CRAZY ? Contact film for scratch avoidance

Submitted: Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 13:53
ThreadID: 13456 Views:1886 Replies:12 FollowUps:6
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Hi All ,

I am worried about the scrub scratching my car on my 26 day desert safari . I don't mind a bit here and there but constantly hearing the braanches scraping along the side of the car wears against my nerves .

What do you think of the idea of running silver contact vinyl strip down the sides of my car. It would be cheap and effective , but would it damage the duco at the end of the month when I remove it ?

My car is silver so it would look marginally better than totally sh'house .

Any comments would be appreciated .

Thanks ,

Willie .
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Reply By: floyd - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 13:59

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 13:59
Go to this site and get the scratch resistant film for cars. Better than anything else that you could put on.

http://www.4wdworld.com.au/products/scratchpro/index.htm

AnswerID: 61672

Follow Up By: Member - Willie Sydney - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 14:22

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 14:22
Floyd ,
Thanks for the site info . Please tell me , why is it better than anything else I could put on ?
Willie
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Follow Up By: Member - Willie Sydney - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 14:49

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 14:49
Floyd ,
Thanks for the site info . Please tell me , why is it better than anything else I could put on ?
Willie
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FollowupID: 323156

Follow Up By: Gajm (VIC) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:35

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:35
Check the archives, some people have used that film that I think Floyd put you onto, if that's the paint on one....and I'm guessingit's better than anything else because that's what its designed for. I bought a secong hand mbike that the owner had put contact on, and it had made a hell of a mess, so be carefull
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Follow Up By: Rob from Cairns Offroad Training & Tours - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:27

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:27
I have had a signs and graphics business since 1978 and the only product I have found that genuinely protects a vehicle is body guard. I used to take my vehicle to motor shows up here and challege people to scratch it with a square sided fifty cent coin. It is clear and invisible. I took it off my vehicle when the lease expired after 4 years and it peeled off easily and left no marks the paint was perfect underneath. Check it out on my web site and I can send samples if required. This material is used as standard in wear areas on the 100 Series Toyota, Mercedes,BMW etc. I also use it to cover the plastics on dirt bikes and you dont get tuffer use than that.
http://www.cairns.net.au/~signs/bodyguarding.htm Cheers Rob
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FollowupID: 323183

Follow Up By: Member - Willie Sydney - Saturday, Jun 05, 2004 at 19:11

Saturday, Jun 05, 2004 at 19:11
Hi Rob ,
Any idea how much it would cost to put it down both sides of the 100 Series ? Does anybody install it in Sydney ?
Thanks ,
Mike
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Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:22

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:22
Willie,
I to have light colourd vehicle Champane is what Toyota call it. (goes with the price of Cruisers back in '92). My vehicle has done the odd trip and it does have a few marks but not that easy too see. I am trying to think of where in the desert that you might get scratches from branches.
I did see a Cruiser that had sheets of fride magnet stuff on the guards, but I think that it would scratch the body more putting the stuff on and off.
Once you have the first scratch and you learn to live with it, the following scratches don't hurt as much.

Wayne
AnswerID: 61694

Follow Up By: Member - Willie Sydney - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:28

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 15:28
Hi Wayne ,
The trip is with Murchison Safaris in August through the Little Sandy Desert and Great Sandy Desert . I read a trip report about someone who had their car badly scratched on the tracks around either the Calvert Ranges or Rudal N.P. and I want to take some precautions .
N.P.
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Reply By: andyg - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 16:37

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 16:37
Willie
I usally give mine a good wax and polish started doing this from new when your in the highcountry amongst the blackberrys you end up with heeps of scratchs when you get home you give it quick cut polish gets most of them out.

My car is a metalic red shows the scratchs even more compared to white.
AnswerID: 61704

Reply By: Member - Bob P (QLD) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:03

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:03
Willie,
For what purpose did you buy a 4WD. It is hard to understand that if you venture off road you know you will get your vehicle scratched, and now you want to cover it in cotton wool.
Bob P
Qld. Member

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AnswerID: 61710

Reply By: Member -Bob & Lex (Sydney) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:15

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:15
Don't worry about them , our's is metallic blue & boy do's it show the scratches but I figure I brought it to go bush in so thats what you get & will worry about it when it's time to upgrade
AnswerID: 61711

Reply By: Baz (NSW) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:39

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 17:39
Willie, scratches are like rinkles ya learn to live with them. I got both and not all on the car.

Baz.
AnswerID: 61719

Reply By: Member - StevenL - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:38

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:38
Hi Willie,

I have just shelled out $60,000 for a gleaming 4WD. When I picked it up from the dealer I was scared to touch it in case I left a fingerprint such was the magnificence of the $1,000 wash that is sometimes called Dealer Delivery.

3 weeks on it is covered in dirt from the Finders Ranges and from Cape Jervis last week. I am now scared to wash it to reveal the scratches! Think I'll just leave the dirt on it.

Seriously though.. I paid alot of money for it but I certainly am not scared of scratching it. These vehicles are built for a purpose. I bought the Champagne brown colour because I liked the lighter interior but also because I think the sctaches don't show up quite as much as other colours, particularly darker colours. My mum's navy blue commodore showed EVERY little nick and scratch (also see comment above).

I had a Mazda MX-5 in Gold and would have nearly cried if that got scratched. I washed it constantly to keep it looking it's best (and enjoyed washing it as nearly as much as driving it!), but the Prado will only get a wash when it really needs it. It is a bush wagon. Appearance is less important.

If you find a good product that you can apply to protect the scraping of branches down the sides the best of luck to you. Personally I don't know if it is worth the hassle.

Each to their own!!!!!

Cheers
Steven
AnswerID: 61725

Reply By: Paul H Sunbury Vic - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:44

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 18:44
We all hate hearing scratching noises down the side of our vehicles, but if you use it for what it is built for this is going to happen.
We just head out & dont worry about it.......................have a good time & give it a good wash & polish when we get back home.
get in to it & enjoy what you have .............thats what its for.
PMK
AnswerID: 61726

Reply By: Member - Rick - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 20:33

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 20:33
some of the scratches we have had on our patrol have been awfull.
but then again, as everyone else has allready said, its a 4by, so dont worry about it.
i put one scratch down the left hand side ( from front to back, just below the mirror line) that for the life of me, i could not polish out.
took the patrol off to the local panel beater and forked out $160.
got it back in the arvo looking as good as new, even fully detailed inside.
then went out the following sunday and scratched it again :).
mate, its made for going off-road, so just use it.
worry about the scratches when you get home, then give it to a panel beater for a day. all fixed.

rick.
AnswerID: 61737

Reply By: Bitsumishin - Mike A (WA) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 21:42

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 21:42
Ever tried getting a sticker off a car after its been on for a while. The film usually comes off pretty easily but then you spend the next 6 months trying to get all the glue off & all the dust & muck starts sticking to it. Go the Scratchpro or just get used to scratches.
AnswerID: 61747

Reply By: Tim (VIC) - Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 21:58

Friday, Jun 04, 2004 at 21:58
After taking my mates gu111 Patrol and my gu111 Patrol down a track which at the end seemed to be a walking track and could not turn around i recon this is a good idea, because we both had tears by the end of the track which we now call the scratch track.I will try this out
cheers Tim
AnswerID: 61750

Reply By: Member - Willie Sydney - Saturday, Jun 05, 2004 at 19:21

Saturday, Jun 05, 2004 at 19:21
What is it with most of you guys that want to give me a lecture about how I should not worry about scratches .

I have owned a nasty Nissan , a rattling Landrover, a converted V8 TLC 60 series , an 80 Series petrol , an 80 series TD and now a 100 series TD . I have been up the Cape twice and through the center and the NT many times .I fished the tracks in the Snowy for twenty years .

I HAVE HAD PLENTY OF SCRATCHES - OK - yes PLENTY .

Why must I let my car get scratched when I don't bloody well want to . I am about to take a big trip and feel like protecting my investment .

Thanks for all those who gave me some constructive comments .

Willie
AnswerID: 61870

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