Armourfend

[Argent]

Anyone got any experience of the above? Is it worth using to keep front end chips at bay?

Cheers

A.

[peteA]

Argent said:

Anyone got any experience of the above? Is it worth using to keep front end chips at bay?

Cheers

A.

My old Chim had this fitted and it certainly reduced stone chips and apart from a white 'polish line' was not that obvious...it came on the car so don't know how much it cost...thinks its quite expensive, £400 ish...?

You might be able to but something similar on a roll but fitting it is another matter...could end up looking a right dogs dinner?

[DarkMatter]

The 'Armourfend' on the nose of my Griffith was £235 well spent in my opinion.

[Robertjp]

Just had the front end on mine done and i was recommended not to do this, but i suppose its a personal thing.

I was told that you still tend to get chips around the armourfend anyay, and armourfend itelf will mark, and also you will notice the polish line and a slightly different colour. £300 odd for the front of a Tuscan, so relatively expensive..

Chat to a specialist see what they say...

[jhollands]

I had armoufend but in retrospect it has its downside. It can look like there is a crack, particular when either dirt or cleaning wax lines up on the ridges. Once you have it, you are stuck !

[glow worm]

I went to Paintshield (now in Peterborough) for the front end of my Tuscan.. both appear to be using Xpel now (Paintshield have changed from 3M). With Xpel you can get larger sheets,so the complete Tuscan inspection bonnet is done with no lines. Front wings have a line but not very visible, splitters edges,front grill and mirrors done..about £740 IIRC.

Have an odd mark (bubble/ripple) when it was applied.. but overall its pretty good...TVR lads said it was the best they'd seen.....Only been done 2 months ,so too early to report,but upto now no stone chips.

[chrispitman]

If you have it done make sure your insurance knows, as if you have a claim and it's not listed it is not covered in the repair.

[Mr MoJo]

I have it on the front of mine and the wing mirrors, doesn't get noticed very ofetn but really keeps the stone chips at bay. My only problem is I wish the whole bonnet was done, pesky little stones getting between the bonnet and nose cone, making their mark like only they can !!

[Argent]

Hmm... interesting but the ayes seem to have it then......

[Barreti]

I was going to have it done, and contacted Paintshield in Peterborough ready to book the car in after its fresh respray.
The paintwork has to have been done for at least 2 weeks and the cost for a Griff is £400 + govt thievery

I decided against getting it done in the end and have just had a gimp mask made for the Griff instead.
So 'just' in fact that its going back on Saturday for some fine tuning of the design.

We have a pattern for it now too.
Looks like final cost will be around £200 for it, and its padded so even if the leatherette is compromised by a stone it shouldn't get through to the paint.

If you're interested, give me a yell.
The trimmer insists you'll have to have a fitting visit though, and he's in Loughborough.

Mine is currently plain black. But I plan to have TVR stitched across the front

[stimshady]

I had armourfend on the whole car when i bought it, but i noticed that around the filler cap it had gone a bit yellow, so i got a hairdryer and whipped that bit off, also took the back bit off as it was starting to peel a bit. it is still on the front, the wing mirrors, the arches etc.

On the front, there is a huge piece, and it has stopped some stone chips, but there are a few still above where it stops. i had a massive boulder hit the front end on the motorway and it actually pierced the armourfend so now i have a hole in the armourfend. it did save the front end i guess but you can't touch it up so i'll either have to take the whole thing off or replace it. not good.

i actually think, having owned a car with it on, i probably wouldnt pay for it to go on again. i have had at least two people tell me there is a scratch on the car, only to realise it's the plastic edge (front and rear). And i think that if it's not stopping 100% of the chips then eventually i'll have to get the front end resprayed anyway.


hope this helps.

[Englishman]

Had Armourfend on the Sag from new, almost 4 years now. It has certainly reduced chipping but as another has said, the occasional object goes through. I've found you can touch this up reasonably though.

However much better protection than without anything and from experience with other low cars, I'd have had the front end resprayed twice by now without it.

[glow worm]

Barreti said:

I was going to have it done, and contacted Paintshield in Peterborough ready to book the car in after its fresh respray.
The paintwork has to have been done for at least 2 weeks and the cost for a Griff is £400 + govt thievery

I decided against getting it done in the end and have just had a gimp mask made for the Griff instead.
So 'just' in fact that its going back on Saturday for some fine tuning of the design.

We have a pattern for it now too.
Looks like final cost will be around £200 for it, and its padded so even if the leatherette is compromised by a stone it shouldn't get through to the paint.

If you're interested, give me a yell.
The trimmer insists you'll have to have a fitting visit though, and he's in Loughborough.

Mine is currently plain black. But I plan to have TVR stitched across the front

Do you mean you're going to get your car fitted with a bra ???

[0to60]

Gerbil told me a while back about one much better, it is laser cut to the shape of the car and you cannot tell it is there at all

[Argent]

Barreti said:

I was going to have it done, and contacted Paintshield in Peterborough ready to book the car in after its fresh respray.
The paintwork has to have been done for at least 2 weeks and the cost for a Griff is £400 + govt thievery

I decided against getting it done in the end and have just had a gimp mask made for the Griff instead.
So 'just' in fact that its going back on Saturday for some fine tuning of the design.

We have a pattern for it now too.
Looks like final cost will be around £200 for it, and its padded so even if the leatherette is compromised by a stone it shouldn't get through to the paint.

If you're interested, give me a yell.
The trimmer insists you'll have to have a fitting visit though, and he's in Loughborough.

Mine is currently plain black. But I plan to have TVR stitched across the front

I remember there was a Griff at the Growl a couple of years back with one of those on.

A.

[Barreti]

glow worm said:

Barreti said:

said stuff about a car bra

Do you mean you're going to get your car fitted with a bra ???

No, I mean it IS fitted with a bra

It will be on for the run to Le Mans, track days and when I'm running in convoy to events, in the hope it will preserve the brand new paint job for a little longer.
When I'm out on my own on A road hoons or parked up at events it will be in the boot.

Makes perfect sense to me.

[thainy77]

I had Paintshield fitted about 18 months ago,a lot of bodyshops are registered fitters so there could be one local to you. My T350 was 375 including VAT for the nose and wong mirrors, the line is hardly noticeable. It's definately worth it but there are a few chips on it now but it's definately done it's job.

Also Paintshield can be removed wihout damaging the paintwork, i don't know if this is the case with Armourfend.

[markh1]

I am undecided whether to get this done when my front end is resprayed. I think I will speak to a professional detailer and see what they have to say about it.

[Argent]

I would be interested to know what he says because I'm in exactly the same position, I'm going to have the front end re-sprayed.

A.

Edited by Argent on Wednesday 3rd June 14:59

[Robertjp]

and me, particularly as i was told it wasnt worth it...