Anyone use this for the front end, whats your experience, does it stand out, and do they sell "kits" for the 360.................. Not looking forward to any of the common stone chips............also the factory film covers behind the wheels look like they need replaced. I was told at the dealer that when they Land in Jersey they are Stipped down and waxed quickly and sometimes the wax gets behind the film........... It did on one of mine......not bad.....but could stand to be replaced. Anything on Black is tough. Thanks in advance ! SCHACKMAN
I had the clear stone guard kit installed on my Boxster and I love it. You can't even tell its there. I don't know if its 3M but same difference anyway. Thinking of getting the same thing for my wife's 308. I'm sure there are kits available for your car. Call a local auta glass/tint shop. Pete
I have Stongard on my 360... never had a problem when waxing with polymers... but when I had it professionally detailed once, they did leave wax along the edges... I think the key is to make sure you don't let the was dry there. From certain angles, you can't see it at all. From other angles you can see the line, but in any case its better than being all chewed up like my 911's front end, which didn't get any Stongard. And yes, Stongard is the 3M film in pre-cut patterns for a variety of cars.
If you do a lot of highway driving, I would definately suggest the stoneguard but if you plan to drive the car on only special occasions it is not worth it. It yellows over time (usually about 8 months) and it is visible on darker colors. Wax buildup can be prevented if you are careful around the edge of the stoneguard.
Mine is almost 3 years old... enduring Texas summers... and has not yellowed at all. The 3M film should NOT yellow. That is in direct contrast to whatever cheapo $#it that Ferrari puts behind the wheel wells... that stuff was yellowed horribly when I replaced it.
I had the 3M Stoneguard put on my 360 when I got it and don't regret it one bit. It gives me great piece of mind while driving. My brother just had it put on his Gallardo and he had the whole hood covered rather than just the front portion, which is how my car is. I think it's a good idea to have the whole hood covered bcz you get full protection and there is no visible line of the Stoneguard in the middle of your hood. These cars are so low that the top of the hood (near the windshield) can easily get hit by a rocks. Also, the Stoneguard has saved me a few very noticable times. There are spots throughout the front of the car that have tears in the Stoneguard, but no damage to the paint. They were caused by small objects such as rocks. There is no doubt in my mind that there would be scratches, chipped paint, etc... if it weren't for the Stoneguard.
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think they might be using some 3M product for their wheel well/fender protection. Perhaps its not of the Stoneguard quality, but I think I remember it saying 3M on the back of the sticker peely. I do agree that whatever they use yellows quickly and horribly. Did you replace yours with the original Ferrari part or upgrade? Can anyone confirm that the sticker protection Ferrari uses is in fact by 3M or am I mistaken?
Go for it, its great. 18000 miles on my 360, no yellowing at all and "saved the paint countess times. Replaced it on my front bumper after 'ahem' a slight contack with a parking curb. Came off without any problem.
I replaced the Ferrari stuff with Stongard... definitely not the same stuff... I've held both in my hand... and the Stongard hasn't yellowed at all.
Yes, Armourfend is the same 3M product. The value add that Stongard and Armourfend are adding is that they provide the 3M film pre-cut to the exact dimensions you need for each model of car, greatly easing the difficulty of installing the film... and reducing the amount of the film actually needed (since they can more strategically arrange the pieces that they pre-cut.
One more thing.........Is it doable by my self ????? Or have you guys used the dealers. Ide be doing everything but the mirrors.........nose, hood, and fender replacement. Schackman
I haven't done one myself, but I've heard others say that like so many other projects, the first one is a character builder, the second one is easier. Not a piece of cake. Gary
I am not as enthusiastic regarding the invisible bra as others are. It is noticeable and on a very expensive car tends to detract from its overall appearance. Painting the front bumper every couple of years is no big deal and not that costly. However, if you do decide to go with the bra I would urge you to have it installed by a professional. The manner of installation is more important than the product.
I had the front bumper covered with Stonegard. Got nearly 24,000 miles on my car. Also get the pieces for the lower side air ducts. They're much better than the factory stuff.
Brian: You are lucky that yours has not yellowed. I have about 25 clients with is on their car and they all yellow within a year up here in the northeast. You can use a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water to clean up the plastic a bit, but it still has a shade of yellow on it.
Interesting. I want to place it on my rear side quarters (I think thats what its called) just behind my rear wheels to prevent chipping from kickup.
This product is excellent! I had the front bumper of my 355 completely repainted prior to purchase, and then covered it with this immediately - and I'm a believer. You can only see the lines on very close inspection...but what you DON'T see are all the ugly paint chips! Remember - when the chips start taking place on the hood / fenders / etc., that's when it gets ugly. This stuff is incredible, and I highly recommend it. Oh yes, I also have it on several of my motorcycles as well (Ducati, MV Agusta, etc.), and it works wonders on them too...
I wonder if it has to do with the temperature extremes of the northeast compared to Texas and California, because I haven't heard of it in my area either. Gary
Haven't noticed any responses from front-engined drivers... To that end, anybody else grow up in flying-insect (read: farm country) areas? Man, sometimes I had to clean windshield twice a day & still have bug splatter all over nose. Not mine, the car...
The product is great. It is not noticed until you are upon the car. Mine is 2 years old and no yellowing and best of all no stone chips. In the summer bug stains wipe off easily. Shelton Ferrari had mine done before they shipped my car north. I had the leading edges of the mirrors also done. Simple the greatest paint protection I've come across. You will not be sorry.