Well I got round to giving my car a wee "goodbye" wash on Sunday after just using the works jet wash through most of winter since the weathers not exactly been great for washing cars.

I was surprised at the number of stone chips it's suffered already especially as my drive to work isn't on motorways and isn't exactly that a busy road (or if it is we all end up crawling along at 40). There are 3 or 4 pretty bad chips half way up the bonnet and a fair few more on the bumper. In fact the bumper plastic has been gouged on one or two of the chips too. My old x-type had a few more but it was 8 years old, not 5 months old!

I think I'll be getting some touch up paint when I pick up my new car. I'm just glad the white will hide the chips better.

Modern water based paint is very poor at preventing stone chips, unlike paint from years ago which was much tougher but the paint was not environmentally friendly.

I found driving further away from the car in front reduces the number of chips dramatically.

Not that I am saying you drive too close to the car in front.

Stones normally bounce off the car if not travelling at great velocity. Wheels on a car or truck normally propel them at great speed. 4 wheel drive or rear wheel drive cars are terrible for doing this.

Our toy could invest in one of those bonnet protectors and look a complete tit

Stones normally bounce off the car if not travelling at great velocity. Wheels on a car or truck normally propel them at great speed. 4 wheel drive or rear wheel drive cars are terrible for doing this.

 

 

I really doubt they're a different to front wheel drive cars unless they're doing burnouts as when driving along normally all four wheels will be going the same speed no matter which are driven so won't be less or more likely to throw up stones.

You've got the problem exactly backwards; modern acrylic paint is harder than older solvent-based paint, so it chips more easily.

And clearcoats are still solvent based.

I've got a 10 cm long scratch on the lower part of my front bumper just by driving very slowly into a small snow bank. And I mean slowly (maybe 1-2 mph) and I stopped the car as soon as I heard the car hitting the snow. You can now see the plastic color from underneath the paint, so I'll need one of those paint touch up pens. :(

You've got the problem exactly backwards; modern acrylic paint is harder than older solvent-based paint, so it chips more easily.

Ok, read the topic as "how damn easily does the new(ish) water based paint flipping chip!?"

Still pretty poor. Ah well, at least I'll have a chip free car in a few days, if only for a few days too!

Technically, harder paint is more likely to chip than softer (more pliable)  paint, although softer paint will scratch more readily.

 

edit: Somewhere in-between too soft and too hard is a good balance, but ultimately paint will either chip easier or scratch easier. I prefer my cars to be more scratch resistant because chips are pretty easy to touch up. Deep scratches require filling and a respray to properly mask, but chips can be hidden pretty effectively by using cheap touch-up packs from Halfords. Water based paints tend to be harder than oil based alternatives, but water based paints are also less prone to fade and discolouration over time. This makes modern paints easier to colour match if ever you need a panel respray.

Edited 18 February, 201412 yr by Orville

Treat them as character! Like a scar on your person. It's the only way I deal with it and feed my OCD.

I've picked up a few on the front bumper, all from trips on motorways, this was when car was only a few weeks old,  I haven't got any for months now, fingers crossed it will stay that way!!

I really doubt they're a different to front wheel drive cars unless they're doing burnouts as when driving along normally all four wheels will be going the same speed no matter which are driven so won't be less or more likely to throw up stones.

Accelerating over loose material may cause it to fly up from under the wheels. As wheels on a front wheel drive car are further away and have the body of the car to protect these small items from flying backwards, there is less chance of them hiring your car. Rear wheel drive cars have less to stop them from doing so.