Bonnet Chips

Collieboy · Nov 30, 2017

Some cars/vans I've had in the past including a Vauxhall Vivaro have seemed very susceptible to stone chips in the bonnet area, just wondering whether the T6 shape suffers badly from this. Does anyone have protective wraps which are available to help to prevent damage and most importantly do you think they help?

jts46 · Nov 30, 2017

I have a bonnet bra on my cali and it does help

WelshGas · Nov 30, 2017

Collieboy said:
Some cars/vans I've had in the past including a Vauxhall Vivaro have seemed very susceptible to stone chips in the bonnet area, just wondering whether the T6 shape suffers badly from this. Does anyone have protective wraps which are available to help to prevent damage and most importantly do you think they help?

I had a half-bonnet bra for a few weeks but got fed up removing pine needles from inside it, we have a pine tree in the garden, and it retained water and left marks which were easily polished off. So it was removed.
Almost 3 years later and 60,000 miles, I have collected 2 chips on the bonnet. Re-painted with base colour and lacquer. I know where they are but you wouldn’t notice without a very close inspection.
I had more marks on the windscreen. I chip that was big enough to repair which Autoglass did. I can’t even find it now, and 5 or 6 really very small micro-chips too small for Autoglass, but I used the Rain X repair kit and I cannot see them now.

Collieboy · Dec 2, 2017

Thanks Welshgas, I guess I have nothing to worry about

B J G · Dec 2, 2017

I've collected quite a few bonnet chips in 6 months and had thought of a clear wrap or even a bespoke designed one (I saw a brilliant sunrise one once on a T5, whole bonnet).
Paint does seem thin and prone to chipping.

One trip through freshly a chipped road with a speeding idiot coming towards you can give quite a number of chips.

Now think I'll just touch up and if bad enough in a few years have a professional respray.

Stuart · Dec 3, 2017

I've got a few. The chipex kit does a good job of sorting them

Kirchberg · Dec 5, 2017

I have foiled ours with a clear wrap. Takes about two hours and works very well.

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Allen · Dec 5, 2017

Kirchberg said:
I have foiled ours with a clear wrap. Takes about two hours and works very well.

I'm intending to go clear wrap as a precaution. Did you wrap it yourself or have it done "professionally"?

Jabberwocky · Dec 5, 2017

We've covered 10k since Feb 2017 across 8 different countries and have no stone chips. Mostly none motorway driving I will admit, so speeds were not great (certainly not above 75mph). That said our Cali is also my daily driver.

We tend to take a very laid-back view about getting from a to b, as is our Cali way. No rush, which means we also hang back too

. Inherently that will mean less chance of chips. (Also good for fuel consumption too :thumb

, oh, and your blood pressure :thumb

)

If your life is always in a hurry - wrap the bonnet in pref to the removable bra for the reasons given by WG. (I used to have one on an old beetle - marks the paintwork as grit and dust gets underneath, not just pine needles)