I had mine installed about 2 to 3 months ago. The day after it was installed a woman in an '88 olds blew a stop sign and smacked my front end. The bumper/hood/grill was painted and since then, not one chip.
p.s. My car is red, do a search for "*ucking toyota and their garbage red paint"....j/k
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1989 Supra Turbo, 5spd targa top
2002 4 dr. Echo
1999 VW Golf
1992 Celica gt-s My Supra
Actually, I have found that the red paint thing is true. Factory Toyota red paint seems quite easily chipped. The hood on my echo went the same way. I got the deflector...a waste of time. The leading edge was protected, but inside of a month I had 4-5 chips all around it...I figured if I have to paint it anyhow down the road the deflector may as well be removed. Looks better without it anyhow.
I also considered a hood deflector or car bra. I have some dings or chips on my hood...I just got spot paint and it works, you have to look very close to notice there's a touch up. Just go to the dealer and let them know your VIN and they will find the specific color code for your car, if they don't have it on hand I'm sure you can order it. My car is black so it might help with the blending of color and touch up paint. I guess you can touch it up and get a deflector but its totally up to you good luck!
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Live faster than the speed of fear
I have 6000 km now, and 5 visible rock chips on the hood, but yet none on the bumper. Could be cause bumper is plastic and hood is metal, I dunno, but has anyone installed the optional hood deflector and if so does it reduce rock chips.
Ya that spot paint really works well EchoKnight2000 island boy you say fuel economy sucks for the Yaris well wait till you put the Hood deflector on you will lose even more and they look stupid Unfortunately chips will happen no matter what
My toyota salemen extolled the benefits of having $100s worth(?) of 3M all over the car and how resale would be great, etc. You can even get 3M around the windshield now to prevent it from cracking. I told him instead to bubble wrap the car, and I would park it in my garage for four years. He got the point.
Chips are inevitable reality of driving. A work colleage has 3M on her corolla and the leading edge of the hood ( which is not covered with 3M ) has multiple chips. Did she get her $s worth? I saw a 3-4 year old black BMW with a rotten looking hood 3M film the other day. Looks terrible. Does anyone get the idea that I am not a fan of 3M films?
echo_rhs, your car does look great.
Island, not sure how they attach a deflector, but they may stick little supports on the hood. These may be permanent, and would be worse ( I think ) than hood chips. And I don't think a deflector will have an impact on your economy.
Holly mano this looks like its going to be another long thread as I read Echo_hrs post I started swearing at myself saying their goes more money out the door than X_enginerd calmed me down a bit by what seems to be the real truth of the 3m stuff I cant see a film on your paint lasting to long when it is out in the HOT baking sun I would like to see more pics Echo_hrs over the hood if you could please to see if this stuff is noticeable
The hood deflector uses clips to attach, and has a couple of silicone bubbles to keep it off the paint. The clips are hard plastic and bite into the paint.
3M is the best friend of those not living in cities. For those like me in a city, sure I can put it on day one and peel it off in 6 years, and no matter how bad the film looked, it did its job and the hood under it looks brand new for resale...of course, every other panel has a dent, chip or mark from parking lots. The UV protection in the 3m film also protects the paint from fading under it...but that leaves a fade line for darker colours. Best job I've seen yet was a custom one for a friend living on the country. Cost an extra $100, but they did the entire hood, fenders and around the windshield on a white car. They peeled it off when he was detailing it when he was ready to sell and it looked absolutely brand new. The owner got around $750 more than autotrader average price with average miles because of it.
Okay so bgrieger I am a little confused as always I understand the country thing and the city thing but in general are you pro or con 3m film if so why it makes sense what you said when you peel off the film after a couple years the hood and what not looks good but the rest of the car looks like crap oh man I really don’t want to have to get this stuff put on
so don't put it on. I'm impartial. It's going on the Supra again when I get the bumpers redone this summer, but I wouldn't dream of it on the echo. Again, the supra doesn't go to malls, and spends more time on the highway and back roads where the risk isn't some moron who can't park in a minivan, but gravel getting kicked up where the film does work(when I have it running at all...another story). Again, the surpa is a pearl white, so I don't have to worry as much about paint fading unevenly.
I wouldn't bother on a daily driver in the city as I'm going to suffer far worse than stone chips on every panel of the car, so I gain nothing if the hood is showroom and the rest of the car is worn and torn when I trade it in or sell it.
Just came back from a day in Banff national park with two new ( and deep ) rock chips in my roof. There was construction going on and some F-950 tossed some rocks at me. Think I will need to get out the courtesy touch-up paint and do my best to fill them in.
I agree with bgrieger, keep your sport car looking good, but for a commuter like a Yaris, who cares. I think the fact that I am putting 30k/year on the car will affect resale more than rock chips. Plus I got silver, so they are harder to notice.
Also, almost all my driving is rural, and I don't have any hood chips yet. Just one on the driver's door and the new ones on the roof. And this Alberta, where we use pebbles on the road in winter!!!
Stuts, I saw the 3M film on a silver Yaris just like mine, and it looked like a$$. The person who will likely buy a 4-year old Yaris isn't going to care about rock chips. They are going to want an inexpensive/reliable car. And by then, gas may be $2/L so they will be in high demand. Save your money!!!
Just came back from a day in Banff national park with two new ( and deep ) rock chips in my roof. There was construction going on and some F-950 tossed some rocks at me. Think I will need to get out the courtesy touch-up paint and do my best to fill them in.
I agree with bgrieger, keep your sport car looking good, but for a commuter like a Yaris, who cares. I think the fact that I am putting 30k/year on the car will affect resale more than rock chips. Plus I got silver, so they are harder to notice.
Also, almost all my driving is rural, and I don't have any hood chips yet. Just one on the driver's door and the new ones on the roof. And this Alberta, where we use pebbles on the road in winter!!!
Stuts, I saw the 3M film on a silver Yaris just like mine, and it looked like a$$. The person who will likely buy a 4-year old Yaris isn't going to care about rock chips. They are going to want an inexpensive/reliable car. And by then, gas may be $2/L so they will be in high demand. Save your money!!!
Hey x_enginerd I think you hit it on the head this is not a sports car and putting this stuff on reminds me of old people putting plastic rap on their furniture I think there is times when you can go over board so I have made up my mind NO 3M FILM FOR ME I also have Silver so that is good to hear what you said you are so right when you go to sell the car I am sure the guy or girl isent going to care if the hood has rock chips on it when its like a 6 or 10 year old car one more thing sorry to hear you got rock chips on your roof let me know how they look after you fix them stupid f-950
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island boy you say fuel economy sucks for the Yaris 
well wait till you put the Hood deflector on you will lose even more 
and they look stupid 
I would hope our paint is not thin 
as I read Echo_hrs post I started swearing at myself saying their goes more money out the door 
I understand the country thing and the city thing 
but in general are you pro or con 3m film 
oh man I really don’t want to have to get this stuff put on 
I also have Silver so that is good to hear what you said 
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