Some of you may know that feeling of uneasiness when you first notice minor imperfections on your things, whether it be a tiny knick on your luxury watch, a minor scuff on your favourite boots, or a faint hairline scratch on your phone screen. You rationalize that these are minor, inevitable, and (almost) imperceptible things that come with regular wear and tear, but somehow, at least for a little while, it takes a bit of the enjoyment away.

Today I was driving down a regular road when a tiny rock got whipped up from the vehicle in front of me. Then, like in slow motion, it landed right in the centre of my windshield, and left behind a teeny, tiny chip, maybe just a couple of millimetres in size. It is just about imperceptible, especially when compared to the usual dirt and grime that lands on windshield, but now that I know it's there, somehow my eyes keep getting drawn to it.

I know this annoyance will eventually fade with time, and this post is perhaps a bit tongue in cheek, but I was wondering if any of you have similar stories about minor imperfections on your F-Types (or any other car you've owned), and how you came to make peace with it.

 

First, I'll say this: get it fixed before it grows. It's cheap and depending on the chip, it may disappear completely.

As to your actual question: I used to agonize over every little chip but was somewhat cured of that "The Hard Way." I put a deposit on a motorcycle as soon as it was announced, and had to wait 14 months before I actually got it, the MV Agusta F4S. It was declared a total loss 14 months later when someone ran a red light. I kept the bike and fixed it up as a race bike, eventually restoring it then trading it in on the 312R I have now. The surgeon fixed my shoulder (mostly). The bike was easier to restore than me, and came out much closer to original than I did.

Since then, my attitude has been more along the lines of "That's what insurance is for. Things can be replaced." I still get angry over other people's indifference and negligence, e.g. door dings, but wear from use can only be avoided by not using it, and that doesn't work for me.

 

I had the windscreen in my F-Type replaced because of just the same sort of stone chip...it was in my line of vision so my insurance paid for it, no problem. The installation was very carefully and perfectly done, all sensors and heating in the glass work perfectly, everything replaced perfectly and as new. The glass is OEM Jaguar, not aftermarket.
I am exactly the same as you, Mxulive, with my car (and watches)!

 

That has crossed my mind... my chip is actually out of view in the middle of the windshield (closer to the passenger side). Overall just looks like a dirt speck and I'm hoping to get used to it :0

 

You really want to make sure it doesn't grow. If it does, you'll end up replacing the windshield. I had a chip that I thought was a bit big to repair but they tried anyway. A few weeks later it cracked from that spot to two adjacent sides. My insurance policy is zero deductible on repairs and reduced deductible on replacement so there was nothing to lose by trying.

 

Slowly we will learn that cars are to be driven and things will happen when you drive it.

Within reason, I try my best to keep it away from incidents, be it an extra loop for that slightly better parking spot, or some extra maneuvers to get closer to the curb. If things still happen, such is life.

I know exactly where each scars on my cars are, some self inflicted, some passed down from the previous owner, but they all disappear once you step on the go pedal

 

The spot on my windshield seems more like a tiny pit than a chip. Just looks like a tiny white dot I can just feel with my fingernail. Looks something like this (although just one instead of several).

https://i.redd.it/bvi35lumtoo11.jpg

 

A stone took a small divot out of the leading edge of my glass roof. Seeing as I was verifying the functionality of the top 1/3 range of the speedometer at the time, I wrote it off as the cost of doing business.

 

LOVE the reference to wabi sabi!

 

Sounds like Entropy and the Chaos theory bringing acceptance by Wabi Sabi.
Another way to look at it (after the original disappointment) is a trophy of being used and a good and useful (fun) life.

 

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “Wow what a ride!” - Hunter S. Thompson

 

Or there is the Ogmios way...
LOVE this video!!!

 

So I finally ended up taking some pictures of the windshield pit (see link below)... and when looking at it I actually discovered a few other tiny pits on the windshield which are less noticeable, and even one at the front end of the sunroof. The 1st and the 3rd picture are of the stone pit in question. The 2nd photo is of another pit lower in the windshield. In the 3rd photo you can see how superficial it is (the 2nd reflection is the middle windshield layer, and the 3rd reflection is the back side of the windshield).

Anyone else got these little pits on their windshield? Any success with touching it up and making it less visible? I'm not sure if the Rain-X or Permadex DIY kits would work on something this small or if I should bring it into a glass repair shop to have it looked at. Or perhaps I should just accept it and leave it alone. This is from a crazy person that eventually accepted the speck of dust on his watch dial after a month or so

https://imgur.com/a/dYic66G

 

• as you mull this over, quickly place a tiny dab of clear fingernail polish on the culprit.. That will allow you the time to engineer this situation into oblivion...and gl Sir

 

I have a repair kit that works pretty well. I tried a couple but one very close to what the pros have used when I had them do the job. I think it's the Rain-X kit, but will need to pull out the detailing box to be sure. This picture looks like surface pitting only, but look for small cracks that might appear after a couple of days. I think I've used it on chips like that. It's a resin that cures in UV light, and the doohickey (sorry for the technical term) that forces the resin into cracks wouldn't be needed for that. A drop of resin, put on the clear plastic film, and let sit in the sun for 15-20 minutes. Peel the file and shave the resin flat with a single-edge razor blade.

 

It doesnt look bad enough to result in a crack from thermal creep but being right in your sight line if you are like me your eyes will focus on it which is very distracting and potentially dangerous. Given where it is and the risk of making it worse I wouldnt stuff around with it yourself, I'd go to a windscreen joint and they could deal with it.

 

Sadly in Arizona rock chips are impossible to avoid and in my daily driver I replace the windshield at least twice a year. For the door dings I keep a guy handy to pull any dents as they drive me nuts as well.

 

Two windshields a year! Hot damn, at least it's not the F-Type... with the heating elements it wouldn't be cheap.

Going to show some pictures of the scratch to a few local glass repair places and see if they can do anything about it.

 

One time I was driving a rental car in New Zealand and got hit with no fewer than three rocks from separate oncoming cars that each left chips, all in the span of about 30 minutes on the same road.
I'd much rather deal with a chipped windshield than chipped paint or a dent though.