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Mine were filthy and yellow. (Over Riv Blue) I used a $10 ABN decal eraser wheel from Amazon on a Ryobi drill w Li-Ion battery to remove one last weekend. About 30 mins on one side w wd-40 for cleanup.
Definitely brace yourself and win the kickback battle but doable. You'll find proper angles via trial and error. Didn't see any residual marks but it was getting late.
The friction heated things up and it was almost as if the adhesive was on top, almost a dirty tarlike substance, probably a combo of guard bits and wheel debris.
Will tackle the other side this weekend.
I had been putting it off for years.
Using a heat gun (hair dryer for paint) and a plastic scrapper was quick and easy. Then using some solvent like xylene removed the adhesive. Once I was done there was no issues with scratches to the clear coat.
A buddy of mine had a local shop attempt to remove the stone guard on his 993. Shop allegedly used a steamer and a cloth w a glue removing solvent. This is the end result. The process stopped here , on side 1 w the remaining guard intact. Looking for ideas to relay as a remedy. Assuming there is a way to remove the rest of the guard w no further paint damage, are there shops that can “airbrush/fill in” the large paint chip and then mount a replacement stone guard over damaged area? This is an original paint , low mileage, 2 owner 993, so needless to say he is bummed! Thx
Last edited by Oilstainedtuxedo; 02-19-2024 at 12:35 PM.
Steam is not the answer. Acrylic adhesive is waterproof (steam) but it is actually a heat activated material. The real trick is heat. Steamers would be safe since they by definition they limit the temperature to 212 degrees F. You need more than that. The paint and clear coat can take much more than 212 F . A heat gun and patience is your friend here. When you do get the thing removed you can use an adhesive remover to clean up the mess. Since adhesive remover is essentially naphtha , you can also use Coleman camp stove fuel which is naphtha and much cheaper. The real adhesive remover does have some other materials in it.
You need to heat up the metal fender in order to get the adhesive hot enough to release without burning the surface of the plastic stone guard.
Heat gun and time.
Been there and done that.
Steam is not the answer. Acrylic adhesive is waterproof (steam) but it is actually a heat activated material. The real trick is heat. Steamers would be safe since they by definition they limit the temperature to 212 degrees F. You need more than that. The paint and clear coat can take much more than 212 F . A heat gun and patience is your friend here. When you do get the thing removed you can use an adhesive remover to clean up the mess. Since adhesive remover is essentially naphtha , you can also use Coleman camp stove fuel which is naphtha and much cheaper. The real adhesive remover does have some other materials in it.
You need to heat up the metal fender in order to get the adhesive hot enough to release without burning the surface of the plastic stone guard.
Heat gun and time.
Been there and done that.
Steam worked on my 25yo guards. I know at least 5 others who did same. Goofoff took off the residue.
Thanks for the removal advice but I was hoping someone might have a suggestion on how to repair the paint damage w out a full fender respray? The new stone guard would go over paint repair, so there is that. Thx
Thanks for the removal advice but I was hoping someone might have a suggestion on how to repair the paint damage w out a full fender respray? The new stone guard would go over paint repair, so there is that. Thx
Where in SoCal is your buddy located?
A friend of mine has a shop in Ventura and he recently did my guards and paint correct, ppf and ceramic coat on my 993 and it came out awesome. His shop can definitely remove the guards and spot repair that paint chip. It's called Colbern's Detailing in Ventura CA
I've seen them spot repair paint on other cars and blend it in to the point you can't ever tell it was damaged in the first place
Once you feather out the edges of that chip it will be larger than the stone guard. Certainly, they can spot repair the area, but it is very unlikely that it won’t be noticeable. I’d take it to the best paint shop in your area and ask for their advice. Very sad to see your buddy’s car damaged like that.
Terrible result......The shop must have rushed it to do that to the paint, and steamer was not the right tool - I used a hairdryer to take off my original painted guards and a rubber spatula - it came off in very small pieces and took a few hours also using adhesive remover by 3M as I removed pieces.............
I would spray paint the area after sanding the edges of the chip a bit and the film will cover it.....
With new film changed more often, the whole guard just peels off with heat and adhesive remover......in one piece.........
I replace mine every 7-9 years or so factoring in that I am on my second set of new clear guards by Clearmask - $ 44 cost after the OEMs
If the 212 degree from steam works, then great. But if it doesn't, then you need more temperature. If you live in Colorado, the situation gets worse as you will max out at 202 degrees. Most everyone already has a heat gun, but not so much for a steamer. Go slow and when the adhesive starts to soften, use plastic razor blades to remove it.
On another note, What is the paint thickness in the picture? It looks a lot thicker than 4 or 5 mils which is the factory thickness. Could it be an area that has repainted? The original paint would not do that , at least not without some caveman technique.
On another, another note, Colbern is down the street from Me.
My buddy is actually in the Dallas /Ft Worth area. I suspected the same. I will have him take a paint meter to the area. Any recommendations in that area would be great appreciated. Thank you
Steam is definitely the tool of choice for us when removing 993 stone guards…true that heat is desired, but not enough to heat up paint and soften that too
steam, plastic razor blade, and A LOT of patience and slow movements
the area where paint came off CAN be spot blended by a really good paint shop, but to get back to OEM appearance and long-term durability, it should be repainted completely
we always mentally prepare our clients for a repaint as the process of removing old stone guards is high risk and all you can do is slightly move the odds in your favor by knowing how removal is suppose to feel
experience is key, but removing paint happens to the best of us every now and then
__________________ Specializing in Porsche/Ferrari since 1995
07-12-2018, 01:14 AM
