I live in a fairly crowded area right outside New York City.. Parking sucks, and I actually have to live my life around getting a good spot for the Crossfire.. If I get in too late at night or theres no parking spots around, the only option is to park in a lot behind the school across from my house..

Problem is kids also play in the same area.. and I've seen them playing tennis baseball.. throwing around the football...

Recently I noticed two dings on my car! One on the hood, and one on the rear left roof column.. So I stopped parking over there.. then yesterday I noticed another one on my door!! Plus on Friday I went to the Olive Garden, parked way far from the nearest car, only to come back to a jeep parked right on top of me, and I KNEW they couldn't get out without their door hitting the car or coming close.. well I found a two inch scratch that the rear door left where it hit my car. Needless to say I was furious and opened my door and slammed it into their car several times. But that doesn't even make up for it.. the jeep was already 10 years old... The scratch will be gone with a little black crayon and some polish, but it's still annoying as hell!

Anyway these dings really are not noticable, unless you are looking, and I'm **** as hell, so I look all the time to make sure my xfire is in good shape. Needless to say from now on I'm parking miles away from the nearest car, no matter where I go!

But what can I do?? Does that stupid ding remover you see on TV really work? The only thing I'm worried about is they always show big dings, while mine are not big, very shallow, but still, to me, they are noticable..

I also want to know next time someone causes a scratch or a ding.. what can you do..? I mean it's stupid to take it too far, but I feel they should all pay somehow.

 

I understand your pain. I'm the same way. As soon as a get a ding it is the first thing that catches my eye every time I look a the vehicle.

My neighbor has his own business similiar to the "Ding Doctor". I've seen his work and it is excellent. He does work for several of the local dealers. Check with your dealer. Usually they outsource small ding/dents to someone who specializes in same and they are very reasonably priced.

 

I am **** about dings in my doors as well. My 2001 Sebring convertible doesn't have one ding I park so far away from other cars. A funny thing happened to me last week. I went grocery shopping to a supermarket where the employees always wheel the shopping cart to your car. I was parked in the far corner of the lot and as we were walking to the car, the kid said to me, "Was the lot crowded when you came in?" I laughed and told him why I always parked so far away.
It was that same lot where I saw my first Xfire outside of a dealers lot, an alabaster coupe parked four spaces from the front of the store - an invitation for door dings.

 

Only solution , shoot all door dingers! I rarely park my car next to anyone.And I have my beater Volvo for grocery stores and crowded parking places.Well worth the $2000 I paid for it .I can always park it anywhere!

 

I just got my car back from Dent Masters. I had $1900 worth of hail damage and they fixed it as good as new. I am really impressed with the work they did. I'd suggest finding a local dent removal shop and not doing anything yourself. There's also some good scratch fix products that are supposed to be pretty good. I think one was mentioned in the Detailing forum.

 

Its amazing how they do that. I was at my local Chrysler Dealer last week getting my van serviced. There was a guy in tha parking lot working on two brand new Jeeps, just off the truck. Both had several small dents and dings. I watched him for awhile. He took some long rods curved on the end and wiggled them around on the inside of the panel and - no more ding. You couldn't tell it was ever there. The hardest part seemed to be getting to the ding. He removed the door panels and tail lights. I got his name and phone number for future use. Also got the name of a paint man who works with him doing ding and scratch work. They travel around to all the Dealers in the area and they are really good. Fantastic.

Bottom line is I'am not as scared to see my first ding now, but I'll still cry when it happpens. I always wondered why Cars on dealers lots were so perfect, no dings and scraches - now I know why.

 

I don't have any dings, but the black paint on my new Crossfire is horrible in that it shows swirl marks and every minute scratch.

I'm starting to regret that I didn't buy the Gray or Silver-Blue color instead. Black looks great when perfectly clean or at dusk, but in the sunlight my car's paint looks as if it's 5 years old.

If I keep the Crossfire at lease end, I'm looking at a total re-paint. I'm also **** about such things.

Luckily, your dents can be removed pretty easily and inexpensively with the services now available.

 

Jimbo, I was about to cry when I was looking out the window at work a month ago, watching the hail pelt everything in site, including my car. Luckily hail is very rare in Virginia.

Gino, many people swear by Zaino. I have the Zaino starter kit and I will be doing a full wax job sometime very soon. I also have a black Crossfire and the swirls get to me as well. I'll let you know how the Zaino does.

 

I use Zaino also. The key to getting rid of the swirl marks is using 100% cotton towels or micro fiber cloth and buff lightly. My wife still hasn't gotten over me spending $20.00 each on towels, then cutting them up to use on my car.

 

I might have three dings but not many swirls. With black, you just gotta keep it waxed up. I've only done 3 or 4 full wax jobs since I got it in January, but I use a lot of booster wax and gloss enhancers that keep my car shiny and the coat smooth.

 

I got mine A-Glazed inside and out. Cost ��300 (about $500). It is basically a road version of the protection they use on boats.

Just wash it with a little A-Glaze shampoo, rinse, dry with microfibre. Looks like new. No waxing required. No swirls.

Protects the paint as well against bird droppings and small scratches.

Check out their web-site - www.aglaze.com.

 

Fat Gino, I also have a black XF. I learned right away that you NEVER,NEVER, go through a brush type car wash. Wax your car, buff going ONLY ONE direction. I did this twice and swirls are gone. :lol: