Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax To Armourfend, or not to Armourfend...

...that is the question...

when I first specced my car, I chose to have it Armourfended (or paint protected) from the factory; however, after speaking with Ben (from Auto Details), I wondered if it's the right choice?

Ben expressed some concerns about covering the paint prior to it having time to breathe and allow all the chemicals to evaporate. This makes a lot of sense and while Ben did say he wasn't 100% on this, it is a good point to consider (even with the paint being water based)

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or experience?

[because of the engine delays, I have a few weeks to decide one way or the other...]

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

My CSL was armourfended within a few days of being delivered and 3 years on it's still fine.

How long after being painted will the Aero8 be delivered?

It would have the Armourfend applied at the factory

And, I was told the Morgan's aren't baked as hot as normal paint in the oven (due to the use of ash in the car) and thus the paint actually takes 6-months to totally cure (this was mentioned because I was told you shouldn't polish it within that time due to the softness of the paint).


Not really sure what to do <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Surely if the Armourfend is applied at the factory then Morgan must be satisfied that it doesn't harm the paint?

I had my bumper resprayed and then armourfend re-applied within a few days, which again has been fine. I'm sure a bodyshop doesn't bake the paint as much as a factory..

Ok, having had a dig at this forum over on Pistonheads I came over as promised to have a look <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> and felt I had to contribute! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have just literally spoken to the factory this pm over removing the armourfend on my car to be told (not by the service department at this stage I might add!) that to remove it may well remove some paint!! It has happened previously, and not that rarely! This is also the response that I got from Armourfend!

I have however been re-assured that you can polish scratches out!

My feelings? Why put it on if you cant remove it after a period to reveal clean chip/scratch free paint? Might as well leave it unprotected and put the

[quote]My feelings? Why put it on if you cant remove it after a period to reveal clean chip/scratch free paint? Might as well leave it unprotected and put the

My view, as I expressed to Simon the other day, is this:

Morgan say not to polish the paint within six months of taking delivery of the car as, due to them not being able to bake the cars at such high temperatures, the paint need that time to cure and is therefore softer than normal.

This is a fair statement, but when paint cures it also 'de-gasses' - basically meaning the solvents evaporate off through the paint. The baking process accelerates this de-gassing which is why you can wax a regular factory built car as soon as it

I have considered Armourfending several times, but decided against, as the examples I have seen, seem to discolour over time, and no matter how well they try to line it up with a panel edge it always seems to stand out. Also the edge attracts the dirt and can even lift, making the front look far worse than a few stone chips.

Even if none of that were true, in light of what Ben says then I definitely wouldn

Well I have an opposing view. The armourfend that I had applied to my car 3 years ago, still looks great, hasn't yellowed and doesn't look grubby around the edges (try cleaning it with a cotton bud). I have used it on 3 cars now in the past 6 years and have never regretted it. I wouldn't bother on an SUV, but on a lower down sporting car it makes sense.

But let's presume you judge that the

Any tips on cleaning the polish from the edges, Brian had armourfend or something simular fitted to The Green Dragon and the edges are caked with polish.

I for one would not fit it except on the running boards to protect against shoes.

Ben? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

A quick detail spray with a small brush is what you need. Personally I use Meguiar's Last Touch detailer with a Meguiar's Triple Duty Detail Brush, but if you don't want to buy a US gallon of the stuff, the retail line Quik Detailer is perfectly adequate.



www.cleanandshiny.co.uk is where I get all my kit from, but the retail line of Meguiar's products is now available at most Halfords.

Ben

Thanks Ben

Have to say that I am definitely not a fan of paint protection film.

It never looks right.

Best to avoid I think.

Robert

on dark paint the film edges show up a lot more than on light colours, MMC demo cars had defendall and on some cars it was better applied than on others. I decided against partly on appearance and also on cost grounds, I wasn't convinced it was vfm

OK, my 2nd post on here.

I'm a big fan of PPF, been using it for 10+ years and all but one application DIY.

I've recently bought a 2000 mile Aero 8 with no film (and no paint chips - yet !) and decided that it was what I wanted. Went to the local pro application guy (who is very good) and asked about him doing it. He initially was keen but then declined after speaking with his pre cut film supplier (Profilm). Apparently each car is slightly different and the shapes make it a bear to do - his supplier suggested buying 3 kits to allow for wastage.

I'm the sort of chap that takes this sort of thing as a challenge. Stage one was to get the "dealer only" film. Not too difficult when I bought it through my classic car parts business - It comes on a 1500mm wide roll at £78 per running meter. I bought 4 meters and there's about 20% left.

Fitting it (Just my personal thoughts / advice)

- Get the "Pro" grade film, it looks better, stretches better, sticks better and is easier to apply.
- Get the proper "slip" and "grip" solutions (from the film supplier so they work together properly)
- Use brand new swan morton blades (I use No27's) and change them every 3rd cut (the film squeaks when its cutting cleanly)
- You need a super clean, warm, indoor space with good lighting to stand a chance of a good result (including clean hands !)

As far as the A8 is concerned, there's a broad spread of difficulty. At the easiest end are the running boards, rear quarters (bottom 6" behind the tyre) and the windscreen frame.

At the other end of the spectrum is the front end - wings and bumper ...... these are about as difficult as it gets and I'd say well beyond the range of anyone who has not done this before (many times). The key here is being able to stretch the material (a lot) as it goes on - this enables it to go around corners without the dreaded "fingers" forming.

I'm really pleased with my results. I've managed to cover all the obvious areas and the finish is pretty good (I've seen worse "pro" jobs). At the end of the day, If you're not happy it can be easily peeled off.

Bottom line for me, 3 days work & £350 spent and the car's done to a very reasonable standard ("Pro" was £5500). I've come to the A8 from a McLaren that was 13 years old with full PPF and not a single paint chip. Hoping the MOG will be a similar experience

Bloody hell - i have lots of experience of PPF from the other side (consumer!) and having seen the pro's do it on cars like my old Chimaera i can only imagine how tough the front of the Aero is.

"Well done" just doesn't seem enough.
Congratulations!!

Can you pop up to Yorkshire, one front wing panel on my Roadster needs it's PPF replacing

PPF Is the greatest invention. I have all my cars done inc my wife’s new 911 having a complete cover.

I always use Xpel.

Aero has been covered for years now and is still perfect

I have read elsewhere that there can be insurance issues relative to a claim if the insurer had not been informed that the vehicle in question had PPF over the paintwork at the time the policy was taken out.... Unfortunately I can not remember the exact details, though perhaps worth checking out...?

That may have been on here, on another thread with reference to PPF and in particular Xpel.

This original thread is from a long time ago and relates to when Morgan, via Revolutions in Scotland, were offering an early form of PPF, fitted at the factory. This is back when the vinyl had a tendency to yellow over time; however, with that said, I had it fitted to my Aeromax from new, by Revolutions, and it wore very well and didn't visibly yellow.

Nearly 20-years later, technology has moved on massively and Xpel, in particular, is an exceptional product - especially the 'self healing' element.

However, on your point above, the reason it needs to be declared is that should the vehicle require work, there is a high probability that the vehicle will require the section that required repair having the PPF stripped and then new reapplied post repair. This, of course, increases the cost of the job and therefore, insurance companies want to be made aware if it has been fitted. I'm yet to hear of them upping the premium but they'll always be one case; however, I personally haven't had that issue and standard procedure is to document it and just add it to the policy.

I have a 2005 S2 which was PPF from new. You can see it now which I am fine with as the marks on it shows that it has done a good job.

The Coupe also has it and due to a number of resprays required when we took the car off the factory as ex-demo the replacement of the PPF added a couple of days to each return. I would say it is definitely worth having as it has picked up a few marks which would have otherwise been big divots as can be seen where it is not fitted sadly. The stunning Avus Silver of the car is a soft paint.

I now live in Dartmouth and the seagulls are @**$$*** so I would recommend a roof covering if you have a hardtop. The little s*ds must drink acid as a joke.