out of Austrailia. It is used in many countries across the world, with great sucess I might add.

EARL

I'm glad someone is trying to do something. We've had a few run-ins with one of my daughter's best friends parents...they live near us. I won't bore you with all the details, but the last straw was when Mom forgot that we'd done her a favor of babysitting her after school on a Friday. After our plans were already ruined, we finally got ahold of Mom...who just wrote it off in a blaze manner as, "Oh, I'm sorry...I forgot she was at your house and went shopping on the way home from work."

Wrong answer. And to top it off? Mom's boyfriend was home the entire time. I could tell you stories...

That also reminds me of the current trend in schools these days. Drug testing kids??? Since when did it become the responsibility and financial burden of the schools/taxpayers to pay for drug testing (parenting) of kids? The day my school district starts that policiy and spending my money to police deabeat parents, that's the day I will move. The only way I'd support something like that is if the PARENTS get charged for the testing, not the taxpayers.

Argh....don't get me started :shutme

Gerry

 

[MJGTOWISH]

Holy cow, didn't you just get your car?

The cams are on the car and i had a couple of mysterious scratch. and make a hell of a movies

So how / where do you have these cameras hooked up? Is it your own carport or something? If your system has needed to work "a few times" already, I think I'd move :lol:

Gerry

Im 17 I will just wait to I turn 21, and transfer it into my name it is in my mom for now we have 2 cars a GTO and Grand am.No way was paying 300 for insurance a month the way we got it now, is that she is the primary owner, the insurance is only 75.00, 25 for the Grand am. Don't ask me how, but my mom work for allstate.

I have four cams around the car,Three are placed under the body kit ponting up on both sides ,and the front of the car, in the back it is under the wing. There is a basic headunit with a pop out 5 or 6 inch screen with vid in,The vcr is a diffrent,it is a harddrive, that records for about 24 hours and a low quality format 7 for high, I just erase at the end of the day. of course after the car has been inspected, the whole system was about 400 the hard drive was the really expense part.

The Cams were 19.99 each, and then all the wire parts was 30 ish Yellow top battery was about a 95 ,80 plus 130 ish for the harddrive.

 

[ShoddyHog]

Im 17 I will just wait to I turn 21, and transfer it into my name it is in my mom for now we have 2 cars a GTO and Grand am.No way was paying 300 for insurance a month the way we got it now, is that she is the primary owner, the insurance is only 75.00, 25 for the Grand am. Don't ask me how, but my mom work for allstate.

I have four cams around the car,Three are placed under the body kit ponting up on both sides ,and the front of the car, in the back it is under the wing. There is a basic headunit with a pop out 5 or 6 inch screen with vid in,The vcr is a diffrent,it is a harddrive, that records for about 24 hours and a low quality format 7 for high, I just erase at the end of the day. of course after the car has been inspected, the whole system was about 400 the hard drive was the really expense part.

The Cams were 19.99 each, and then all the wire parts was 30 ish Yellow top battery was about a 95 ,80 plus 130 ish for the harddrive.

Damn...high tech, low drag :cool

I'd have done that to my car when I was 17, but the computer would have been bigger than the car :lol:

Gerry

 

[NWeber]

Well I went by and spoke with the kids folks last night. Everything went well, they immediatelty agreed to pay for any of the damages to my car.
Now the goat goes back to the shop for the third time in less than two months. I guess they say bad things happen in 3's. Well I hit all my 3's.
1. Front stabilizer links
2. Struts
3. Scratched hood

Today is two months to the day that I bought this car, and its spent approximatley 10 of those 60 days in the shop. I feel like im due for a good break soon.....but i wont get my hopes up!
:cheers GO KSU!:cheers