Offroaders: What do you do for paint protection?

[MilesTeg]

I have a non 2DR non-SAS Badlands ordered that I intend to use as it was built to be used -- I live near a lot of great trails. But, I do want to keep it as nice as possible and try to at least mitigate the rock chips, trail scratches and rash and other things that will be inevitable.

I am wondering what all you offroaders do for paint protection. I plan to swap out for the SAS fender flares and probably add some mudflaps for more protection from rock chips. I will also do my standard PFF on the entire grill and leading edges that I do on all my vehicles, but also I am considering PPF on the sides -- either partial or maybe even full coverage.

What have you done on your rig? Flares, flaps PPF, other?

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[Brian_B]

F’n manzanita has totally screwed my paint up already so I’m watching this.

the paint isn’t perfect but a lot of it buffed out with some scuff / scratch remover. The plastic fender flair im not too worried about because those can be easily replaced or repainted, but the side view mirrors, the plastic between the door windows, and the door handles themselves look like someone went crazy with a set of keys and no idea how you would protect those. A few scratches in the rear plastic soft top windows too

I think I’m just about at the point where I just see them as street cred and try not to cry about it too much

 

[JAD67428]

Professionally Applied Ceramic.

 

[andersman02]

I'd go PPF for the bottom 1/4 of the doors and mud flaps if your sticking with the goodyears.

PPF has a life span, and IMO it's nasty towards the end and removing it.

 

[raqball]

Nothing.. Mine is pinstriped to all holy heck.. My whole body looks like this and all my wheels look like the one posted.

I bought it to wheel so I am not worried about cosmetics.

Just don't wash it and you'll never see the carnage.. LOL

 

[RagnarKon]

I bought a lighter colored Bronco.

Which, sounds like I'm being an unhelpful dick. But honestly... that's one of the primary reasons why I bought a Cactus Grey Bronco. Lighter colors do a far better job at hiding scratches and pin-striping compared to darker colors.

I also have a tree limb riser that connects from my "trail sights" to the roof of the Bronco. And I ceramic coated my Bronco, but honestly ceramic coating offers very little protection from scratches and trail rash.

Really the the best thing you can do is PPF. And when that PPF eventually gets trashed.... rip it off and apply new PPF.

 

[Brian_B]

Professionally Applied Ceramic.

Ceramic does great for dirt and mud but doesn’t seem to do jack for pinstriping

 

[Karl_in_Chicago]

Professionally Applied Ceramic.

Unless you're doing something like gluing ceramic pottery to body panels ceramic won't do jacksquat to protect again actual pinstriping. PPF is a better option but that requires the thick stuff, which is expensive, and will not age well if it's subjected to repeated abuse; plan to have to replace panels periodically. The best option I've seen so far is what MEK Magnet offers. Also not cheap but unlike PPF it's something that can be applied and removed and re-applied though it doesn't appear to be a simple process. Others have posted about it on this forum, search is your friend.

Finally there's the wear it with pride crowd where pinstripes are badges of honor.

There's always a balance to be struck. New and shiny usually doesn't mix well with down and dirty especially when talking about lots of brush and branches; desert dwellers might have better luck so long as they aren't high speed running and tossing up stones and stuff.

 

[raqball]

Ceramic does great for dirt and mud but doesn’t seem to do jack for pinstriping

I go down a lot of tight and seriously overgrown trails and nothing is stopping pinstriping. You either accept it or don't do those types of trails..

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

MEKMagnet.
It's originally for steel-body vehicles, as it is held on with magnetic backing, but the Bronco is mostly aluminum, so they use a very strong, reusable adhesive. Theoretically, you can take it off and reapply it every time you go wheeling, but that's not practical--the adhesive is powerfully stubborn.
My approach is a once-each-season application, and this is season two: I took it off during the winter, and put it back on this summer for my first trips into backwoods (Quebec, in this case). We went through some really heavy brush overhangs ("pinstriping guaranteed" said the promotional literature), and the MEKMagnet shows some minor scratches (that's its job, right?) but protected the body perfectly. Here's the gray "Topo" design on my Carbonized Gray Badlands:

Nice, huh?
I have since added the Ford Performance corner armor (4 corners, 2 pair), which also deflected trail damage.
I'll keep it on until November, as it's not suitable for winter (shame on me--here it is in snow). If you go for this, note: 1) it's expensive, about $650+; 2) it's not as easy to install as the video demo suggests; it's a 4-hand job and getting the designs to match panel to panel is exasperating. 3) It doesn't come off easily, either--that adhesive backing is strong! and 4) Their customer service is excellent, and 5) It really works and lastly 6) You'll get swamped with compliments.

https://www.mekmagnet.com/collections/ford-bronco

Tip of the cap to @Karl_in_Chicago

 

[Combustion_King]

I did nothing, and call it an offroad paint job, and black shows. but it looks cool so whatever

 

[MilesTeg]

There's always a balance to be struck. New and shiny usually doesn't mix well with down and dirty especially when talking about lots of brush and branches; desert dwellers might have better luck so long as they aren't high speed running and tossing up stones and stuff.

Luckily (for my sensibilities) I live in an arid place and most of the trails I do are either in arid areas or alpine areas and not overgrown areas, hah.

 

[RustysBronco]

I have a non 2DR non-SAS Badlands ordered that I intend to use as it was built to be used -- I live near a lot of great trails. But, I do want to keep it as nice as possible and try to at least mitigate the rock chips, trail scratches and rash and other things that will be inevitable.

I am wondering what all you offroaders do for paint protection. I plan to swap out for the SAS fender flares and probably add some mudflaps for more protection from rock chips. I will also do my standard PFF on the entire grill and leading edges that I do on all my vehicles, but also I am considering PPF on the sides -- either partial or maybe even full coverage.

What have you done on your rig? Flares, flaps PPF, other?

XPEL PPF. It's expensive but a paint job is more expensive.

 

[MilesTeg]

Nothing.. Mine is pinstriped to all holy heck.. My whole body looks like this and all my wheels look like the one posted.

I respect the hell out of you for using your Bronco to its fullest and not getting fussy about trail damage. I just don't have it in me, hah!

 

[raqball]

I respect the hell out of you for using your Bronco to its fullest and not getting fussy about trail damage. I just don't have it in me, hah!

Nothing wrong with wanting to keep it looking good.. To me looking good is pinstriped and filthy. My previous Jeeps all had massive pinstriping as well..

It'll buff out..

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