Anyone used Armaguard Stone Chip Protection?
Discussion
I've just put my Chim in with Ewelme Coachworks for a front end respray to lose the stone chips, and was thinking about getting it over sprayed with Armaguard (apparently it's a spray-on polyurethane coating).
Has anyone out there used it before on their TVR?
Does it really stick out over the paintwork?
Does it protect the paint or is it just a gimmick?
Any info gratefully received!
Has anyone out there used it before on their TVR?
Does it really stick out over the paintwork?
Does it protect the paint or is it just a gimmick?
Any info gratefully received!
I used armourfend on my Seven - I'm assuming that is the same??. If so, It stops about 90% of the chips (the big buggers still get through). You can see the edges - and if cleaned the wrong way they can become a littel discoloursed. It's a close call.... it'll certainly stop a lot of damage, but it won't ever look 100% with it on.
I decided on balance not to put it on cars since.
If Armourguard is totally different... ignore ALL of the above.
Steve
I decided on balance not to put it on cars since.
If Armourguard is totally different... ignore ALL of the above.
Steve
Thanks Steve - it is Armafend, I was getting confused! Close call on whether I should get it done. Any tips on cleaning it moving forward if I do go ahead?
Snorky - the repaint is £900 all in. There is quite a bit to do. I'm sure you can get it cheaper but Ewelme have a got a really good reputation.
Snorky - the repaint is £900 all in. There is quite a bit to do. I'm sure you can get it cheaper but Ewelme have a got a really good reputation.
flyingjase said:
Thanks Steve - it is Armafend, I was getting confused! Close call on whether I should get it done. Any tips on cleaning it moving forward if I do go ahead?
Snorky - the repaint is £900 all in. There is quite a bit to do. I'm sure you can get it cheaper but Ewelme have a got a really good reputation.
ARMOURFEND.
www.armourfend.com
it's stick on sheets, not spray on.
do a search on the forums and you'll find plenty opinions pro and anti.
My 2c is it's less noticable on light colour than darks... I saw it on a black one and it was terrible.
I've got it on mine. have a look at the piccies:
website
It comes half way up the service bonnet. Can you spot it ?
stu
Thanks for the pix Stu - what did they charge you to get it done? I'm thinking that it may be worth just taking the risk of not having it done & getting Chips Away out as / when I go to sell the car.
I've got a fairly dark car (Tahiti Blue) so it sounds like it may stick out like a sore thumb.
Jason
I've got a fairly dark car (Tahiti Blue) so it sounds like it may stick out like a sore thumb.
Jason
If your half looking for it, on a bonnet/wheel arch, then you'll spot the join, but for a casual look, it blends in well.
Only seen it on a red porker, and they say care needed when washing, so as not to disturb the edges, and it needs renewing now and again despite resisting most stones etc.
Only seen it on a red porker, and they say care needed when washing, so as not to disturb the edges, and it needs renewing now and again despite resisting most stones etc.
Another option is www.paintshield.co.uk
They are similar to Amourfend but I think they have different size pieces available which are less noticeable. According to their website it comes with a four year paint protection warranty. TVR are apparently fitting Paintshield as standard on the Sagaris behind the front wheels and I’m thinking of having it put on some other areas when I get my Sagaris.
I have Amourfend at the moment, the easiest way to stop it being noticeable is to buy some of that coloured wax from Halfords. Wax the line at the edge of the film with a colour similar to your car’s paint colour.
They are similar to Amourfend but I think they have different size pieces available which are less noticeable. According to their website it comes with a four year paint protection warranty. TVR are apparently fitting Paintshield as standard on the Sagaris behind the front wheels and I’m thinking of having it put on some other areas when I get my Sagaris.
I have Amourfend at the moment, the easiest way to stop it being noticeable is to buy some of that coloured wax from Halfords. Wax the line at the edge of the film with a colour similar to your car’s paint colour.
flyingjase said:
Thanks for the pix Stu - what did they charge you to get it done? I'm thinking that it may be worth just taking the risk of not having it done & getting Chips Away out as / when I go to sell the car.
I've got a fairly dark car (Tahiti Blue) so it sounds like it may stick out like a sore thumb.
Jason
It was on the car when I got it. From memory though it's around 600 quid for the lot, but it's up to you what bits you want. If you look at the website it has plans of all the bits, etc. You don't need to take em all.
General consensus seems to be you either armourfend it, put up with 100s of stone chips on bonnet, or respray every year or so.
Dunno if it's true, but I reckon fibreglass is far more chippable than steel generally. IMHO:
1) the paint sticks far less to fibreglass than steel
2) steel gives a little..it's flexible to an extent, so the impact is absorbed by the steel, the paint flexes and doesn't chip. Fibreglass doesn't give. so the paint takes the full brunt and chips. The armourfend does the job of the steel by flexing a little. It's not so much a barrier as an absorbant layer.
So I'm happy with my armourfend. It's not too visible, and paintwork is immaculate rather than chipped everywhere.
I don't really agree with using coloured polishes personally. I find the best way to make sure it's not visible is to keep everything highly polished (I use 3 stage maguire system) and that there is not polish residue along the edges of the armourfend at all (I carefully take my nail along the edges).
The result is a mirror motorshow mirror finish over the whole car, and the edges are nearly invisible.
coloured polishes effectively tint the laquer coat. which takes away the point of the laquer coat (on pearl finishes, etc anyway). as it now can't do it's job of letting the true pearlyness of the paint show through. But each to their own. Never stand between a woman and her child or a man and his car.
stu
stu
We're having a respray in the near future and definately considering one of the manufacturers but not sure which one.
The respray is best part of £4k (being done on insurance so were making the most of it)- if it was less than a grand I wouldn't bother but if we have to spray it every 8 years then we will have to save £500 per year. The car looks white so I don't see any issues with wax showing on the edges.
FFG
The respray is best part of £4k (being done on insurance so were making the most of it)- if it was less than a grand I wouldn't bother but if we have to spray it every 8 years then we will have to save £500 per year. The car looks white so I don't see any issues with wax showing on the edges.
FFG
I think on balance I probably won't go for it - if I can repsray every 2 years then price wise it's not much different (or even slightly cheaper), ok I may have to put up with a few stone chips in the interim, but then I don't have the hassle of looking after the Armourfend. Never had a TVR before (so don't know how quickly the stone chips will start to appear), and never had Armourfend before (so don't really know how much hassle it is to keep it looking good)
I hope I don't end up regretting it!! I'll let you know if I stone chip it on the way back from the bodyshop!
Thanks for all the advice so far.
I hope I don't end up regretting it!! I'll let you know if I stone chip it on the way back from the bodyshop!
Thanks for all the advice so far.
Depends on how fussy you are, what roads you drive on, luck (or otherwise) and whether you do track days.
I would say on average you would look to respray every 5-10 years, and this need only be a front end which is about 1/2 the figure you have stated assuming you have an easy to match paint.
Personally, I wouldn't do it if the car was your colour. See how you get on and you could always have a front end with some protection next time. Otherwise save your money towards the next spray.
FFG
I would say on average you would look to respray every 5-10 years, and this need only be a front end which is about 1/2 the figure you have stated assuming you have an easy to match paint.
Personally, I wouldn't do it if the car was your colour. See how you get on and you could always have a front end with some protection next time. Otherwise save your money towards the next spray.
FFG
If you drive fast and use the car on motorways then you need armourfend. I have used it on both my tivs and it is a must. I never did until I got a respray on a Bm that I used to own, and within the time it took to get home from the respray shop my front spoiler was full of chips. Well upset and a waste of money.
as a paint sprayer i would say that im MHO i would rather take my car to a local guy who is cheap an have it re-sprayed,i think the line across the front looks awful,you dont need to pay a fortune to have the front painted if u shop around or go to garages without body shops and ask where they send them.
i re-built a chimera front end and painted it in the garage,came out better than some jobs i did in a spray booth!basically what im saying is that you do not have to pay silly money at so called specialist garages for a paint job when the bloke down the road can do the same for half the price (and probably takes pride in his work).
also tailgating does'nt help with the chips!!
i re-built a chimera front end and painted it in the garage,came out better than some jobs i did in a spray booth!basically what im saying is that you do not have to pay silly money at so called specialist garages for a paint job when the bloke down the road can do the same for half the price (and probably takes pride in his work).
also tailgating does'nt help with the chips!!
I think this is one of those things which boils down to personal opinion. Personally I would always go for Armourfend.
I had it on my Cerb, and after 7 years and 35k it still looked good. I had no problems with it peeling or lifting, and it didn't take any special looking after. Ok, when you polish you get a build up of white residue along the edge of the coating, but this easily wipes off with a cloth.
I recently bought a new Monaro and I had Armourfend fitted straight away. This car is silver and so it is even harder to see that on the Cerb which was a darker colour.
A respray every couple of years sounds more expensive to me, and you've always got the concern of colour match.
Neil
I had it on my Cerb, and after 7 years and 35k it still looked good. I had no problems with it peeling or lifting, and it didn't take any special looking after. Ok, when you polish you get a build up of white residue along the edge of the coating, but this easily wipes off with a cloth.
I recently bought a new Monaro and I had Armourfend fitted straight away. This car is silver and so it is even harder to see that on the Cerb which was a darker colour.
A respray every couple of years sounds more expensive to me, and you've always got the concern of colour match.
Neil
I was told that Armorfend have generic pieces which they "trim" on the car. Not something I was comnfortable with.
Got Paintshield now as after discussions with them I felt mnuch happier. Also, mine was the first Griff to be done so I was there a whole day with their design guys so I eliminated the mid bonnet joins.
The car was on the Classic Car Show stand and bet not many noticed it (well not too much).
FFG
Got Paintshield now as after discussions with them I felt mnuch happier. Also, mine was the first Griff to be done so I was there a whole day with their design guys so I eliminated the mid bonnet joins.
The car was on the Classic Car Show stand and bet not many noticed it (well not too much).
FFG
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff