Quick question about vinyl wraps

[PaulB81]

My Elise seems to be suffering on the roads where I live (in the middle of nowhere). All of the roads seem to be covered in little stones and the elise is taking a bit of a battering. There are a few stone chips on the front now and one on the door has gone right through to the fibreglass. It was immaculate when I got it and is only a 2007 car so I dont want it to end up looking a mess.

Is a wrap likely to protect it or is the wrap just going to get ruined as quickly as the paint seems to be? I know you can get armourfend stuff but that only covers small parts of the car.

[CBR JGWRR]

Buy a spare bumper and fit at sale time?

[The Wookie]

A full wrap would protect it, but you could have it repaired and protect it with a transparent Ventureshield vinyl kit. Very comprehensive kits are available for Lotuses, my Evora is covered in the stuff.

[Captain Muppet]

CBR JGWRR said:

Buy a spare bumper and fit at sale time?

On an Elise the entire front end is one panel.

[PaulB81]

Yep it would probably be not too far off the price of a wrap to get a new front end of the car

Its not just the bumper either though, its above that and on the sides of the car.

[SWoll]

Looks like venturefilm comes in at approx £600 for the complete kit fully fitted. Definitely a sizeable investment but I would assume a damn site cheaper than a new front clamshell + painting + fitting, and you're getting the rear arches etc. protected as well.

[CBR JGWRR]

Captain Muppet said:

CBR JGWRR said:

Buy a spare bumper and fit at sale time?

On an Elise the entire front end is one panel.

I forgot that...

[300bhp/ton]

CBR JGWRR said:

Buy a spare bumper and fit at sale time?

I fail to understand this mentality. I buy a car for me, not the person who I might sell it too at some point in the future.

[CBR JGWRR]

300bhp/ton said:

CBR JGWRR said:

Buy a spare bumper and fit at sale time?

I fail to understand this mentality. I buy a car for me, not the person who I might sell it too at some point in the future.

OP may be interested in selling at some point?

[PaulB81]

CBR JGWRR said:

OP may be interested in selling at some point?

Its also important that I dont want the 'car for me' to look like its been shot with a machine gun

[RobCrezz]

Talk to Paul:
http://www.pwpro.co.uk/cars/

It does protect the paintwork, much more resistant to stonechips etc.

[Captain Muppet]

PaulB81 said:

CBR JGWRR said:

OP may be interested in selling at some point?

Its also important that I dont want the 'car for me' to look like its been shot with a machine gun

I've convinced myself that having the front of my Elise peppered with stone chips (or "speed damage" as I like to think of it) is "character".

[CBR JGWRR]

PaulB81 said:

CBR JGWRR said:

OP may be interested in selling at some point?

Its also important that I dont want the 'car for me' to look like its been shot with a machine gun

[VR6 Turbo]

if you do get it touched up then protected get some before and after pic's. come sale time you can show the buyer why its been sprayed.

VR

[loose cannon]

Had my roof done in black by a supposedly decent guy, my car came back with 12 small dents and a scratch, after a lot of hassle I got my money back and got the dents removed, never again for me regardless of how competent they are, save the money for a front end blow over, second thoughts that can be a can of worms to ;0(

[deltashad]

Don't drive it, my best advice.
The integrale was getting heavily stonechipped on the front bumper, fog lamps, side skirts and rear door extensions.
Since the cylinder head gave way it's been in the garage and accumulated no stone chips.

[300bhp/ton]

PaulB81 said:

Its also important that I dont want the 'car for me' to look like its been shot with a machine gun

I think you can get some clear wraps, so if you had the paint tidied up you could apply one of these to add more protection. The wrap/vinyl can still suffer damage, but will be less likely to chip of flake.

I guess the other thing is don't drive so close to other cars, I presume most stone chip damage will be because of stones being thrown up by the car in front.