Armourfend or Respray?

[Pumpkinheeed]

Just wondering what peoples thoughts were on this...
I've had the car just over a month and already put 1000 miles on it.
Am using it as an everyday car and then a fun toy at the weekend. I've already got a few stone chips on the front clam and was wondering is it best to gegt some Armourfend put on? (if so any ideas on cost or where to get it done in the north east) or is it best to just let it run it's course and then get the front clam ressprayed later on? (baring in mind it's metallic paint.

Cheers

[dss123]

Pumpkin,

I've had Armourfend on my S1 from new, (1999) and I can honestly say the paintwork is just about spotless.

I've heard mixed opinions so maybe I'm lucky. Some say it peels off, goes mucky at the edges, turns yellow with age, but I've had none of this. (Helps having a bright orange car maybe?)

An 1999 S1, driven hard on road and track would easily have needed 2 front end resprays by now!

Based on my experience, I'd recommend it very highly. That said, if you already have stone chips, you might be too late as I understand it looks horrible when applied over chips (you get air pockets etc)

Dunc

[zebra]

Has saved me from two resprays so far - double winter and a couple of splatterings from gritters with no issues.

Zebra

[21TonyK]

I have armourfend or the equivalent of and would recommend it despite the fact it makes polishing a PITA.

[Pumpkinheeed]

Well I've only recently bought the car - a Series 1 111s.
It only had 17K on the clock and the front end was looking pretty good with a few small chips here and there.
BUT! Having had it a month and put a further 1000 on the clock I've noticed a few more have appeared. I think it might be too late for Armourfend (a case of shutting the door once the horse has bolted).
I think I'll be best off just letting the paintwork run it's course and then once I get it resprayed perhaps applying the Armourfend then.

Anyone got any pics of what the Armourfend looks like on a car?

[Philygumbo]

I have cornered the market in stone chips, but I am not sure about armourfend, on the grounds that it too will get stone damage. The areas in front of the rear wheel arches are protected, and while the paint is intact the protection looks like shit. If armourfend is cheaper than a respray of the front, then there is no contest, rip off and replace once in a while.
If you go out for a run and follow Lotustuart or Gooby your paint doesn,t last long.

[jondude]

I think the problem is Armourfend can be bought for about £1 a square yard in the US, so taking around £300-£500 to fit it to the Elise.....nah, just don't seem like cricket to me. ( You can buy a 12 inch by 5 feet piece here for £30 at Halfords )

Yes, it will help, and yes, it may work out cheaper than a couple of resprays....but I just get the feeling they are taking the pee, and I don't want to be part of that.

Also, even at the prices above I think the area above the badge and all of the front lid are left untouched.

It ain't gonna feel good to pay hundreds and then still get chips in the line of your eyes.

If it was £100 I might consider it.

[Bada Bing!]

I'm considering armourfend once I've had my respray done in a few weeks. It does seem pretty expensive though, considering a front clam respray is only going to cost me £700.

[Grinzzz]

Save the pennies, use a touch up paint while you own it, then have a respray done just before you sell it. My problems with Armourfend are the cost and that if it gets chipped/scratched/ripped itself it looks a hundred times worse.

[Pumpkinheeed]

Sound advice from all but I think the last one has it for me....
Touch it up and then respray when needed.

Now next question. Where can I get Lotus Titanium Silver touch up paint from?

[daveparry]

How much should a full respray cost on a fibreglass car?

[Russ H]

Had mine done here.. http://www.invisiblepatterns.co.uk/

Got a lot more done but the bumper section alone was only about £175 ish.

See recomendations

Russ.

[Francelise]

Pumpkinheeed said:

Sound advice from all but I think the last one has it for me....
Touch it up and then respray when needed.

Now next question. Where can I get Lotus Titanium Silver touch up paint from?

You can get it from here: http://www.bell-colvill.co.uk/
You will need to tell them the number. Mine is Titanium IF A082b6348f, that is for a S1 1997 car. Please check your colour.

Francelise

[LivinLaVidaLotus]

The only problem with armourfend and the like, is that it looks terrible when it has a few knocks on it IMHO. The front of my clam and the rear of the cills are done (with whatever one Lotus use) and it looks manky even after a few thousand miles.

Edited by LivinLaVidaLotus on Saturday 17th May 10:04

[wooooody]

Did somebody say stone chips





Tut's non SC car, pre body refurb.

Edited by wooooody on Sunday 18th May 03:05

[Silent1]

Re-spray it.
All the armourfend i had on the front of my VX220 looked cack after a while, especially with pearlescent paint, it looked like it had a matt finish over the front 3rd.

Edited by Silent1 on Sunday 18th May 21:46

[Frimley111R]

Philygumbo said:

I have cornered the market in stone chips, but I am not sure about armourfend, on the grounds that it too will get stone damage. The areas in front of the rear wheel arches are protected, and while the paint is intact the protection looks like st.

Agreed, my S2 is hammered after 20K but the side wheelarches with armourfend on don't look any better.