I found this scratch when I was cleaning my car a couple weeks ago<note the wax still there lol> I have a 2 tiered(steep at bottom, flat at top) driveway at my apartment and they connect where I park. There isnt room to get the whole car on the top just the front wheels and I have to take it at an angle so that I dont bottom out the car(which I have done) I am worried that approaching it from the angle is what is doing this. I havent been in any accidents with it.

 

I don't see how they're related. The Protege chassis doesn't really flex enough that it should cause interference like that. It's seriously stiff. Strong like bull! lol

EDIT: Plus, I'm thinking about how it would flex, and that part should fall AWAY from the door. That is, if I'm thinking about it correctly lol

 

I don't think the driveway's the cause.

Are you the original owner? Maybe the car was in an accident before you owned it? Or do you specifically remember that scratch not being there before?

The chassis will flex more if you have a stiff suspension setup. Do you?

 

Huh?

 

it is possible, how friggin low do you have your car?

 

Unless he's high centering it on the driveway, there's no reason you should have ANY flex. Even tho the wheels are on different planes, the chassis is still suspended, just at an angle

 

i have stock suspension, im the second owner but I got the carfax report when I bought it and it didnt have anything in there, i bought it in november 03, and it had 42k miles on it so whoever had it I'm assuming did a ton of highway.
I believe the scratch is relatively recent mainly because I live on an island so any exposed metal rusts pretty quickly. Also I forgot to mention where the driveway meets the road is steep to, I have to angle that or I grind the bumper pulling in and backing out.
I got more pics now that the sun came out. I think my landlord may have given me a free carwash because I dont remember it being that clean this morning lol and the mirrors dont look as faded in the picture weird.

I lightly grinded the bottom when I first started living here, but I caught on pretty quickly not to pull up much further than where I am at, and to angle it going over that change

 

I don't think the two are related either. The driveway would grind the BOTTOM of the side skirt, am I right?
Looks to me like someone tried to fit something in the front seat that didn't quite fit and scratched the paint...or maybe it got rubbed by a skateboard/some kind of griptape right there?

A little touch-up paint and it'll be good to go.

 

Dude you're worrying way too much. That's nothing .. your car will be fine.

 

okies, I was scared the door shutting was doing that by the body not being straight

 

I had a driveway like that when I lived in Tucson and drove a lowered Miata. It was impossible to go up or down without grinding the **** out of it. I bought an 8' section of 2x10, cut it in half, and arranged the halves longitudinally on the top (flat) section of the driveway, one for each wheel. So when I drove up on top of the boards it lifted the car enough to clear the peak. Maybe a modification of this will work for you?

 

thats a good idea, I know I have seen people put boards at the bottom for not grinding the front end, didnt think of putting "steps" at the top like that. Did they slide out from under the car alot or did you do something to keep them in place

 

Be gentle and they'll be fine. Might need an occasional realignment.

 

Holy cats, thats a strange driveway design!

 

ya, I think the landlord is a little worried about flooding. its a 3 story house, and the top of the driveway is a good 6 feet above the road in the first place, slight oversight when I was finding a place to live lol