Mikey81 - You don't sound rude at all... Very realistic perspective...

You are right... I am just as likely to get a stone chip driving to work than on a vacation trip across the state...

That said, "back in the day" I used to install a 1980s style mask/bra on my car before taking long trips to protect the nose across long distances...and so the question is just a natural one for me to ask...

Truth be told, I am not sure what I am going to do (if I do anything at all)... But I like to know my options, and I love the creative suggestions coming from the replies to this thread...

 

with over 300k miles with a clear bra I can say that I don't have any chips in the paint beneath the clear bra. I have a few spots that have torn the clear bra where a rock glanced off it but the paint remained intact. I got one big stone that hit my fender next to my headlight so hard it put a nice dent into the fender. It also ripped the clear bra at the dent. But the paint beneath it is still intact. I'll easily be able to fix this with PDR.

The front of my hood is covered by the clear bra and besides being dull from countless rocks and bugs it has prevented any paint chips. Further up the hood where there's no clear bra I have dozens of paint chips. But I agree - one long trip without front protection isn't going to make a significant difference.

 

My 00 has 75k miles now. Driven from Chicago burbs to CA and Chicago burbs to Myrtle Beach...as well as tons of track miles, and lots of highway trips. Its black.

Well...the front is gray now lol. Idk...its just a car...and they're just rock chips. They're going to happen, whether on this trip or the next.

The chips will end up happening from the bumper to where the hood meets the windshield. Thats a lot of clear bra/tape.

Also...the tires pick up rocks. My front fenders have bare metal showing behind the wheels. The rear fender in FRONT of the wheels (where side strakes would go) is all chipped. Chips on the door, etc.

Just accept it. Let it happen and enjoy the car despite all this. Lol.

I will say that I don't drive the car all winter...which seems to last like 10 months out of the year around here. So rust isn't a big concern for me.

 

BTW, I should mention that I bought my car 9 years ago with 18,006 miles and it was virtually spotless. So I understand your sentiment. At this point, I look back on the days when I used to use blue tape for the track, wax the car every 5 mins, and spend hours pining over any rock chip, and I see it all as a waste of time.

Im happy to say that the car will never win any show awards. But it still looks great whenever I walk up to it. I still use common sense (large following distances behind trucks, wax the car every year, car washes with soft mitts, etc).

Car still looks great to me...even though I can tell its NOWHERE near as clean as it was 9 years ago (shocker). People give me compliments on the car all the time as well.

Cliff's notes: #YOLOROCKCHIPS

 

I guess it comes back to the what are you trying to save the front from? you have a clear cover to protect it which looks a little beaten up, so its done its job, but will original paint on that car keep the value up if you were to sell it etc

i know i sound argumentative and i was worried about my first 2004 S2000 as that was mint when i bought it, 36k on the clock, garaged and only used for 2k a year in summer and taken to europe etc but after the first stone hit the bumper and made a small mark i got over it and realised it can be fixed if i wanted to etc. it didn't devalue the car or put off the buyer. my current 2008 has a few little marks which i am glad about because it means i do just drive it now without worrying about making that first stone chip etc

I know everyone is different and want different things so i will stop with the questions now

hope the op enjoys their road trip

 

i remembered i saw this the other day, if i had a car like that i would probably do the same, which does go against my comments earlier, but S2000 vs P1 is not comparable

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdurPXUl4A[/media]