Road Debris Phobia ?Do I need a head job?

you are crazy and it's normal during the first few months

But without kidding; our cars 308 / 328 are not precious to such an extent, but great fun machines. Therefore they don't deserve being garage queens.

Best Regards from Germany

Martin

 

I recommend self medication! I do think you're overreacting. Most Ferraris have stone chips here and there from debris. Usually not difficult or super expensive to touch up. This should not influence the value of the car much. Just say "of course it's been touched up here and there". Its expected. The problem is, if you're afraid to drive it on the freeway you're just one step away from being afraid to drive it at all. As someone here quotes: "Buy a nice painting"!

 

and one of the best ways for self medication is: Enter it and drive the hell out of it.
Somehow I just can't believe what I am reading here
After all, it's just a car.

Best Regards from Germany

Martin

 

In Italy, it is the stone chipping that's kept as a matter of honour!

 

I don't have a Ferrari but when I was racing motocross each year I would get a new bike and it was always so cool all shined up and gleaming with perfection, unmolested and flawless before the first ride. So the first ride if you are lucky it just got dirty and you are able to keep it in top condition but the ride was not as fun as the rides you had on last years bike because in the back of your mind at least on some leavel you aren't really riding to your full potential for fear you might cause some sor of damage. Sooner or later though, if you ride dirt bikes you know you will crash, lay it over or take an unespected dismount, and when this finally happens you can finally ride it the way you bought it to ride it. At this point after that first scratch, broken brake/clutch lever tip or whatever happened you finally enjoy yourself becuase you won't be so worried about another scratch or blemish.

I assume a similar situation when you get your first stone chip or maybe even door ding you won't like it but from that point you won't worry so much about blemishing the fine example of Italian automotive artwork and then truly enjoy what Enzo meant it for, driving!

 

Sh*t happens. Don't obsess. This is why we buy insurance.

Ten years ago, a flying rock kicked up by a truck did $2000 damage to my brand new Audi 2.7T when I was driving it home after taking delivery at the dealer.

 

Yes, I ran over the frozen carcass of a dead deer because some guy would not move over and let me avoid it!! destroyed the spoiler, radiator, fan etc...

 

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Thank YOU! Nice to see a Ferrari that actually gets driven and looks like my '99 911 did after 7 years of daily driving + occasional weekends at Lime Rock.

 

You are phobic about driving, I'm so about parking. And my fears have grown with age, not been ameliorated. There are crazies out there so best to find roads with light traffic and drive faster than the rest.

 

I have a dent on my hood and fender from an 18 wheeler lug bolt, it richocheted off the wiper arm, instead of crashing thru the windshield into my face.

I'll fix the paint someday, but I think the wiper arm is going to stay.....you can count the thread pitch of the bolt, in the depression.

 

I picture you turning on the wipers, pinball machine style, and whipping it back at the truck.

 

Barry, looks like you got 6 new chips since the last pic.

EDIT: 5 new chips, sorry.

 

1. Don't tailgate - give yourself room to manoeuvre when those tire scraps appear.
2. Put some kind of protective film over your front driving lamps if you do much freeway driving. The real ones are expensive and originals are hard to find.
3. It's just metal and paint. It can be fixed.
4. Read some of MalcolmB's posts over in the vintage section. The guy lives in San Diego and has put tens of thousands of miles on his 275 GTB and Daytona, rebuilt them at least once, etc. He's one of my automotive heroes.

 

Hey Barry! If that's your car, what happened to the Plate Clip (LOL!)?

 

I think you were right the first time, Jon.

Anyway, that's what the previous owner collected in 59,000 miles. The front was resprayed before I bought the car. In the 9,000 miles I've driven it, I'm collecting my own. Some are bugs and some are chips.

Some bugs, at 150 MPH on the track, can do the same thing as pebbles on the highway...
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Bob, I take the Plate Clip off on track days. It produces too much drag.

Barry

 

When I was at Daytona, this guy next to me was concerned about getting chips on his windshield. I suggested he put tape on that too...
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