Chip/scratch prevention preferred method?

[R32driver]

My preferred method is to not give a $%!# about chips and such…

^This...it's just the way it is if you actually drive your vehicle. Get a few years and 10's of thousands of miles down the road and those clear wraps look awful covered in chips and marks, no better than chipped paint IMO. I'm much more worried about door dings at the grocery store than little rock chips on my hood but at least I have some control on where I park

 

[Pro299]

^This...it's just the way it is if you actually drive your vehicle. Get a few years and 10's of thousands of miles down the road and those clear wraps look awful covered in chips and marks, no better than chipped paint IMO. I'm much more worried about door dings at the grocery store than little rock chips on my hood but at least I have some control on where I park

Well, to a minor degree, this may be true, but a protective wrap will stand up waaaay better than paint and quality wraps are self-healing to a degree. My last vehicle was a G8 GT and everyone on the forums complained about how the front quickly got covered in dings and nicks. I covered the front and a few other surfaces when new and after 12 years I only had one spot that was nicked where something obviously large got through the wrap. The rest was unmarked and still is. I know because I passed the car on to a family member and see it frequently. Even today you can hardly tell the wrap is there and the paint underneath is near perfect. That experience lead me to wrap the Yukon front as quickly as I could.

 

[91RS]

Clear bra AKA paint protection film (PPF) is the only way to protect against rock chips. Ceramic coating does not provide any protection at all against rock chips.

 

[vcode]

I talked to the ppf guy for a few minutes and he said new vehicles 2018+ the paint is thinner. I’ve been leasing trucks every other year 2015, 2017, 2019 all Silverado’s and my 19 HC is so bad, gotta be 20 stone chips front bumper/hood. 2015 and 2017 were nothing like that

Geez, not sure where you guys drive. My 2010 Tahoe has a few minor chips in the front of the hood and nothing but bug stains on the bumper. And my road sees 100+ dump trucks a day in the summer.

 

[91RS]

^This...it's just the way it is if you actually drive your vehicle. Get a few years and 10's of thousands of miles down the road and those clear wraps look awful covered in chips and marks, no better than chipped paint IMO. I'm much more worried about door dings at the grocery store than little rock chips on my hood but at least I have some control on where I park

False.

 

[AWSMBLU]

I had the expel film installed on my 2015 Denali . Has saved me from a ton of rock chips. Entire front clip headlights full hood lower quarter panel and door edges door handle cusps mirrors.

 

[Xander]

I did the Xpel on the first 18" of my truck (starting at the front bumper). It was around $1250.

 

[ljn21]

^This...it's just the way it is if you actually drive your vehicle. Get a few years and 10's of thousands of miles down the road and those clear wraps look awful covered in chips and marks, no better than chipped paint IMO. I'm much more worried about door dings at the grocery store than little rock chips on my hood but at least I have some control on where I park

Except at the point you are ready to sell/trade, you just peel off the PPF and the paint is chip-free. If the PPF gets chips and marks, you can also just replace that piece down the road too.

 

[Polo08816]

PPF is the way to go. Has anyone done the entire vehicle and how much did it cost?

 

[Bowzer]

I’ve had xpel on the front end, mirrors and door edges for two years on a 20 Silverado. Paid $950. Still looks good and somehow really does self heal. There are less expensive products but shop that did mine said that xpel has the most precise patterns which makes a big difference with the coverage and appearance.