Stone Chips...any preventions?

[Buller_Scott]

After a year of ownership I dont have any stone chips on my Polo. I had a good look at it after I washed it today.

Do you guys tailgate or something?

The roads I drive to and from work are not in the best condition either. I actually work in a industrial area where there is lots of heavy vehicle (truck) traffic. The roads are all f###ed and with the odd pot hole and loose stones. There is no storm water drainage so everytime it rains and trucks drive over it new pot holes are formed with even more loose stones.

If I hear stones hitting my car I usually back off or change lanes if possible. It appears to work for me.

i agree.... however....

my car, after 8 or so months, is showing signs of age (not the engine, i ran it in good and its running good compression, by lack of smoke!!).

the run up to buller from melbourne is easy enough, but get a 4wd SUV on the way up the hill, that you just want to cane past, approach it during one of the 3 chain bays, and on a clean sunny buller day, within 20 mts of the car infront, you're gonne have little gravel flinging up onto your car....NOT pretty.

only choice is to flashi high beams on a safe curvy (where you can see mtn-side) path, and pass, or drop back 40 mtrs for the next 8kms....... ive done both....

(former sucks)

[Buller_Scott]

speaking of....

does anyone know the driving etiquette for driving up and down mountain roads when there is a push-bike race going on?

i love going UP mtn highway in melbourne, but the other wkend there was a pushbike race, and i felt so damn ill-equipped, knowledge-wise, for the task, i ended up coasting around corners whilst ALSO wondering if i was gonna total anyone....

any experienced bike riders' input would be HUGELY appreciated...

cheers.

[Matt P]

yeah, you paid rego and they didnt... put the foot down :p

1100kg car > 100kg person + bike :p

[leasaunce]

vinyl wrapping is your answer... but your wallet wont be happy about it though

[Treza360]

At the end of the day, I figure that I bought the car to enjoy and have a good time. This means there's going to be stone chips (of which I have plenty), mystery scratches and other blemishes that are going to happen. I wash my car regularly to keep it in the best condition possible but there's no avoiding these things. A car bra is an option but really they are hideously ugly and ruin the enjoyment I get out of cars.
If it's a car you wish to keep for a long time and the chips are that bad then organise a respray every 5 years or something like that. If you're "investing" in your car with modifications etc, then a quality respray with this kind of time period can be seen as a similar type of "mod".
Otherwise it's just something you have to get used to and live with. My opinion anyway.
Cheers,
Trent

[mikepologti]

this maybe a silly idea cos im a noob. but can you simply just by touch up paint (comes in a pen) or get it paint protected next time you get it resprayed (again not sure how reliable that is but i got it when i brought my polo gti)

[VWEAPN]

keep a distance from cars in front of you when highway driving. im always staying back further from trucks & cars.

[Bluey9N]

Sorry to open old thread. Did anyone find a solution besides the car bra? Ive had my car not even a week and already noticed chips and all but one of the ones i looked at 2nd hand had chips galore on the front.

[Petrina Polo]

Keep a good wax on it and dont drive too close to car ahead of you..

I agree though, none of my other cars had ever copped nicks so easily.. I have a bout 5 stone chips on mine and hardly drive it.

[Stuwey]

If you're only doing it for a big road trip, cover the front of your car with 3M blue masking tape. Worked a treat for me on a recent drive to Phillip Island, and it only costs 25 bucks.

[Blitzen]

Stone chips make baby Jesus cry!! After my trip down from Townsville, my bnnet needs a re spray. Touchup paint is ok to a point, but mediocore at best. I should have invested in a Car Bra last year when I got the quote. $300 from Robco Products. Saves on a front end respray!!

[agentvee]

VW sells 'mud flaps' for the Polo, though I am not sure if they fit the GTI. They would stop a lot of the chips along the side of the car.

A CarBra is probably the best option to protect the front, though they look like ****.

[Bluey9N]

Wondering if its worth just respraying the bonnet every 18 months compared to buying a car bra.

Im not so keen to tape up my whole front of the car.

Ill look up the mudflaps, theyre kinda dorky but i dont want chips all over my car.

[Blitzen]

I was going to get the Car Bra for long trips only, not as a permanant fixture.

[Bboy_Sparx]

keep a distance from cars in front of you when highway driving. im always staying back further from trucks & cars.

Damn right. Oh well, I'd rather have stone chips than get hit in the face with one.

I was driving with my window down and one popped up and hit me in the neck! I'd never felt so much pain in such a small surface area...