Terry Adams

My last 911 was silver. I hardly noticed hood and bumper pits, and touch up blended in well. I have had 6 years and 101K miles of "cooling off" to consider this. I have used Ray's toothpick and touch-up paint method, which is good but not perfect, and a pain anyway. The clay bar was of minimal help. At yesterday's 80+ car meet and drive I saw 4 cars with the shield, one with Arena Red, and they looked great. Monday my car goes for the front respray, and 30 days later after the paint cures it goes to the shield installer.

Mark in Baltimore

CP,

Do you cringe every time a rock whacks your car? Probably. You might have a hard time waiting every two years before you respray. The film adds a, well, film over your paint but, as Ray said, it looks far better than seeing the front become pitted and ugly.

If you want to keep your car "perfect", you can:
1) respray the front, wait a month to allow for curing and then apply the film, sealing in the perfection like Grandma's rose-patterned Hepplewhite;
2) apply the film now, even though it's already chipped (won't be perfect);
3) respray the front, don't apply the film and drive the car, knowing that you're going to have wear and tear on it and be right where you are now (if you're concerned about your car in as little as two months and 1,000 miles, think of how you'll feel after a year and 6,000 miles);
4) don't respray it, don't apply the film and don't drive the car;
5) respray it and don't drive it;
6) some combination of the above but use a Speed Lingerie bra in place of the film.

I went through this debate when I first got my car and voted with a combination of option 1 and 2.

CP

Hi Folks,

I'm actually not **** about cars. I seldom wash my own cars myself (flame suit at the ready). However I have always had light color cars, and until the M5, had never even noticed rock chips. I'm sure I had them on my other cars as well.

However, the RUF is black metallic, and the chips show up as tiny little pock marks/indentations. One can see and FEEL them. The Invica Shield is for the rear fenders and I have them on the car as well. The front bumper takes the brunt of the abuse.

My motto about cars are they're for driving, and sharing. I'm more with Oleg. I'll talk to my favorite paint shop, and see what they say. I'll drive it for a while and then decide what to do. I accumulate most of my miles during the spring time. I drive my favorite roads all over CA when the hills are green and the wild flowers bloom. I can't have the car sit for 30 days, watching the paint dry, during the spring time.

CP

os993

Wow where have I been the past couple of weeks?? Carlen event? 80+ cars?? And I didn't know about it?? Sweet Mercy, I blew it!!

Anyways, pardon for the digression...

Hi CP, perhaps I should elaborate that my opinion is based on my ownership of a polar silver example. As Kim mentioned, black is a different story and I really have no experience with this color. Color matching Polar Silver is very difficult and my 109k miles of "natural" stone chips has been acceptable to me (and I'm pretty picky myself).

Beautiful car, by the way.

I need to look into this invisisheild stuff - I never really considered its merits, but it sounds like the real deal

Tom W

Oleg or CP, My car isn't black but you can see what the Invinca Shield looks like on it if you come to the drive Saturday. I've had it on for about a year and it's time to replace it as it's picked up a bunch of dings (but saved the paint).

Dudley

The hood piece is $28 - The bumper piece is $58. Maybe you should try a piece and see for yourself. Not perfect but the pieces will hide small nicks.

STLPCA

CP
My black 993 had the 3M material professionally installed. I was dissatisfied w/the bumper & it was re-done (at n/c) "as good as it gets" by the installer. It's now OK for my daily driver, but if I were a concours or garage queen guy, it would be unacceptable. The plastic gets scratches, swirls, stone dings, etc. which are visible on a dark car, although most can be buffed out until the next time. However, the plastic also has surface imperfections, differences in degrees of stretch causing reflection "waves" and squeegee marks, which are unavoidable & permanent. Even with a wax that doesn't leave a white residue (e.g., Zaino), the edges will show.

All that said, from 10+ feet away it looks good & the material can always be removed leaving unblemished paint underneath. I suggest you carefully inspect a few 3M'd dark cars before deciding.

Jeff

Great information -- I think the combiation of Invinca Shield or 3M on the bumper and mag bra on the trunk lid is the best of both worlds.

Dudley

Here is mine - under the worst light.

911

Anyone in the SoCal area have one of these? I would really like to see one in person before I decide. Please PM me. Thanks.

Rich

David in LA

Rich - I DIY'd on my green cab using invinca-shield. You're welcome to look at it....PM or email me.

mooty

i have xpel on a yellow car. cp if you goto 2/7 drive, you can see it. it's done by a pro and i would not DIY. the hood piece is easy. he did it in 15 min or so, but the bumper piece, two professionals were here 4.5 hours just to doe the bumper. they were extremely patient and got it perfect. however, if you have a sharp eye, you will see the line. mine is not too obvoius b/c there's no wax caught at the edge. but i take the edge with 2" wide tape before i wax to avoid wax in the wrong place. see it next weekend and you can then decide if you want it.

911

Thanks, David. Check your email.

Rich

davedelatte

I dont like the way the invincishield stuff looks, but then again my car is not really a collectible.