QuicksilverC5

Here's my situation:

I own a Silver '01 Coupe which I purchased 'new'. Before I drove the car less than 100 miles, I put it up 'on blocks' and did a THOROUGH job of 'ScotchCaling' vulnerable body points to protect the paint from chips, etc. Among the parts included was the front bumper (cover) where I did 'everything' (used 8" sheet film; 3 strips necessary for total coverage).

A LOT of work, BTW: took me 3 WEEKS to do but I thought it was worth it. NO paint chips whatsoever to date.

HOWEVER: last summer while vacationing in Alberta, Canada I 'whacked' a (LARGE) 'prairie' jackrabbit at about 1:30 AM one morning while traveling about 70 MPH. (These things are like small dogs - can run up to 12-15 LBS!!!) Subsequent inspection of the car revealed some minor damage - paint cracks - under the Scotchcal right on the 'point' of the front bumper. So...

Late last fall, just before putting the car 'up' for the winter, I had the damage repaired ($0.00 deductible; Govt auto insurance paid the whole shot) and decided to leave the possible issue of 'new Paint Protection' alone for the whole winter and let the paint cure. (GREAT repair/repaint job; BTW - shop REMOVED the front bumper cover and refinished it off the car and it looks 'absolutely factory').

Anyway, now that I'm just about ready to put the car back on the road, my dilemma is:

What, if ANYTHING, should I do about possible 'paint protection' for the front bumper? My options seem to include:

1. I COULD 'go the route' of reapplying ScotchCal again myself. (LOTS of work; and I am just a BIT nervous that the repaint may not adhere as well as the original factory finish and if I need to remove and re-apply any film pieces, the paint might (shudder!) come with it... (Tho I doubt it).

2. 'Go with a Kit' (Die-cut pieces, commercially installed). Insurance would pay, as far as I know/was told last year.

3. Do Nothing/and or 'Get a Bra' for highway driving (on long(er) highway drives...

I'm SERIOUSLY considering 'doing nothing' first; MAYBE trying the 'kit-route' second AS since I got my car, I've had occasion to notice that MANY C5s out there, some with 'considerable mileage' on them (say 40-50K miles or more) SEEM to sport front bumpers in pretty **** good condition with VERY few, if ANY, signs of damage.

My thinking is that maybe it's 'pretty safe' to consider doing NOTHING insofar as protecting the BUMPER (paint) is concerned (the leading 24" of the hood, headlight doors. etc. ARE ScotchCal'd) as unlike body panels, the front bumper material is much more flexible and damage resistant...

So: what I'm looking for is some feedback, some opinions.

I'm SURE that there ARE examples out there of C5s whose front (unprotected) bumpers HAVE received some cosmetic/paint damage over time (which something like ScotchCal MAY (or may NOT???) have prevented??? And I'd like to here from you and an opinion as to whether or not you THINK it would have...).

BUT I'm also and especially interested in hearing from high(er) mileage C5 owners who did NOTHING WHATSOEVER in terms of front bumper paint protection whose bumpers are STILL in good shape... (at WHAT mileage?) to help me make a decision about what, if anything, I might do....

Thanks, in advance, for all opinions.

ExRedRacer

Do nothing...let the beauty of the front-end show...repaint the thing if and when it ever gets bad enough to warrant it.

'Nuf said.

Vetteman Jack

Personally, I'd get something like a GM bra and run it on the car - it does a good job of protecting the front end and is reasonably priced.

0EG@EnglandGreen

I just drive mine and touch up the inevitable stone ships and other things that happen to any car driven on public roads. When it get really bad, I'll get a Tiger Shark nose and have the entire car resprayed.

Bottom line: Enjoy your car - keep it nice by all means - but enjoy it. Having a nervous breakdown over a car is unrealistic unless it's NEVER driven and is just a show car only.

Your choice - I do this (below) and I still can't wipe the mile wide grin off my face


EG

BWP 5P

I've got an 03 DD with 41,500 miles. I've busted my nose twice
1st time on an Iceburg, 2nd time on a Elephant sized Racoon

In between, I don't have anything on it other than Zaino. What I do is take a wet towell and wipe off the bugs when I get home after driving. It does a nice job. I also try to stay far enough back from other vehicles that I don't get too many rocks.
I don't like chips anymore than the next person, BUT, if you drive it, they are going to happen sooner or later. It is a car and if they get bad enough, get them touched up. I wouldn't "not drive" because you're worried about them.....DRIVE and Enjoy, not worry. Don't sweat the small stuff.

madeouttaglass

Stick with the clear protection. It's served you well in the past. I've had the 3M precut material since the car was about 1 month old and there are NO chips anywhere with over 10K on the odometer-and I live on a dirt and gravel road.

leaftye

CalHusker

I thought maybe I was the only one to hit a raccoon doing 70 mph. It put about a 1 inch crack right by the right turn signal hole. But...are you going to drive it or shine it? I'm driving mine.

QuicksilverC5

Like you said, 'madeouttaglass', the clear film DOES seem to work well. Prior to my 'rabbit incident' (and aside that the damage IT did - hairline paint cracks UNDER the film, my vehicle also has NO chips whatsoever after 4 years of driving.

IF the issue was anything OTHER than the front bumper/material, I wouldn't hestiate to reapply the film BUT I just kind of thought that maybe I could reasonably safely make an exception HERE since the paint (I understand) has felx agents added to it when applied AND the underllying material has MUCH more 'give' so maybe it wouldn't be too risky...

AS I said, I HAVE seen some high mileage C5s whose bumpers still seemed to be in excellent condition. Don't know if they had perhaps been refinished though so that's why I thought I would ask...

99 vett babycar