Front Clam Respray

[chumaxa]

Hi guys, I am thinking of getting the front clam resprayed, next year or winter I assume. There is some stonechips as maybe some of you noticed at the stoneleigh kit car show, and it did not get better as I took the car to Lemans and home in normandy, and my favorite countryside B roads ....

 

So have guys done it ? and more important, a rough idea of the price for that .... I know that getting front reprayed is sometime criticised beacause next owner can think it is because of damages, but I will make a file with pictures and details in case ... 

[Guest]

Post some images up so we can have a look! I've had two front clams painted over the years, i am fussy and wouldn't accept anything less than factory standard. The last Elise i had ended up needing a new front clam and was painted three times before i was happy. I saw the car four years later and it looked as good as when i had it first done!

[TimSportsTourer]

When I first got my Elise, I had the front end resprayed and then Armorfend over the top. I guess these days, it would be Ventureshield, but it did keep it looking good, and the stone-chips didn't return. It cost much less than the paint-job too, IIRC.

[jonnyfox]

I paid £350+vat or maybe slightly more from memory. I paid less when I removed it myself and popped it back on. Although more expensive than the paint job itself Armourfend was and excellent purchase, the whole front cost about £700 I think to cover, it worked a treat. I'll definitely be getting the S1 done when finished.

[Dennis]

Post some images up so we can have a look! I've had two front clams painted over the years, i am fussy and wouldn't accept anything less than factory standard!

  well that is not very good based on what I have seen coming out of the factory over the years

 

When I first got my Elise, I had the front end resprayed and then Armorfend over the top. I guess these days, it would be Ventureshield, but it did keep it looking good, and the stone-chips didn't return. It cost much less than the paint-job too, IIRC.

You are having a laugh re the cost of the films, after having mine completely resprayed I looked to venture sheild, the nose, and factory rear arch protection was about £1500!!!!! I did not bother.

 

I had armourfend on the front of mine when I had the 21 way flip due to the cost of the paint and issues with blowing in etc. However I got chips beyond the film edge and holes through the film, yes there would have been more without the film nut the end result wax I still need to repaint and so would have to take the film off and bin it.

 

Also remember on a standard finish having the film means that you can not carry out any small repairs within 12 of the film without removing the film so if you get a nasty chip without the film you could have got if fixed for say £200 now you have to wrap off the film and then fix and then spend £x00 on the film doing refitted.

 

Then there are the edges that people will always point out to you GGRRRRRRRRRR!!!

 

Due to the above I did not bother with the armourfend when I got the new flip a couple of years back, yes I have had chips but I just touched up the worst (others tend not to notice the tiny ones), I will get the car painted soon to loose the chips but this will be all the chips including the ones outside where the film would have been and I will still have some £'s left over the cost of the film (where I would have still had the annoying outside the film chips)

 

So if you hadn't already worked it out my advice is do not bother with the film and save the cash for a freshen up in x years time

[DanP]

My s2 has got a plastic film, of unknown brand, and maybe OE, in front of the rear wheel arches - I'm sure there are a lot of stones that get flicked up by the front wheel that end up hitting that area. It is looking very tatty now, and I wonder if it would be good to replacing it or better just to remove it.

[chumaxa]

Yes, I have got the same thought about the film, it does cost twice, I do not really see the point, specially that the front does look better without the film, even if the one aside the side vent does not bother me  ... And I am not using it much now, so the stoneship effect will be limited. That will be a matter of a good place wit ha fair price I guess now, I do not have the logistic to take on and off the front clam shell, so they have to be able to do that as well.

[cjwjames]

I had the front stone chips ( very minor but I'm ocd ) done on my front clam last year just below the seem line where the badge sits and below and Frank at option one did a perfect job ....with regards to protection I didn't bother with the front nose becaurse of cost ( cheeper to have the chips done ).but I had all the rear cill flank protection and around the doors done in venturshield as the oe was looking yellowish ! by a company called Tony James designs and he used to work for 3 m ventureshield development team he is also mobile so will come to you he has a cad on board and auto plotter / cutter so can do what you want over and above oe check out his website

[Smithy16]

cjwjames's . What sort of cost would I be looking at from Option One ?

[chumaxa]

Ok, I will contact Option 1 as a start, on mine, I need to respray until the grill of the radiator, there is quite a lot of stone chips around the logo, up to the grill then. I have the film next to the rear wheels, it is not a problem so far let's say.

[chumaxa]

Hi guys, I taking this thread back from death, I found this bodyshop very local to me, have you heard of it ? Their portfolio looks good ... 

[Jumpjet]

_{Had mine done earlier this summer at a place in Chesterfield.} 

 

 

_{The cost was £540, but that was just for the clam. This also included filling in the old number plate mount holes in order to get a fully smooth front end. When I got home I noticed the bonnet was slightly lighter than the freshly painted clam so took it back and got the bonnet painted with the same paint they'd mixed for the clam - cost me another £100.}

 

_{So all in all, £640 inclusive of VAT.}

 

_{On the subject of Armourfend, mine was done by the previous owner quite early in its life. It didn't look good at all and it couldn't prevent this:}

 

 

_{I've priced up having it done again and the estimates are in the region of £450.}

 

_{I'm still debating whether to get it re-done, as the cost is not that far off that of a full clam re-spray.}

[The Cakes]

Where in Chestefield, out of interest?

[Jumpjet]

This place:

 

Cosmetic Repair Soltutions Ltd

Sheffield Road

Sheepbridge

Chesterfield

S41 8NQ

 

They were recommended to me by the service manager from the Honda dealership in Sheffield. Do a lot of high end stuff and classics.

[The Cakes]

Ok thanks for that.