Protection for the side of the car

[nisryus]

Now that wife is happy with her new toy (Forester 2014), she si worry about dings at parking lots and scratch from opening the rear trunk.

I am thinking of getting body side moldings, and Xpel paint guard to line up by the edge of the trunk. I am just worry that since I will be using http://www.amazon.com/Clear-Universa.../dp/B003EP52BU, so would the edge show?

Also do side moldings really help? (180 bucks are quite expensive..)

 

[heymrdj]

Side mouldings are worth their weight in gold as long at they become the farthest jutting point on the side of the car (besides mirrors obviously). After they take so many dings you can pay a fww hundred to have them removed and replaced, rather than just living with abundant dings unless you feel like having a door reskinned and paint matched.

 

[HeXen]

Tell her to always park far away. That's what I do as far as worrying about parking lot dings. But honestly it doesn't matter what you do, you'll get some minor scratches here n there from rocks and debri while driving or stray cats pretty soon. The paint jobs they put on cars today are terrible.

 

[nerp]

Just put $20/mo aside and get the car to the body shop after 3 years with the money.

 

[nisryus]

I will have to check if the oem moldings reach the farthest jutting point. Otherwise i will just not get them.

Anyone has used those 3m or xpel clear bra? Do they really look invisible?

 

[Leyawiin]

Never understood why factory body side moldings went the way of the Dodo. Had several cars with them and I could see marks on them where doors had been thrown open and hit my car. My current car (a 2010) didn't even offer them as an option and I park way out in back of a parking lot now to try to avoid dings (at least I get a little exercise).

 

[HeXen]

Never understood why factory body side moldings went the way of the Dodo. Had several cars with them and I could see marks on them where doors had been thrown open and hit my car. My current car (a 2010) didn't even offer them as an option and I park way out in back of a parking lot now to try to avoid dings (at least I get a little exercise).

Probably the same reason why real external bumpers went the way of the Dodo. For that smooth, singular appearance.
Then there were those rubber bumper guards on external chrome bumpers too. Also lets not forget the time when you could sit on a car and not watch it cave in like a cardboard box.

I like Nerp's idea, just put money into a repair account. Or you could just go ahead and ding it up, get that new car pride out of your system so you later won't give a crap what it looks like anymore. I usually stop caring about that new car look after a couple years anyway.

 

[nisryus]

Yep.

Well, wife just called. She took the car out and went to Target for the 10% off (plus Redcard 5% more) and got a tiny ding on the passenger side. Whoever did it already left and she already parked the car far away too..

Sigh* At least it is now not perfectly new!

 

[LagunaX]

Magnetic door bumper strips work ok, just take them off for car washes.

 

[HeXen]

Yep.

Well, wife just called. She took the car out and went to Target for the 10% off (plus Redcard 5% more) and got a tiny ding on the passenger side. Whoever did it already left and she already parked the car far away too..

Sigh* At least it is now not perfectly new!

Oh good, I see she decided to take my advice and get that first sting out of the way. Now she can park wherever she wants.:awe: Don't worry, it only hurts for a little while.

 

[nisryus]

I am afraid she would want me to get it fix and then ding again soon after. Well, i told her not to go since there will be tons of people doing final days shopping before Christmas.. and with that 10% off sting, she didn't of course. I hope the discount she got from buying a few toys and food are worth it...

 

[ino uno soweno]

Ok, just a suggestion concerning a solution to all car park dings, wilful damage, attempted theft, “especially “ for people pissed off with arseholes who hit or dent in shopping car parks, and run. on their NEW CAR,


I had a personal pager beeper wired into vibration sensors around the car, if the vehicle was dented or being tampered with, even just touch a door handle, I knew immediately, excellent,


Please note, if the beeper is triggered, and you can see from a long way off there is no problem, you can just turn off and reset the beeper with the beeper, where ever you are, no need to run to the car every time,


Please note, good quality auto personal beepers work well in shopping centre car parks, bad quality ones do not do so well, in saying that I do not leave my good or best cars parked miles and miles away from me, pretty much worked in most shopping car parks,


Next time I intend on fitting dash top camera and reversing camera, as well. wired to work for both driving and problem parking while shopping, or where ever.


The idea is I park nose in, and the rear camera will get their number plates as they drive in and or out to park,, dash top camera is reversed, or pointed to the rear, ( while parking ) wide angle camera mostly covers all four doors, video evidence is the best evidence in any court,


Previous experience showed the beeper caught all my smartarse mates playing tricks, heavy rain. And people backing into the 4x4 truck. (that was fun, I got there a minute later, just in time to see the look on the faces when they realized all the damage was on their car,) .


[FONT=&quot]Personal alarm pagers[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Autopage, Crimestopper [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]$200 to $400 including installation[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Good news is no one will ever get away with the smallest dent, or trolley crash/ scratch and good chance you will catch a car thief in the act, all on camera.


Also a good idea to have your phone camera on video with sound as you approach anyone suspected of damage, it is always nice to catch them denying and lying about it, on camera with sound, for the court.

And show them no mercy in court..

Ok, you spend a lot of money on a new car, the cost of cameras and beeper is a small price to pay for peace of mind, and complete revenge.


Concerning people damaging your property, hit and run, screw them all, hard and fast,


And for those not aware, fact is most door dents can be repaired perfectly by an experienced “ dent buster”, around here, they will come to your home, when ever. they are expensive, but what the heck, the guy in the video will be paying,



And you can keep your dent less new car, dent=less and new looking for years and years.

 

[cbrsurfr]

Side mouldings are worth their weight in gold as long at they become the farthest jutting point on the side of the car (besides mirrors obviously). After they take so many dings you can pay a fww hundred to have them removed and replaced, rather than just living with abundant dings unless you feel like having a door reskinned and paint matched.

Moulding only does so much. It might stop smaller hits and maybe low speed shopping carts. My last 2 cars got multiple creases in the door skin despite moulding. I hate shopping in B&M stores because no matter how far away or how careful you try to be some asshat will hit your car.

 

[HeXen]

Too many issues out of our control. Car makers build razor thin metal cars with thin layers of less than stellar paint. Too many drivers out there. Roads and parking lots are often designed for traffic from the 60's. Little to no incentive to put carts back up, I wish more places would do like Aldi's requiring a quarter to use a cart. Body shops and replacement panels cost more than it's worth cause the above still exists.
I make efforts to avoid all the above but I try not to stress anymore.