Just got a yellow '02 xterra about a week ago and there's some minor exterior problems with it. I've been told that the clear coat is coming off, causing some splotches to appear on the bumper and a-pillar. Here's some pictures of what's going on. Any idea on what it is/what I can do to fix it? Any help is appreciated!

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I tried to mess with the contrast here so you guys could see it, my camera wasn't picking up the differences for some reason.

Thanks!

On the gray plastic molding just pull all of them and paint them. Almost everyone on this site with a 1st Gen has repainted there plastics. Do a search for painting and you will come up with 3 or so pages of threads discussing painting the plastics.

Just got a yellow '02 xterra about a week ago and there's some minor exterior problems with it. I've been told that the clear coat is coming off, causing some splotches to appear on the bumper and a-pillar. Here's some pictures of what's going on. Any idea on what it is/what I can do to fix it? Any help is appreciated!

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I tried to mess with the contrast here so you guys could see it, my camera wasn't picking up the differences for some reason.

Thanks!

What kelly said :D

We all basically paint our plastics. Go through my build thread (link in my signature) and look at MY plastics.

THOSE are what you call worn out lol

Paint em up. I bought $7 worth of paint from home depot.

I bought a few cans of flat black Quick Color spray enamel (2 coats) and then 2 cans of Flat black Rustoleum outdoor/weather paint (1 final coat).

Painted it up really well.

also these grilles fade, turn a greenish tint, oxidize and well if you spill washer fluid on em is has a bleachlike effect. Get duplicolor Dark Charcoal bumper paint, lightly sand them, wipe down and give 2 or 3 coats until fully covered (inside little grille vents too.) Pep boys sells the spray cans of this - buy two cans just in case.

CISO

Thanks a ton, I'll hopefully be doing that this weekend. Does anyone know what's going on with the A-pillar?

Bird shit probably. Same spot on my X is killin the paint. I'm taking bug and tar remover to it tomorrow. Go get a detailing kit, mothers brand or turtle wax. Wash, wax, polish yourself and get it good. Hopefully that'll do the trick hopefully!

Those bumpers look like someone painted them already. I never have seen pealing on the plastics on an Xterra. If you bought it used from a dealership they might have had their bumper guy put a fresh coal of gray paint on to make it look better. Those mobile paint guys put a clear on and it usually last a couple of years but will peal eventually.

I would just do as others have said and pull them off sand and paint them the color you want. Most use Krylon Fusion satin black. Looks great did mine.

As far as the A-pillar is concerned...Did you ever run a Carfax on your X? I am wondering if it might have been in a collision. Open the hood and check the screws that run along the fenders. If they look like they are scratched then there is a good chance there might have been some body work. That would explain the clear coat pealing. I know my hood was replaced and repainted and I have the same clear coat pealing. It is only on the parts that were damaged usually.

Take a heat gun to the plastics, see if that restores it

Take a heat gun to the plastics, see if that restores it

I wouldn't do that. His platics have a clear coat. You can heat gun the plastics if they were never painted. His look like they were.

I have the same problem with the clear coating pealing off on the same exact area. I have no clue how/why that happened. I purchased my X about 2 months ago 2001 Yellow.
My grill and front bumper were in really bad shape too, but I took them off and painted them black (looks much better). I still gotta paint all the remaining plastics and rear bumper. But that clear coating pealing off its what's killing me.

sand the bumper down? put a new coating on yourself, prime and/or paint it

If you sand it, use very fine grit sand paper.

Thats all Im going to say haha

The A pillar and other parts for the body (yellow part) have deteriorating clear coat. You will have to have that resprayed, if you want to keep it looking good!
Sun plays Hell on clear coats!

Thanks a ton guys! I'll be doing that as soon as I get the X back. It's been in the shop for the past week and half because the guy we bought it from said it passed the emissions and safety checks (which I guess it technically did) but didn't tell us everything that was wrong with it. Turns out it needs $3,000 worth of repairs now... Hopefully this will give me the chance to do some of it on my own though, like replacing the shocks. Is the jack that comes in the X strong or stable enough to replace the shocks with? Someone was saying that I would need a beefier jack to hold it up for a longer period of time.

You don't need a beefier jack, you need jack stands to rest the X on so you can work safely. Never ever work under your truck with it being supported by the scissor jack (OEM jack).