How many have a Clear Bra, or some other sort of front end armor?

I was looking at these but I'm too cheap to cough up the $600+ to have one applied. I'm also not confident that I could put one on myself and have it not look like crap.

3m has a spray on clear bra that is about $25 a can. It is basically plasti-dip and I've seen it on a couple cars. It does look good. Armorall also has a similar product that I believe someone found out is just re-branded plasti-dip. I found a few cans of clear and black at my local Advance Auto on discount for $7/can. I tried applying the clear to my hood this weekend and I'm not that impressed, mostly with the quality of my work. The masking job was crap, and I didn't let the coats dry long enough before spraying again. I ended up pulling off the patch on the hood and I plan to grab some Plastidip clear and glossifier and try again. It is easily peeled off when you decide it's time to remove it.

The areas I did leave on came out a bit cloudy due to my poor application timing, but the coating is probably 0.01" thick. Seems durable enough and should protect against small stone chips during sand/salt season.

 

I had my entire front end done including side mirrors with 3M late 2010 and it still looks good. It was $650 installed including window tint and a lifetime warranty. I don't regret it one bit.

 

I put Xpel Extreme on my CX-9 whole front end and half the hood for $500. It is worth it because I live in high desert plus they sand the highways in the winter. It can sand blast your truck in no time. I watched the guy putting it on and it's not something I would do without practice and I don't want to practice on my own vehicle.

I'll be doing the Taco as soon as my color matched grill gets here.

 

Think I'm going to just screw it, washed my truck for the first time this AM since purchasing three days ago. Only have 170 miles on the odometer, and I've got 2-3 rock chips in the bumper already.

Crazy because I have yet to take the highway at all yet, and have been giving people plenty of room in font of me.

It's barely noticeable, but what sucks is, when this Sky Silver chips on the front bumper, it shows black under. Kind of miss having the base, raw textured bumper on my PreRunner. Truck had a fair amount of rock blast on the front, but you couldn't tell, because the chips looked just like the plastic texture.

I can already tell this painted front bumper will look like hell in a few months. No sleep lost though, after all it is a truck. Now that the first few chips are there, I feel at ease "just driving it" and not trying to baby and avoid every little hazard.

 

A good thick film is a great idea... these trucks are rock magnets. My paint must be chipped down to bare metal in 30+ spots.

DO IT!!!

 

I mean 3M makes a spray on version that works kind of like Plasti-Dip, only clear. I actually just updated a thread about using it on our headlights. It's plenty clear, and tough, plus the reviews said it lasts like it claims.

Costs about $35 a spray can and that can is supposed to be able to do a hood.

 

Steel armor bumper powdercoated

What rock chips?

 

Exactly, I like yours but since I use this rig for work, so I need to keep an OEM appearance.

I would think with a more open bumper like that, you get more damage to the radiator and such?

 

Steel bumpers won't protect your hood or a-pillars (where most of the chips occur).

Yes, that is 100% correct. All bumpers with holes like them need a mesh that will stop a rock hit from leaving him stranded with a radiator leak. OE is no better with their big ass voids.

 

i paid $400 installed for a product called venture sheild 2 years ago when truck was new. Covered front bumper, head and fog lights, 6" of the hood and mirror caps. its holding up great.Salt trucks are brutal in the winter so i figured it would be easier and less of a hassle to protect it initially than to have it re painted down the road

 

Why does work require you to keep an OE appearance?

No damage here. I have had this bumper for a good long while as well, so if anything was to rear it's ugly head in the time I have had it, it would had happened by now.

I was more talking about the bumper chips and rock damage to them then anything. The hood and A pillars, well that's kind of a differnt story, though I have noticed I don't suffer from a whole lot of bug splatter on the hood and A pillars, which would indicate they are traveling elsewhere on the truck.

The radiator is pretty darn well protected from outside damage. First time I have ever heard about having to put on mesh on the little slots that mine has in order to prevent rock damage to the radiator.

 

Based on your comments I am doubtful you have inspected your radiator. I would bet you have at least 20 major strikes that have bent the fins if the truck has over 60k on it.

It is not well protected because it is wide open. One rock in the wrong spot and your on the side of the road needing a tow....and bugs do not fly like rocks do.

Anyone that does expeditions or similar installs radiator protection. It's pretty basic. If you do it right it will stop mud, sticks, rocks, snow, ice, etc from your engine bay.

 

My wife had it on her 08 CTS and it looked like the day it was bought. We were told when we bought it, it was put on by the dealer and cost around $800 as an option. Of course that's Cadillac. We bought it in 2012 and it looked new. Only had 38,000 miles on it. The old, grandma owned it and only drove it to the store and church.

 

What are you talking about? My radiator is not wide open. I take a look at my stuff regularly. Up and down. The radiator is in flawless shape at 40k. My bumper is not wide open.

 

I too have been debating whether to protect the front of my Taco or not; after all it is a truck. For further discussion see the Clear Bra 3m Vs Venture Shield on the Corvette Forum site:

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c6-z06-discussion/1735292-clear-bra-3m-vs-venture-shield-2.html

 

The exacto knife is to cut the film where there may be weird curves in the when you are folding it around the edges or in tight curves, say around the inside of the hood scoop or fog light openings etc. But you should not press the knife against the painted surface, use the hard part of the squeegee, behind/under the film, to press down on. Sometimes you will have a tight radius or fold and the film sill bubble up or fold/wrinkle. If you slice the film it will relieve the stress at that point and lay flat. Sometimes you need to remove a small wedge piece as well, but you can usually get away with one or more slits, depending on the situation.

Look up AMMO NYC and there is a video explaining this process.

 

$600 is a lot less than having the front repainted time and again.

Prep is the key to having a fine finish job. Make sure you have at least used a clay bar and then waxing the surface before you apply anything.

 

I'm agreeing on this one. I have had my bumper off recently too and no noticeable damage to my truck. I honestly cannot tell a difference from before I put the bumper and have been off road since. If anything The front of my radiator had less crap in it than it did with the factory radiator.

 

I see why you said that now.



Your bumper doesn't appear to have a backing plate behind the winch mount where mine does.



So based off that. Yeah I can see how you would have your radiator and condenser to be worried about.

 

Woh....,You guys take good care of your trucks. My only concern is rust and other mechanical components of the truck. I'd like to keep it functionally sound and safe for the life of the truck for as long as possible. Minor scratches, chips, and dings don't bother me much so I'm not gona waste my time and money on that stuff for sure. I'll use and treat it like a truck and not a classic sports car.