Is there any product besides a 3M or similar plastic coat that can help minimize front end chips? I guess I'm wondering if there is a particularly protective sealant/wax for front ends. A friend has an S4 that has under 2000 miles on it and is suffering from front end chips already. The car is regularly driven fast on the highway (90 mphish) for 120 miles per day. Its amazing how many tiny chips are in the windshield already. The mirrors also seem to be soft plastic because they have a ton of divets in them.
High speed chip protection
- Thread starter Casebrius
- Start date
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Auto Mask:
Porsche invented the fabric auto mask ( the so-called car bra) in the late sixties, when the factory still individually road tested every car, and because they used the local roads around the factory, a temporary fabric mask was put on the car, to protect the new paint.
It was never intended to be permanent, because no matter how careful you are, no matter how clean you keep your car, the fabric bra will eventually cause a tremendous amount of paint damage as they trap dust and road grit and vibrate in the wind. They also cause uneven fading because the paint underneath them is not exposed to sunlight like the rest of the vehicle.
A more viable alternative is a pressed, polished thermoplastic vinyl (X-Pelâ„¢, Amour Glove, 3M) made from an optically clear 12-Mil clear film that has been treated not to occlude (yellow) its virtually indestructible in normal use and adhererâ€â„¢s to the cars paint surface. Available in custom, laser cut templates that are available for virtually all car models, and many parts of the car, clean and maintain its surface with Z-8 Grand Finaleâ„¢ Spray Seal) or a plastic cleaner (Plexus® Plastic Cleaner, Protectant and Polish). Ensure that there are no surface imperfections before installation; do not use a foam pad / rotary buffer / abrasive compound on the plastic surface. Tape the edges of the auto mask when polishing the vehicles paint.
JonM
Porsche invented the fabric auto mask ( the so-called car bra) in the late sixties, when the factory still individually road tested every car, and because they used the local roads around the factory, a temporary fabric mask was put on the car, to protect the new paint.
It was never intended to be permanent, because no matter how careful you are, no matter how clean you keep your car, the fabric bra will eventually cause a tremendous amount of paint damage as they trap dust and road grit and vibrate in the wind. They also cause uneven fading because the paint underneath them is not exposed to sunlight like the rest of the vehicle.
A more viable alternative is a pressed, polished thermoplastic vinyl (X-Pelâ„¢, Amour Glove, 3M) made from an optically clear 12-Mil clear film that has been treated not to occlude (yellow) its virtually indestructible in normal use and adhererâ€â„¢s to the cars paint surface. Available in custom, laser cut templates that are available for virtually all car models, and many parts of the car, clean and maintain its surface with Z-8 Grand Finaleâ„¢ Spray Seal) or a plastic cleaner (Plexus® Plastic Cleaner, Protectant and Polish). Ensure that there are no surface imperfections before installation; do not use a foam pad / rotary buffer / abrasive compound on the plastic surface. Tape the edges of the auto mask when polishing the vehicles paint.
JonM
Accumulator
Well-known member
Or just live with the stone chips. A *long* time ago I read an interview with the curator of a famous car museum. When asked why the cars had so many stonechips (in the original paint), he replied "real cars get driven, so real cars have stonechips". And these were some *very* valuable cars he was talking about.
It might not be the right approach for everyone, but I generally just let 'em get chipped. If it gets *too* bad, I have paintwork done. I don't like the look of "clear bras" and I don't mind stonechips that much (I don't let polishes/etc. build up in them). I've actually come to sorta appreciate the 20-year-old chips on the XJS, I see it as "patina" from having been used and enjoyed.
IMO it's the windshields that *really* matter. We seem to replace ours quite regularly, probably due to all the highway miles. Seems like it doesn't take much damage to compromise visibility; you don't always appreciate it until you get a new one.
It might not be the right approach for everyone, but I generally just let 'em get chipped. If it gets *too* bad, I have paintwork done. I don't like the look of "clear bras" and I don't mind stonechips that much (I don't let polishes/etc. build up in them). I've actually come to sorta appreciate the 20-year-old chips on the XJS, I see it as "patina" from having been used and enjoyed.
IMO it's the windshields that *really* matter. We seem to replace ours quite regularly, probably due to all the highway miles. Seems like it doesn't take much damage to compromise visibility; you don't always appreciate it until you get a new one.
Lowejackson
New member
I think there is also the factor of how close you drive to other cars.
I still have fond memories of a sealant firm claiming their product protects against stonechips
I still have fond memories of a sealant firm claiming their product protects against stonechips
wannafbody
wannafbody
duct tape bubble wrap to the front end
Actually while researching something else all together, I found this temporary product that is supposed to work as temporary stone protection. I know nothing of this product, so use at your own risk. Link to PDF document