F.I. Flyer

Do I need something to protect my paint from stone damage? If so, what should I get?

I am not at all confident that I could -- or should -- do the installation myself.

I clicked on the ad for ClearBra and they seem only to do business in the West. Since I am in the NYC/LI area, that is not an option. StonGard seems to be do-it-yourself only. That leaves the 3M product which has dealers in my area.

Has anyone had experience with the 3M product? Does it work? Is it very visible? (My car is Atlas Gray.) And, finally, what should I expect to pay?

Of course, comments and other suggestions are welcome.

artyQ7A4

of the car you cover, you can expect to pay between $200 and $400. Have it done. I think it is a tough DIY project because you DON'T want it to stand out.

F.I. Flyer

If someone in the NYC/LI area has had the 3M film applied, I would be grateful for the name of the installer and whether you would recommend their services. Of course, if your experience was not good, I would love to hear that as well.

F.I. Flyer

(1) How long does it take to install?

(2) How long does it take for the installer to get the "kit" for a particular car? In other words, how far in advance must I order?

grat

First off, it is all the same stuff. 3m ScotchCal.

ClearBra, StonGard and others all use the same product just branded as their own. If you press them they will tell you that.

Check with your dealer, or a detail shop for a local reference.

It is almost completely invisible. Some pics of the nose of my '01 below (had the '02 done about 2 weeks ago).

There is no adhesive, it is put on with an alcohol and water, once the liquid evaporates it adheres to the surface it is applied to. It will have a slight haze to it, for a day or two until this happens (evaporates) so don't panic. It can be removed with a heat gun later if it starts looking bad or if there is a need.

If you live in an area where there is sand and gravel on the roads during the winter I would consider it a must have.

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/15907/stoneguard_ft.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/15907/stoneguard_ftc.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/15907/stoneguard_sd.jpg">

Installation should only take an hour or so, to have my hood (and fender tips) mirrors and windshield posts done cost me $225, and they did a first class job. If you look closely in the center pic you can see the line of the film, but this was in full sun and angled to make is show up. It is the kind of thing that you don't notice until you look for it. (I discovered 4 other cars in my company lot that had it on them, that I had never noticed until I had my '01 done.)

fj..

LarryD

I had Ston-Gard installed on our allroad and they did a fantastic job. To have the "full meal deal", body, headlights and fog lights was about $425.00 installed. I had it installed on my Porsche years ago and its held up great! I live in the Seattle area.

BostonMarkC

yup, pretty much invisible! I would highly recommend it to anyone.

BTW, I love Atlas Grey =)