Armourfend - yes or no?
Armourfend - yes or no?
Author
Discussion

Corin Denton

Original Poster:

8,762 posts

297 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
After a bad paintshop experience I have farmed the trusty beast off to TVR bodyshop for a front end repaint.

In theory the paint should be outstanding so that leaves me with this dilemma.

Do I Armourfend it?

>>> Edited by Corin Denton on Wednesday 12th January 10:38

trooperiziz

9,457 posts

281 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
No.

spiceman

61 posts

272 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
It works, I have it on the nose and mirrors. You can see where parking scrapes make a scuff on the film that just polishes off. Stone chip proof too.

Well worth it. You can only see it if you look closely.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Depends on the colour of the car.

Light yes, dark no.

Though Webbs do an elastic primer which is supposed to reduce stone chips on GRP cars.

Give it a bit of cushioning so it doesnt just flake off.

Corin Denton

Original Poster:

8,762 posts

297 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
My car is silver so... could be alright

chim_girl

6,268 posts

288 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
No.

Have a search through the forums for the last 12 months, you'll see this has been discussed before. IMHO more people are against than are for it, this could affect your resale potential in the future.

BigGriff

2,312 posts

313 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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The 'cushion' primer is only a partial solution. Have seen Tuscan's with it. It helps but does not eliminate the problem totally.

Agree on the colour argument. It works on some colours and not others and is visible. It is by no means permanent as I have found out and is a pain if you do damage the car(so I have been told).

Should think you would be ok on the colour of your car, but ask Webbs for a view.

Richard

dicky

928 posts

313 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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i know this probably won't be an issue but, if you have it on the car for a while and you take it off, won't the paint be different colour underneath as it has been protected a wee bit by the sun, just a thiught but some cars it will suit an dsome it won't

sorry if this is of no help

tvrinbfg

1,460 posts

313 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
No - save your money (for a respray at a later date).

It will sink into the paint over time; it will get polish under the edges creating white/grey marks; it will go dull and swirlly over time; and finally the car WILL chip elsewhere. All the above will lead you to having to do some repainting at a later date anyway. And then you'll have to pull all the stuff off to do that paint job properly, so you will not get away with just a light (cheaper) blow in.

Just IMO!

madbadger

11,752 posts

273 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Mine is done.

You have to look really hard to spot it and my car is black, so I'm not sure why it is only suitable on light colours.

As soon as you get one stone chip it spoils the look far more than an almost invisible clear layer IMO.

rev-erend

21,619 posts

313 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
The car's I have seen this on - you can just see it.

Agree with some of the comments here but whether you have it fitted I think depends on usage of the car.

If you use the car every day / travel a lot on newly resurfaced roads / tailgate a lot - then it's probably worth fitting on exposed area's.

If not - save the money for the next nose cone respray

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

290 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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Corin, you've seen my car with it on. Okay mine came with it, and I wasn't all that impressed at first, but to be honest, it's good. Yes you get polish around the edges but it's not difficult to remove (the polish that is). I think it's a good thing if it's on the car, I don't think it detracts from the car's value, but would I pay a few hundred for it to be fitted.....:scratchchin..........probably no.

AlexRWD

1,254 posts

266 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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Tyre Smoke said:
Corin, you've seen my car with it on. Okay mine came with it, and I wasn't all that impressed at first, but to be honest, it's good. Yes you get polish around the edges but it's not difficult to remove (the polish that is). I think it's a good thing if it's on the car, I don't think it detracts from the car's value, but would I pay a few hundred for it to be fitted.....:scratchchin..........probably no.


I agree - it's on my car, fitted by previous owner, and sure you can see where it is, but for a car approaching 3 years old it's done a fantastic job of protecting from stone chips, and I don't have any of the swirls or other issues mentioned above.

I wouldn't want to rely on having nose re-spray jobs either, as these can often be far from perfect, especially with some of the "trick" TVR colours.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Its easier to match the flip flop colours because there is no natural join between the paints that the eye can see.

Joins are more pronounced on metallics and the like.

spiceman

61 posts

272 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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Listen to the people that have it, not the ones that think they know!

I wish I had put it on my MG as well. My Tamora is spotless the MG is pebble dashed and marked by careless parkers.

Go for it!

Chim_Girl

6,268 posts

288 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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spiceman said:
Listen to the people that have it, not the ones that think they know!

*cough* Ahem, I have had it on a TVR. Crystal Topaz Tuscan, thankfully only around the areas where the roof meets the body of the car.

My personal observations were:-
*You can see it
*It does collect polish
*It does take the paint with it when you remove it
*It has a finite lifespan

IMHO, someone wouldn't be put off buying a car with a resprayed nose, however they may be if it has armourfend.

As with most of these things, you'll always get opposing views.

Plotloss

67,280 posts

299 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Chim_Girl said:


*You can see it
*It does collect polish
*It does take the paint with it when you remove it
*It has a finite lifespan


to all of the above...

neilsheppard

6 posts

262 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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I believe this months evo has tested a new product on the market on a lotus elise with some good results

Tripps

5,814 posts

301 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
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If you do go for it select very carefully the finishing lines, as on the cars I've seen this makes the difference.

On one lightish blue Tuscan the covering ended half-way up the wing and it was obviously wrong a distance without the worry of the other issues mentioned, the change-over line was perfect and had suffered from polish ingress, but it was such as obvious line.

I'd say if you have it done, go for the entire bonnet and front wings, weather that will be cost efficient against a respray though is the issue.

AlexRWD

1,254 posts

266 months

Wednesday 12th January 2005
quotequote all
Chim_Girl said:

My personal observations were:-
*You can see it
*It does collect polish
*It does take the paint with it when you remove it
*It has a finite lifespan

IMHO, someone wouldn't be put off buying a car with a resprayed nose, however they may be if it has armourfend.


Any idea what this finite lifespan is? As mentioned, mine is not far off 3 years old, and I can't see any signs whatoever of it dying.

And personally I saw it as a definite benefit when choosing between 2nd hand Tamoras that this car had it on. If had kept my previous car, would prob have re-sprayed nose and put armourfend on, as last thing I would want to do is spend out on a re-spray and then start collecting stonechips again.