Looking for advice on front end protection

Hi everyone. I am new here and a first time land rover owner. In have just bought an 04 Freelander 1 td4 facelift. and am very happy with it so far. I intend to take it to west wales on a 6 week camping trip with a bit of off roading and a lot of narrow country lane work, and want to fit some extra front end protection. As the car is dark blue a nice black bull bar was my original plan but am having trouble locating one and have been told that it is due to legislation changes and no one is making them anymore. Are they still about and does anyone know where I can purchase one? I would be happy to take it off when my holiday is over if I have to (but don't really want to with some of the driving I see around here). If not is there anything else on the market, rubber or otherwise that is available to give some extra front end protection to the front. Another idea was to try and find a stainless steel bull bar and spray it black, anybody ever tried that and did it work well? Any ideas where I can buy a stainless steel bull bar (trying to avoid chrome as I imagine it would be a problem to paint). Any help or advice would really be most welcome as I seem to just be going around in circles on the internet. Thanks in advance.

Protection from what, and why do you feel you need it?

The factory plastic protection thing is available. I have one on my facelift. It's perfect to prevent paint damage on the front bumper centre section but, being plastic, mounted to the plastic bumper, it won't knock trees out of your path.

I am looking to protect the front end paintwork from scuffs and scratches and minor damage during the six week trip. Scatches from bushes and brambles, that sort of thing, I am not looking to knock trees down, more like protect the front paintwork. Factory plastic protection sounds like the ticket. where would I find this sort of stuff online to look at /purchase.
Thanks again in advance.

The factory plastic protection thing fitted.

Nodge68 said:

The factory plastic protection thing fitted. View attachment 104580

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Hope you took full advantage and did the one wheel up test, while you had it parked like that
Mike

dave375 said:

I am looking to protect the front end paintwork from scuffs and scratches and minor damage during the six week trip. Scatches from bushes and brambles, that sort of thing, I am not looking to knock trees down, more like protect the front paintwork. Factory plastic protection sounds like the ticket. where would I find this sort of stuff online to look at /purchase.
Thanks again in advance.

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Sadly I'm not sure anything bolt on is really going to protect the paint. The bumper corners look to be the most vulnerable. Some clear film/wrap might work to prevent most of the scratches and will peel off afterwards.

Get the Mrs machining up one of those 'car bra' things that were unfortunately popular for a little while!

Skinny Mike said:

Hope you took full advantage and did the one wheel up test, while you had it parked like that
Mike

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That's why I parked it like that Mike

GrumpyGel said:

Get the Mrs machining up one of those 'car bra' things that were unfortunately popular for a little while!

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Is that like the incontinence pants the Defender lads put on their diffs?
Mike

A 'car bra?'!!! OMG!

htr said:

A 'car bra?'!!! OMG!

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Bonnet Bra's are really popular down this way. You see lots of them, normally attached to various VW vehicles. They are good at protecting the front from stone chips and bugs
I've seen bumper bra's too, so someone is making them.

Nodge68 said:

Bonnet Bra's are really popular down this way. You see lots of them, normally attached to various VW vehicles. They are good at protecting the front from stone chips and bugs

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They usually rub the paint off along the edges. Horrid things, look nasty and make the owners look even more dumb than usual. Also such an American 1980's/1990's thing and fashion.

Very very sad.

You could used wrapping material. I used it to cover the door handles that had been scratched. Just use a hair dryer to put it on, then same to remove. Cheap and easily replaced

I like the idea of the wrap. Some of my interior plastics are looking worn and could do with a tidy up.

With regards to the front, I have one of the plastic A bars. Never got round to fitting it so was thinking I may sell it, but they do look good, I'll maybe offer it up one more time, just in case!

You kind of need two people, one with hair dryer and one putting on the wrap.
Once you add heat it becomes super stretchy. I think it cost me a fiver to do all four, A few months on I found its pretty hard wearing.
When I read the OP question I remembered we used to put clear film on the side of the petrol tanks of our motocross bikes to stop our knees rubbing through the paint.
We would put two on so when the top one started looking crap it could be removed and a new one put on.
Without it you would wear through the paint after about 6 race meetings.

Diesel Do had carbon wrap on the corners of his striped facelift 3 door. It looked good and obviously gave a decent superficial surface to take the scratches instead of the paint.

I was thinking or using clear film on my sills (have some kicking about). May think about some other places yoo.

The guys on Roadkill used some spray stuff to protect paint on this episode

Not sure if it is available here but maybe something similar is. It would help protect against minor scratching.