I noticed that the rear quarters on the A Bodies get beat up with rock chips pretty badly from the tires. It's just the inward angle of the quarter in relation to the tire that causes this. Most new cars don't have this type of design. The bottom quarters typically run even with the vehicle and don't tilt inward like the 1972 and other A bodies do.

Is there anything that can be done to protect the paint? Maybe spraying it with a thicker clear coat or maybe some type of rubberized coating that is clear?

 

I bought Expel film and used this on our 2010 Challenger in the same location. I was impressed with the gloss, as it was the same as the car finish. By judiciously matching break lines in the metal, it is nearly impossible to detect an edge.