I'm expecting my Orange Revolution Sport any day and want to preserve the paint for as long as possible. In that light, I'll be getting Avery Dennison Stoneshield applied immediately after taking delivery. Obviously the entire front hood is a priority (quoted $375 to do that and front fenders).

Aside from that, where else have you seen the most rock chip damage on your own Fits? I know the front bumper is the most susceptible area but since it's plastic (i.e. no rusting) I'm wondering if this should be a priority too? How obvious is rock chip damage on the front bumper, on the orange color?

 

Pre-cut XPEL Paint Protection Kits

 

Sorry, was that an answer? I want input from actual owners of Fits as to which areas on their cars have show the most rock chip damage over the years. Front hood is a given but where else would they recommend having Stoneshield applied?

 

i found that the rearview mirrors get pretty banged up too

 

Well, for reference, on my bright blue Mazda3 Sport GT I had the following areas covered with 3M: entire front bumper, front and rear fenders, and about 1/4 of front hood. I had extensive paint repairs done at Mazda Canada's expense due to the thoroughly crappy/fragile paint. The rest of my hood is peppered with rock chips and although my low side sills are damaged, you can't SEE it since they're plastic (no paint chipped off, just resulting roughness from the rocks). Also, my rear wheel wells and quarter panels were so badly affected by rock chips that they rusted. Again, repairs covered 100% by Mazda Canada since it is was obviously a factory defect.

This is why I was thinking, well heck, my plastic side sills look ok after 4 years despite the crappy Mazda paint so maybe the front bumper would be ok without protective coating? Since getting this area done is very $, I was hoping to skip this and just get the entire front hood/front fenders done, plus the rear wheel wells.

 

sideview mirrors front lip fenders and hood

 

Some how I ended up with a nasty rust spot on my roof.

 

on both of our fits, we only really have a few chips on the hoods. we mainly drive on fairly clean Socal freeways/streets. not a lot of rocks to chip the paint. picked up a few on my fiance's fit's hood on a couple trips to and from AZ though.

i'm going to get a hood bug deflector to use when we take one of our fits on road trips. that might cut back on some damage.

 

The whole car but the front is my biggest

 

The entire front end would need to be protected. Leaving the bumper unprotected would be insane. Mine is Blackberry Pearl which shows everything. The "chips" or nicks or whatever are all over the bumper and front air dam. I've only got 8K on the car and the nicks # in the hundreds. The bad ones I repair with touch up paint. When I first got the car I said I was going to keep it perfect. After my new car love/"crack buzz" wore off I decided to be more realistic. I jump on chips in the hood that actually penetrate the primer immediately. It's not bad looking but if you look close there's lots of chips. The lower on the car you look the worse it is. If you get the clear bra good for you but I don't have the cash!

 

watch out for the rear bumper too,
like the top of it, my dog somehow always scratches it when she hops in... so i tried the rear doors to let her in, she screws up the sills too. its a lose lose...

the mirrors scuk

also my hood and lower half of the front bumper, got the mask to solve that--
and yeah my roof has a little chip in it too (wierd)

in all honesty==- the car has a almost equal amount of chips all around

 

Oh join the club my brother! Aside from the car itself, I'm spending $1000 on a dedicated set of steel wheels/winter tires (I'm in Northeastern Ontario - Canada so it's not an option). I do realize Stoneshield is a great investment but, like you, cash is a limiting factor! That's why I wanted to get input on the KEY areas to protect. From comments here and another thread (under the 2nd generation section), looks like the front bumper is a must. If I get that and maybe 1/4 of the hood done, that should do it right? Of course there are secondary areas (front fenders, side mirrors, door handles, front edge of roof) but I just can't afford to do those at this point....

 

I have had my Fit for about 7 months and have had over 20 stone chips in the front bumper and hood area, which I have had to carefully clean, touch up and clearcoat, so I would suggest getting the thickest 3M permanent stoneshield barrier available with the most amount of coverage possible. The headlights should also be protected. The ABS plastic used for the bumpers is extremely malliable and easily damaged and is the biggest negative the Fit has in my book. I have a 5 year paint/rust/dent protection plan and I plan on extending it as long as possible.

 

Ok. Seems that the concensus is getting the front bumper and as much of the front hood as I can afford done. I'll forego the front fenders and other spots to get more of the front end of the car done....

 

yeah pretty much everything that faces forward.

 

i agree with everyone when they say the whole thing. i am getting ready to have my entire car re sprayed. the paint is so thin and cheap i got a large chip from one of those stupid little signs. like the ones you see on the side of the road stuck into the ground. and my front end is toast in terms of rock chips. i wish i would have known earlier when i purchased the car, i would have had the whole car sprayed with about 5-7 coats of clear.

 

I dont think ANYONE has worse rock chip damage than me!!

I will be having my bumper redone....AGAIN and then will get the 3m clearbra to stop the chips.

 

Exactly, and the more perfect a right angle (90 degrees or straight up and down) that that surface forms with the ground the more pronounced the effect will be. I used to be a pretty aggressive driver but it gains little more than an ate up front end. As the surfaces get more raked back (glancing blows) the nicks get more muted.

My dog died 3 years ago but I empathize with the dog owner who's getting a scratched up bumper. The doorwells are so deep on the fit that I actually have to conscientiously think about lifting MY feet when getting in. Good luck getting a dog to do it. The dog's alive and thus is more important than ANY car, period.

There's no perfect answer. If you drive the car and it's built to be utilitarian (not an AC cobra) then shit will happen. I'm careful but not ANAL, it's just a car.

 

When I bought my Blazer Orange the whole front clip was done along with the mirrors. I then decided to have the fog lights and the rear bumper area done. Same reason as previously said, my dogs getting in and out. The only other spot I wish I had done is the lower area on the pillars. They are pretty chipped up now. I do suggest doing the whole hood though. Mine is 3/4 done and has chips right along the top edge. The stuff is well worth the $$$.

 

It shouldn't cost that much more to have the whole shootin' match done...I got a quote for entire hood, bumpers, front fenders, side mirrors and they'll throw in the area under the handles (where your keys sometimes hit) all for $475. It's the labor that costs and if they are already doing your car, a little more material shouldn't be that much more expensive. In for a penny, in for a pound. Get it all done, and keep your beautiful Fit pristine.