how do you deal with road debris dings?

rh71 · #1 03-13-2009, 01:37 PM

Everytime I wash my car I see a new small dings from rocks on the front bumper (paint) somewhere - usually at the level of the fogs. They are noticeable even if you're not looking for them (because mine is white). Would a clear bra even prevent impacts like this at speed? Does it go down that far? How much does it cost w/ install? I may have to consider this option now.

Do you guys just ignore the stone chips (black dots on a white car are hard to ignore)? Use a paint pen? I had the dealer buff out a scratch once and he paint-pen'd a spot and while it is only noticeable if looking for it, I don't want these mismatches all over the front of my vehicle. Never had to deal with this before as my previous car wasn't painted all the way down there.

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BGM · #2 03-13-2009, 02:21 PM

I have the 3M clear bra on my e53--put it on the same day as when I bought it new--works great. If it's not too late and you have any small chips filled in with touch-up paint I would have it installed.

nynd · #3 03-13-2009, 03:31 PM

Yeap - does a good job of protecting the front end. Recommended if its not too late.

The Cleaner · #4 03-13-2009, 03:40 PM

I just leave them, I am a little nuts when I get chips on my garage queen but my daily is going to look used as time goes on

bmwman3241 · #5 03-13-2009, 03:44 PM

Does the car loose its shine with a clear bra? Should it be polished before applying?
I went to the 3m dealer in Dubai, and they didn't know what clear bra was. They have some king of liquid that they spray on every 6 months. There are other companies with something similar, but I don't want to loose my shine.

BTW, for the dings, best solution is to know your service advisor good. In the 3 month I have had my X5, my service advisor repaired 1 of my wheels for $100, gave me a full interior and exterior detail worth $450 for free, and repainted certain areas of my car that were dinged for free. He has done other minor stuff here and there but these are the main things other than a discount on everything. Just a suggestion.

bmwman3241 · #6 03-13-2009, 03:52 PM

I am also deciding between getting it or not. My 2 main concers are 1 the shine of the car. Whether it will look dull or still look good. The second is that many BMW people have told me that with paint protection, if you have many things hit it it will start to wear off the protection and show the dings more than on pain itself.

If you are interested in paint protection, BMW has it available as well. $99 for front bumper, and $139 for hood and mirrors.
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King · #7 03-13-2009, 04:25 PM

Look closely at my 4.8i. Can you even tell it has the clear bra on the hood and mirrors? This vehicle is jet black! If anything, jet black would be the first color to show the clear bra and/or loss of shine and gloss. I'm not sure which brand the dealer used, but it couldn't be better! Hope that puts your mind at ease...now go ahead and get it installed!

bmwman3241 · #8 03-13-2009, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King

Look closely at my 4.8i. Can you even tell it has the clear bra on the hood and mirrors? This vehicle is jet black! If anything, jet black would be the first color to show the clear bra and/or loss of shine and gloss. I'm not sure which brand the dealer used, but it couldn't be better! Hope that puts your mind at ease...now go ahead and get it installed!

Do you have he entire hood covered or just half? What else do you have covered? Front or Rear Bumper? Side Skirts?
It has it's shine thats for sure. I'll get it installed ASAP.

King · #9 03-13-2009, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmwman3241

Do you have he entire hood covered or just half? What else do you have covered? Front or Rear Bumper? Side Skirts?
It has it's shine thats for sure. I'll get it installed ASAP.

I have about 1/3 of the hood covered, the front bumper and mirrors. You have to look real closely to tell it is installed. Only the line where it cuts off is what gives it away, otherwise you wouldn't even notice!

I was at the autoshow about two weks ago, and they had a Nissan GTR, and the WHOLE car was covered with the 3M clear shield!

LeMansX5 · #10 03-13-2009, 05:36 PM

I have the Xpel 3M clear bra covering 1/3 of hood. If i have to do again I will cover the entire hood. I also have entire front(excluding black bumper portion) including headlights and fog lights, rear view mirrors, door edges, behind door handles, door sills, rear bumper ++ covered in clear bra.

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