Talk Morgan Forums Thread Like Summary - 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...]

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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