Paint protection? Ceramic coating? Other protection?

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kaitlyn2004

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I don't "offroad", but regularly go up forestry roads. Depending on the remoteness, the overgrowth can be quite severe and I'd love to not be constantly pinstriping my 2020 4Runner - especially any particular scratches that might get down to metal and accelerate rust.

I don't want something like GOAT Armor mainly because of the hassle of on/off, plus the fact that your car basically has to be clean to put them on. I want something I don't have to actively think of.

Paint protection film SOUNDS like it might be the right choice, however, I wonder if that film might end up more grippy than bare, and result in just getting torn so quickly from the branches scraping up against it?

Any advice for what to consider to protect the sides of my vehicle from overgrown bushes/trees? At least for the time being, I'm mainly thinking about the road simply not being wide enough because of the overgrowth, but not SO overgrown that the entire "road" itself is basically trees :)
 
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Ceramic coating is really just a heavy duty wax so it will not protect the paint from scratches and dings. It is more protection from environmental stuff such as acid rain, bird droppings, etc.

I always get the 3M front clear paint protection film on my cars; it protects the front from rock chips. It is much thicker than ceramic coating or a wax job. 2021 Toyota 4Runner Paint Protection Film - Front Bumper - PT90789140 - Genuine Toyota Accessory I have never heard of having the 3M applied to the whole car.

Some people consider "pin stripes" a badge of honor and want to get them.
 
fkheath said:
Some people consider "pin stripes" a badge of honor and want to get them.
Click to expand...

I'm not one of those people :)

I mainly just don't want ISSUES from all the pinstriping - mainly rust I guess?

Whether that means paying for some effective protection now... or a repaint later? I don't know...
 
kaitlyn2004 said:
I'm not one of those people :)

I mainly just don't want ISSUES from all the pinstriping - mainly rust I guess?

Whether that means paying for some effective protection now... or a repaint later? I don't know...
Click to expand...

I have a ton of pinstripes on my 97, and imo the only way you'd get down to metal is contact with a rock. I've had horrible noises from big 2-3" branches, one was actually large enough that it got caught in my roof rack and stopped the truck (I was going less than 5mph), and none have even gone through the clear.

As far as protect now vs repaint later, speaking as someone who repainted a truck once, definitely protect it now if it's going to bother you. If you're particular, it's going to cost 6-10k+ to do a nice/showroom ready job.

I'd personally go with a wrap/PPF. A decent one is still a couple thousand. As far as it being grippy and catching more branches, there is the possibility, but if it's big enough to tear/gouge the wrap, it's gonna do a number on your paint.

Hope it helps.
 
Seems the best protection is GOAT armor, but next would be PPF. Honestly most PPF are designed for road debris on higher end cars, not really tailored to the abuse an off-road vehicle is going to put it through. I know you’ve discredited GOAT because lack of convenience, but it’s also 1/10 the cost of a high quality PPF install. I have XPEL ultimate on mine - entire front, hood, A-pillars, 6” strip above the windshield, and mirrors. Installed price was around $2400. If you’re looking to do the whole vehicle, likely double that number given the size of these toasters.
Also - I’ve ceramic coated the whole vehicle in addition to the PPF, but I enjoy detailing cars.


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I have the PPF on the front of my 4Runner and added a ceramic coat on top of it when the did the rest of the car.

While the ceramic coating doesn’t protect from rocks/debris scratches, it sure does look great!! It definitely makes my MGM paint POP!! (When it’s clean that is…lol)
 
To protect your paint, PPF is a great option. However, it is quite expensive to do. Check out this video. Chicago Auto Pros has a lot of videos on different detailing jobs etc. They're big on PPF. I decided to have PPF on the front of my 4 Runner (hood, bumper, front quarter panels and mirrors).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dY2X82HZTE

Check out what he does with a wire brush at around the 22:45 mark.
 
I have a clear bra on my hood and side mirrors. it has been amazing. not a single stone chip on the hood in 156k miles, mostly highway. worth the $. it's toyota OEM applied when the vehicle was new in 2012 and you can't really tell it's there at all. it does not discolor and washes up just fine

personally, I go with the clear bra, high quality wax spring and fall, regular washings and a touch up pen to fix up any scratches or dings. I've never done the ceramic protection. my vehicle is 9 years old and people still think it's brand new - 5th gen style is pretty much the same since 2010 lol

nothing really is going to stop pinstriping if you scrape something hard enough. a clear bra can technically rip if you really dig into it with something sharp
 
kaitlyn2004 said:
I don't "offroad", but regularly go up forestry roads. Depending on the remoteness, the overgrowth can be quite severe and I'd love to not be constantly pinstriping my 2020 4Runner - especially any particular scratches that might get down to metal and accelerate rust.

I don't want something like GOAT Armor mainly because of the hassle of on/off, plus the fact that your car basically has to be clean to put them on. I want something I don't have to actively think of.

Paint protection film SOUNDS like it might be the right choice, however, I wonder if that film might end up more grippy than bare, and result in just getting torn so quickly from the branches scraping up against it?

Any advice for what to consider to protect the sides of my vehicle from overgrown bushes/trees? At least for the time being, I'm mainly thinking about the road simply not being wide enough because of the overgrowth, but not SO overgrown that the entire "road" itself is basically trees :)
Click to expand...



Take a look at Line-X. They have a few shops in BC. I have no experience with the product, but would be something to consider if it fits your needs.
 
I got some Graphene Pro Flex Wax by Turtle Wax. Super easy to apply and prevented a lot of pinstriping on my last off road trip. Lasts super long too!

Ill definitely be using this Graphene Pro Flex Wax from now on.
 
Ripper238 said:
I got some Graphene Pro Flex Wax by Turtle Wax. Super easy to apply and prevented a lot of pinstriping on my last off road trip. Lasts super long too!

Ill definitely be using this Graphene Pro Flex Wax from now on.
Click to expand...


Did you know graphene is in COVID vaccines and tiny nano bots come out of the graphene and build horrible things, while the government uses the graphene to remotely control your body using electro-magnetic radiation?

Sorry, couldn’t resist. I read up on vaccine conspiracies, and as a EE with a masters in EMR, it’s scary how stupid people choose to be.
 
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