Does anyone else have this problem? I don't have a clear bra but I didn't expect to get so many rock chips on my car. 5 months old with aleast 7 rock chips on the bumper, 1 on the hood and 2 on the side of the car.

I'm probably going to repaint the bumper and hood and install xpel when it gets really bad .
Also if anyone would be kind enough to link or tell me where I could buy touchup paint. Thanks!


edit: magnet*

 

you're not the one! i'm at the point where i hate to wash my car cause i always find a new spot!!!

try this link: http://www.automotivetouchup.com/index1.htm

 

Same here man, every-time I wash my car there is always a defect. I started to find yellow streaks that I can't even get off anymore. Need to invest in xpel and paint correction detailing.

 

I hate them!! It's got to a point where I try to totally avoid the freeway. My car is obsidian so I can see every little spot =[

 

I've tried a few different touch up paints/ kits over the years with different cars. I decided to give Dr. Colorchip a try with my 3is and I've been pleased with the results. The thing I like most about it is that it eliminates the work of trying to blend the area around the chipped paint. Here's a link to the website: https://www.drcolorchip.com

 

Dont bother touching up the paint chips. You will just keep getting new ones every time you drive.

 

Isn't there a clear vinyl wrap? I think it would seem less noticeable than a clear bra.

 

FWIW, a body shop quoted me $600 to re-paint the front bumper, which is about the same as putting clear bra on it.

I talked to someone who scraped their front bumper with clear bra and they said it looked terrible afterward because it starts to come apart/shred, so that is a downside to clear bra.

Having owned a 2014 for about 18 months (without PPF) and now awaiting my new 2015, I plan to apply clear bra selectively on the front bumper. I am going for the bottom inch or two where most of my rock chips were, plus the big vertical surface going into the "air ducts" on the lower portion. I think this will help the worst areas and hide the lines of the PPF.



What is a Magent?

 

He meant magnet.

 

I previously owned a white car for 4 years without a clear bra, the front end was pretty bad with rock chips since I do a lot of highway driving. I definitely learned my lesson with my 3IS and clear bra'ed the whole front, it really does help and I would recommend it to anyone who's planning to keep their car in excellent condition for a long time.

 

Just out of curiosity, what colour IS' do you guys have ?

 

My white IS 350 would average about 1 chip per week from 20 miles of interstate driving per day. Since the clear bra was installed on the bumper, whole hood, and fenders...no more chips after 3 months!

 

UW here. Almost 1 year has gone by and I still have no major rock chips. *knock on wood*

I have some minor scratches in the rear though. I have no idea how I got them but nothing a rubbing compound could fix.

 

I tried the 3M Defender late last fall and it turned out OK considering it was my first time applying it. Had a slight orange peel texture in some spots while in others was perfectly smooth. I can probably get it nearly perfect second time around if I decide to go through the trouble of masking everything and doing it, but I question its durability since along the bottom bumper edge it started to peel after this winter (6 months use).

On the positive, when I removed it a few weeks ago, the bumper looked brand new.

 

Agree! Lesson learned for me as well. When I bought my 3IS, I had Xpel installed on my front bumper and partial hood / fenders. It's worth the investment if you want to protect your investment. Just did a 2.5 hr drive to Boston today and looked at the car. Nothing but dead mosquitoes/flies on the front bumper and windshield No more rock chips!