Micron

Need some advise here guys. My newly aquired 97 Artic Silver C4S had some fine scratches on the rear fender guards, just ahead of the rear wheels. A friend and professional painter advised using very fine polishing paper (4000-12000 grit) to remove them, the same stuff they use to polish out Plexiglass. I tried it and the scratches remain but I now have some darker grey coming through also, as if I sanded through to primer(no- I was very careful and did not go through the film or use excessive force)Doesn't seem to make sense unless the guards are painted. I know alot has already been written on this subject but would appreciate any input. The car is low miles and absolutely stock, beautiful,and now the small grey marks are making me nuts! <img border="0" alt="[ouch]" title="" src="graemlins/c.gif" />

Tom W

Micron, just get some new stone guards. The ones I pulled off were clear, I don't think any are colored.

Mark in Baltimore

From what I've read here and from having dealt with my own stone guards, they are definitely painted and not clear as they come from the factory. Maybe the clear ones were installed by a PO?

Replacement one aren't too expensive. I'd go ahead and replace them.

swftiii

Sorry Mark, but they are not painted, but instead clear from the factory.

I believe 3M makes replacements. If you plan on driving the car I wouldn't worry about the small scratches in the guards as they will undoubtedly get marked back up quickly.

Just drive the car and enjoy the sound of the engine, cornering, and the smile it puts on your face.

-Skip

STLPCA

The oem 993 stone guards come in clear, (GP) white & (Polar) silver plastic film. They are not painted.

Mark in Baltimore

Thanks for the correction, guys. I obviously had silver on the brain and was thinking of my own painted stone guards.

Tom W

Given my car color, it's no suprise that mine were clear and not white or silver

GratefulJED

AHEM! the cost on these suckers is about $70 per side, OEM, with discount! Can you believe it?!

Tom W

Yes, that's part of why I switched to invinca-shield. The invinca-shield also looks much better.

Luis A.

Micron,

I replaced the guards in my black car and they were clear, the ones on the yellow car are also clear.

I'm also in Michigan, if you need help replacing yours I'd be happy to give you a hand.

ksimpson

I also believe they are clear. No mention of colour if you look at any of the parts site. They also look like clear plastic.

Micron

Thanks for all the responses. I was looking for clarification on the color issue; most of you say the guards are clear but Dan in St. Louis claims white and silver also. I suspect I have the silver ones and that explains the discoloration with sanding. Luis in Michigan, thanks for the offer, I'll give you a shout once I've goten the replacements.
As an aside, I joined this website when I began searching for a car and can't say enough about it. A great way to learn about the car and also to avoid some of the pitfalls of purchasing and maintaining. Thanks again for all your help.