[EpOcH]

and where i live you simply can not drive a car and not get stone chips. so i'll cry over every stone chip for the first year or so most likely. 

While its not exactly a fashion statement you could allways go a carbra !
https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,2767.msg25641.html#msg25641

I was amazed how many cars i saw on the trip from Adelaide to Brisbane and back with them, made me feel like im not the only looney ! .

Saved scrubbing atleast 100 bugs off the front each way , its still stained from bug blood + guts 

The raised sections at the middle/top of the bra do an awesome job of deflecting the bugs upwards (or merely smashing them to bits) so most of the windscreen was bug free for the journey aswell.

[snowcherry]

actually i probably will be getting a carbra! i've already tentatively looked at pricing.

this would be for when i drive to brissy - i do this quite a few times per year and its about 700k. but for general run around i wouldn't have it on.

in CQ the roads are really bad and a lot of trucks on the highway, which i drive to get to work etc. even doing the right thing and not driving behind trucks i still get a lot thrown by overtaking cars and trucks driving the other way. i had one break my windscreen coming from the other way - the trucks are supposed to cover their dirt loads but they rarely do.

 

ahh true Dazz, i guess i was thinking also of getting aftermarket accessories and they not being fitted properly, not to mention car parks! i have another new ding on my car this week which i'll need to pop a spot of paint on.

and where i live you simply can not drive a car and not get stone chips. so i'll cry over every stone chip for the first year or so most likely. 

In my six months I've only ever parallel parked (wife thinks I'm mad - she's right of course  ) - no door dings yet.

Thought about a car-bra but it really is over the top for the price... bugs are a buggar and I already have my first bonnet chip... damn, why was I so vain?  I could wear a bra... even at my age.  8)

[2i30s]

a bonet protector [plastic thing ] is cheaper.  steve.

[snowcherry]

i considered the bonnet protector as well but a) they're ugly and permanent (as compared to the bra) and b) they don't stop all the chips from happening. i have a lot of chips in my bonnet but equally as many across the entire front bumper and around the grill area etc.

its going to happen regardless of what i do, only way to disregard it is not buy a new car 

[Dazzler]

a bonet protector [plastic thing ] is cheaper.  steve.

     

We have discussed these before, don't think I'm the only one that reckons they are more trouble than they are worth (catch leaves and dirt and moisture)

A plastic film professionally applied to the leading edges of bonnet is a better option but bot sure of the cost...

[snowcherry]

A plastic film professionally applied to the leading edges of bonnet is a better option but bot sure of the cost...

like paint protection, or is that something different? have heard many different views on paint protection to

A plastic film professionally applied to the leading edges of bonnet is a better option but bot sure of the cost...

like paint protection, or is that something different? have heard many different views on paint protection to

More like a thick window tint... without the tint.

[Dazzler]

I SPLIT AND RELOCATED THIS PART OF "JUST MY LUCK" AS IT RELATES MAINLY TO BONNET PROTECTION...

A plastic film professionally applied to the leading edges of bonnet is a better option but bot sure of the cost...

like paint protection, or is that something different? have heard many different views on paint protection to

 

Pip has described it well.. I'm looking for a good image but here is a link to a crowd that sells it...(I'll edit and add a picture if I find a good one)

http://www.ozicozi.com.au/index.htm

and here is another.. (unfortunately the photos don't get the idea across very well) The person I know who has got it just has it on the leading edge of the bonnet and around the grill..

http://www.ducoscratch.com.au/clear_car_bra.asp

[snowcherry]

thanks for the links Dazz
i do recall reading about the ozicozi one in the past. it seems quite expensive so will need to look into it a bit more again to see if its worth it, i'm thinking possibly not as it needs to be reapplied. also i recall it doesn't prevent some marks, hmmm not sure

must read again

[Dazzler]

thanks for the links Dazz
i do recall reading about the ozicozi one in the past. it seems quite expensive so will need to look into it a bit more again to see if its worth it, i'm thinking possibly not as it needs to be reapplied. also i recall it doesn't prevent some marks, hmmm not sure

must read again

     

Must ask my lady friend for more info and some feedback about the effectiveness of her film..

She has a really tidy Astra which is now about 2 years old.. I will take some photos of the front of her car..

I'm rather interested in this thread because I foolishly didn't bother to get a bonnet protector and now I have a small chip right near the leading edge of the bonnet.  Buggar!  There are no obvious chips in the plastic bumper which may be flexible enough to resist chips or maybe just hasn't had a "hit" yet.  Chips seem to show up in white paint - I had a dark colour before and couldn't see any at all, even after 15 years.

Like others, I'm looking at my options to prevent another one, and also not sure of the best way to "patch" the chip I already have.  Any DIY suggestions?

[Dazzler]

Hi Pip..

I've had a few white cars they do show chips more than some but just the old standard touch up seems to hide them better than on a metallic colour (from my experience anyway)

... just the old standard touch up seems to hide them...

Would this be something I can get from Hyundai or ??

Too many company cars have left a gap in my car care skills 

[Dazzler]

... just the old standard touch up seems to hide them...

Would this be something I can get from Hyundai or ??

Too many company cars have left a gap in my car care skills 

 

Most dealers sell touch up for their range via the spare parts department but my local Hyundai dealer said they don't stock or mix Hyundai colours any more and sent me to a local panel beater who has their old mixing gear. (cost me $20 for about 50ml in a little bottle with a brush built in)

I would check with your local dealer and see what they carry, if no luck can either check with auto accessory places or any panel beaters (after all they have to match your colour if you have a prang) 

Thanks Dazz,

I will put a bit of sticky tape over it, in case there is invisible bare metal, to reduce any corrosion and talk to the dealer at my next service in about 6 months.  Hell, the sticky tape might be enough on its own - it's a very small chip.     

[Dazzler]

Thanks Dazz,

I will put a bit of sticky tape over it, in case there is invisible bare metal, to reduce any corrosion and talk to the dealer at my next service in about 6 months.  Hell, the sticky tape might be enough on its own - it's a very small chip.     

 

Next time you are near a novus windscreen repair place ask them for a sheet of clear round stickers (that they give out to protect windscreen chips so they can be fixed with a resin injection)  as one of those (about the size of a 5 cent piece) would look better and stick better than a bit of sticky tape! 

[magicRob]

While it's similar to some already posted, I'm looking at this for mine.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard-PPF/Home/

Which is sold by these guys:
http://www.ozicozi.com.au/

Mate of mine (who lives in the US) has one on his SVT Cobra

[Dazzler]

While it's similar to some already posted, I'm looking at this for mine.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard-PPF/Home/

Which is sold by these guys:
http://www.ozicozi.com.au/

Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about  

[magicRob]

I asked him the other day, i thought he only had it over the front of bonnet, I was wrong...

To quote him:

No, I have it all over - Hood, front part of the front fenders, and behind all of the wheels

When I was visiting him I checked it out, and it's barely visible. You can though see it when you look really close

That isn't his daily driver though, so he cleans it after he drives it, pretty much

[Dazzler]

Now if I didn't have an i30 Crdi I might consider one of those

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Mustang_SVT_Cobra

Nice..

[snowcherry]

There are no obvious chips in the plastic bumper which may be flexible enough to resist chips or maybe just hasn't had a "hit" yet.  Chips seem to show up in white paint - I had a dark colour before and couldn't see any at all, even after 15 years.

Like others, I'm looking at my options to prevent another one, and also not sure of the best way to "patch" the chip I already have.  Any DIY suggestions?

my car is a mid darkish blue and the paint chips show up terribly, mostly because they show the undercoat underneath and its a different colour. i remember my dads old car that heaps of paint chips was harder to tell and his was white. so i assume white is actually better than a dark colour from what i've seen, so i find your comment interesting.

with touching up, i went to autobarn and they took the colour code off the vehicle and made some up for me. was about $15 i think and perfect colour match.

[middy]

i considered the bonnet protector as well but a) they're ugly and permanent (as compared to the bra)

I had a bonnet protector on my previous car.  They are not permanent though.  Just undo two screws on the underside and they come right off.  I only used to fix it on if I was doing some long distance driving.  I would leave it off for around town.  I thought it was great for preventing stone chips.

[Dazzler]

I had a bonnet protector on my previous car.  They are not permanent though.  Just undo two screws on the underside and they come right off.  I only used to fix it on if I was doing some long distance driving.  I would leave it off for around town.  I thought it was great for preventing stone chips.

 

Not a bad idea middy, but a lot of us wouldn't be disciplined enough to take it off and on as needed...

Plus, from my experience bad chips can happen at any time... (even around town) at least on Tassie roads anyway... 

[GordonG]

Plus, from my experience bad chips can happen at any time... (even around town) at least on Tassie roads anyway... 

You have towns in Tasmania? Geeze, you're getting progressive down there...

 

[snowcherry]

so i found the 'official' hyundai car bra that you can't get in australia that i have found on a couple of US sites for the elantra touring
e.g http://www.hyundaiaccessorystore.com/hyundai_elantra_touring_front_mask.html
this site has hideous postage costs to australia, i had emailled the site for cheaper surface mail options but have had no reply.
asked at hyundai about it but they couldn't find it on their system (or google for that matter - why do some people seem to find google so difficult?)

the carbra as talked about in this thread is $550 plus postage?

and there is this one as well
http://www.carbra.com.au/products.html
a quick quote was $407 inc delivery [edit - i now think this is the same as the above one, they must be getting cheaper] - which is possibly reasonable would prefer in the $300 region

[snowcherry]

found another one today on ebay though looks  alittle dodgy
its a do it yourself clear protection by NuSolis

very very cheap at $17 US plus postage approx $8

[Dazzler]

Too good to be true?

[sweetbix]

found another one today on ebay though looks  alittle dodgy
its a do it yourself clear protection by NuSolis

very very cheap at $17 US plus postage approx $8

This is what it is...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI_bsNXOAhE[/youtube]

[snowcherry]

oh the video certainly helps! thanks
i have to say there is part of me that just really hates the idea of this clear protection, whether its do it yourself or professionally done. i can't say why, i just don't trust it.