How do i protect my car for the ride home?

I use the 3M Scotchcal Paint Protection Film,, which looks just like the topoftheline paint protection tape a couple threads above.



I buy rolls of it 4" wide and 40 yards long - part # 84804, I believe.



The blue painters tape is a great idea, but it's so thin it won't prevent any damage to the paint like the Scotchcal film will.



I've used it for over 5 years, and have never had a rock chip when it was used.



Go to an automtoive paint store and have them order it for you is my suggestion.
 
Your best bet is to drive very carefully maintaining a good distance from cars and especially trucks. Unfortunately you will be driving down the main north-south corridor in order to get to your destination. You might consider traveling a more scenic route. Less traffic, lower speeds and more velocity changes ( for break-in). Also try to travel during daylight and avoid dusk and dawn ( higher bug activity during these hours ). Divide the trip into two days and do some minor detailing after you stop the first night. :nixweiss
 
i definitely say leave the protective plastic on the car that it came with. Thats what the factory does to ship it, so should you. No special wash needs to be done after removing the plastic, just a normal dawn wash should be fine. Make sure you call ahead and tell them to leave the plastic on and not to detail it, if they detail it it will waste more of your time when you get home removing the crap they put on and correcting swirl marks.
 
At the risk of being flamed... It's a car! Drive it. Enjoy it. If you get so worried about a chip, nick or scratch, the enjoyment of the car will be gone.



Road damage will come. When it does, take care of it.



I think the best advise is to give plenty of distance between you and drivers in front of you... it's the safe way to drive.



I hope you enjoy your new BMW!



db
 
David B I totally agree but was afraid to state as such. That is the reason I told him in a indirect way to take the scenic route, enjoy the car and properly break-in the mechanicals. Driving is the pleasure of a car. Ultra-detailed and flawless finish is just a great plus. :D
 
Well said David. I too have had to remind myself of that fact and I don't own a car nearly as expensive or as nice. It is worthwhile to take 'reasonable' preventative steps in taking care of potential threats to your car, but when you get to a level where you can no longer enjoy or drive the car in the way it was meant to be enjoyed you may have to re-evaluate your relationship with your vehicle. Did I say relationship?????



Kelly
 
I have brought back more than a few cars with with blue painters tape on all the leading edges.



On my S4 I brought it back from Chicago in a snow and ice storm, the tape started coming off in the slush and it looked like a cheap New Years Day float by the time I got to St. Louis. But no chips and scratches!



Do it!:D
 
there's a difference between enjoying the car and keeping it nice for a while. if we didn't car about haing nice cars, why spend hours fixing the scratches or swirls - go drive it instead.



Remember in grade school when you got brght new white shoes that you wanted to keep clean for as long as possible. As soon as your friend stepped on them, or you got them dirty for the first time you stopped caring so much.



It's the same thing F1Player48 is trying to do with his car, he wants it to look nice and be undamaged for as long as possible. I'm sure he realizes that it's futile since eventually the car will get it's first ding or scratch, but you just have to use some caution. He's got planty of years to have fun with the car; and he can't really show it off until it's broken in anyway either.



I did the same thing for my car when I bought it several years ago even though it was a demo. I knew that it had gotten its share of bruises and cuts already, but I still babied it for a while.



F1Player48, go for it and do whatever you want to keep your ride perfect for as long as possible.:up
 
My point was that you shouldn't let it bother you excessively. Some people become mentally disabled when they get a chip here or there and they are setting themselves up for misery because it is going to happen. A chip here, a ding there - whether in the garage, the driveway, or on the road...... it is going to happen. If you want to start the process after you get it home more power to you. Enjoy it and don't worry, but if I see you driving around town afterwards I will put a scratch in it myself.





Kelly:)
 
I have an idea. Drive the car at night. Like after midnight when no dump trucks, traffic, etc is really on the road. You can drive as you please with no one up your tail. All you will have to worry about is the occasional tractor trailer. But thats about it. :D
 
I'm also going to go against the grain here...



I suggest driving in daylight on major 3 lane highways. One with middle dividers to stop debris from oncoming traffic.



Suprisingly I think the roads are cleaner during high traffic times, rather than in the middle of the night when it isnt getting blown off to the sides.



Daylight is safer driving.



Daytime will allow you to put another vehicle between yourself and that huge tractor trailer.



Middle lane is cleanest.



Keep your distance.



Enjoy the ride!
 
kellyrudnick said:
Some people become mentally disabled when they get a chip here or there and they are setting themselves up for misery.

Kelly:)
Click to expand...



Yea.........that's me!:scared I will go down fighting reality every time!
 
Look, it's a car and you need to drive it. What's going to happen is going to happen. I use a Colgan Bra for road trips and the track and it works fine. I've put it on and taken it off several times with no problems. Putting Zaino on the car is not going to prevent chips. I would suggest that put a quick coat of wax on the front of the car before putting the bra on though.
 
Yea, but you usually don't have the Colgan bra for the drive home with the brand new car. That's why we are suggesting the tape. It was a temporary suggestion.



Here's another option. After getting the brand new car home I suggest getting an Xpel clear film paint protection. It is on the car 24-7 and you don't have to worry about dirt, scratches, etc. I love it. After using regular Bra's for years (I still have one on my Boxster) this is the way I will go from now on.



You can barely see it in this pic. Look closely!

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BradB,



Did you apply the painter's tape directly to the paint? Would it be ok to have an enitre front bumper covered in strips of it? Thanks for your help.
 
Yes, I did. That's what I have done to several cars in both the winter and summer. Three days is the longest I've had it on. Cheap insurance to get it home from the dealer, especially if it's out of state.
 
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