is it just me
 

I took possession of my 59M 2001 S in July. I was surprised at the time how few touch up spots there were, especially on the lower front hood and bumper. Now after 3000 mi, and meticulous care, it looks like i've driven it another 60M mi. There are chips and dings galore. I'm pretty sure the hood was not repainted before I bought it, maybe the bumper was. How did the first owner do it? Please don't tell me it was a bib...I can't bear to hide this car.

It might have had some touch up paint in a couple spots that wore off after a few washes.

Don't tailgate cars in front of you on the highway...especially trucks, SUV's and trucks/SUV's without mud flaps.

Don't worry about it so much....it's a bumper. It's going to get beat up,especially if you drive 70+mph every time the car is taken out. My 99' had rock chips galore on the bumper,all fixed for $350(I had small dents I wanted repaired otherwise it would have been just $250-300).

I was told that waxing body panels helps to prevent chipping,you could try that if you want.

I'd bet that either the previous owner never drove the car on the highway or it had a bra. If you're not interested in changing your driving habits, you've got a couple of choices.

I've noticed that the factory paint jobs on these cars is pretty delicate, unfortunately. Sad, really, on my car for example, my color was a $1000+ dollar option and it's very easy to chip/scratch. If you find someone who will do a quality repaint on the bumper, it will last longer than the factory job. Find someone that will do 5+ coats of clear instead of 1 or 2. It'll cost more ($500 for the bumper, $1500 for the bumper, hood and parts of the fenders for my local guy) but it's definitely worth it. A good shop can remove some of the factory orange peel for a truly beautiful finish and it will last longer.

If you're not interested in the traditional black bra, you might consider a clear bra instead. This is true protection from stone chips with minimal visual impact.

if you do go wit the clear bra, its pretty much there permanently, as if you were to take it off all the chipped paint will come off with it, the 'glue' holds it in there and you cant see it, but if you ever wanna take it off....well, wouldn't be pretty

I guess I am guilty of driving a little aggressively. There's a lot of traffic in the small state of RI, so every burst of 90+mph sends you right up the butt of a tractor trailer/suv. I actually assumed I'd get it painted every so often but didn't know if that was considered sacrilegious among our tribe. BTW I can't believe how much I love this car.....and also sitting on this forum for hours at a time looking at pictures of everyone else's beauties. Thank you to everyone who contribute!!!! :cheers:

If I see a gravel truck....I change lanes and pass, or change lanes and yield about 100 yards back. When a truck changes lanes into yours, that's when they kick up stuff too, so watch out.

what is the best ClearBra to buy for the Boxster? Anyone have any good sources and prices on it?