Pickup some 3M clear protective film, make templates with a piece of paper, of the areas that are in harms way (behind the wheel wells, across the front edge of the hood, etc) and apply the film. You cannot see it if applied properly.
I did this on my Shelby Cobra in front of the rear fender flares (common problem area on Cobras) and it works great. It's a very cheap solution that will pay for itself MANY times over the life of the vehicle.
Here's a company that makes precut kits:
http://www.clearmask.com/
...but I plan on making my own.
H3wannabe