dc

I am thinking of installing the 3M clear protection on my 993. I am in Arizona and every few days a I notice a new chip. It is a real frustration. How does it perform in the heat?. Also would you touch up the visiable 3/4 chips that are on now before installation or just leave as is = original. What do you do when you wax the car. Any special advice on preparation before installing. Any reference on costs. As you can see any advice is wellcomed.

Chris in Detroit

I'm also considering this - I've been told however that you can't touch up, then immediately apply the clear film. My understanding is that the touched up chips need some time (weeks ?) to harden before they aren't lifted and scrubbed off by the positioning and repositioning that goes on during the install of the clear film. A competent installer should be aware of this caution.

H. Miller

I just had the clearbra put on my 98 C4S. I had very few chips and they were tiny, so I decided not to touch up first. After the bra was put on the chips are hardly noticeable. Here in Denver the cost was $500 total which covers the whole front end of the car with the clearbra going up 18" on the hood.
There are two ways to do it:
"Custom wrap" OR
Pre-cut by machine and then applied.
The pre-cut was about $100 less but the installer warned that there might be as much as a 1/4" gap at edges. Based on this and only $100 difference I went with the custom wrap which means the installer cuts and installs pretty much freehand. This is great if you have a very good installer. I would recommend calling the local Porsche dealer for the name of installer or check with other P-car owners to see who they had install. In the end pick the best even if it's a few $ more.
Overall, I am satisfied with the appearance, can't speak to durability since it's only been on a month (but my wife's 325i's clear bra is 5 yrs old and looks terrific).
Good luck.

Ray Calvo

I had some rather severe stone chips on the nose of my Adventurine Green 993. I touched them up, but wasn't exactly meticulous. Well, they show like crazy.

Don't expect the 3M nose to mask stone chips. If you can see them without it, you'll see them with it installed. Degree depends on chip severity and probably also paint color.

As far as care, I don't wax it. I don't think it'll hurt, but doubt if it'll do much. I have used a plastic polish (look in any auto parts store) to clean up some fine scratches on it.

Will

Chris - Group buy in SE Michigan! I gather that the two shops in Detroit that do this charge about $800 for a 993, but I don't know if the use pre-cut 3M or do it themselves.

I want to have this done, but the PO had installed a front license plate, and the mount and screws left some significant marks. I believe I'd need to have the front bumper removed, repaired, and repainted. For now, I'll just live with it. Anyone have a front bumper redone like this? Cost?

Will

CA993

I had a bumper cover refinished on a previous 993. Cost to do it right - approx. $400-$500 minimum. Make sure they remove it and spray the reverse side as well. The orange peel obviously should also be matched. In addition, watch for drips running into the molded creases, I've seen a number of supposed "high end" shops turn out 993 bumper covers where you could immediately tell from about three feet away that they had been shot. You may want to consider replacing the seals at the same time for the best possible fit upon re-install. Good luck - high quality paint work is very tough to come by!

Chris in Detroit

Will

Good idea on the group buy - there is a shop here in Birmingham - Classic Appreciation - that does a lot of high end cars also priced at about $800 - I'll check what a group buy would do ...........

Anyone else in SE Michigan interested ?

Richard C4S

Chris and Will,
Add my C4S to the list for a potential group discount on Stoneguard. I spoke with Casey at Classic Appreciation a few weeks ago and he tells me the pieces are ordered precut. You chose how extensive coverage you want applied. Appears to be an all day job? They keep the car overnight to check for bubbles, fit etc next day. Let me know. I wanted to get it done in early August.
Richard

NRK

Remember folks, the quality of the end result depends in part on the color of the car. I have an Aventurine Green coupe, too, and the material is practically invisible. It was applied by a dealer on a newly painted nose. I don't wax it either, but I'd love to hear suggestions on how to care for it. On lighter colored cars, white in particluar, the material is quite visible, maybe moreso than stone chips!

Will

Arghh! My car is white! I was wondering about this - if the 3M Scotchcal is less than perfectly transparent or colorless, it'll show on a white car. I heard of someone painting the Scotchcal before application, but that sounds very tricky. Any white car owners out there with experience on paint protection?

Will

Chris in Detroit

To the SE Michigan guys - unfortunately no discount for a group buy at Classic Appreciation ! Kasey there maintains that regading Stongard, the profit margin is slim enough and chances of having to redo / spend longer than intended on a 911 (owing to complex curves and size of front bumper) is such that he wouldn't discount.

Pete Lech

Any opinions on what the Concours judges would say about Stoneguard?

H. Miller

Regarding white cars: the ones I've seen have yellowed (very little but still noticeable.)
As stated previously, my wife's gray BMW looks totally transparent after 5-6 years - must be the color.

DoubleNutz

The ones that I have seen too were also yellowed after about a year or so. I suspect it depends on the color of the car and, I also understand that several clearbra manufacturers make them so that they can be removed with a blow dryer and then replaced new.