Appendix “F”: Replacing the rear wheel arch protective Stone Guard film

Appendix “F”:

Purchased:

• Non-marring plastic chisel-shaped scraper set at Harbor Freight;
  

• A small $15 800w handheld clothing steamer and;
  

• A can of automotive spray 3M Adhesive Remover.

• I already had a clean cotton rag on hand.

• Had some tracing paper on hand around the house

• A small $6 roll of clear or matt black replacement protection film - eBay

• First thing tape some tracing paper over one of the existing guards and make a template for a replacement;

• Use the template and scissors or razor blade to fabricate a replacement guard. Keep in mind that if the left & right guards don't exactly mirror in shape no one will ever notice as they are on opposite sides of the car.;
• Also if the new guards are not quite the same shape as the originals it seems to not matter much as long as the curve in them matches the body shape of the wheel well opening and the corners have a smooth rounded edge.
• If you prefer to buy precut film Clear Mask is an economical alternative.

Removing the old plastic protection film sheeting:

• Steaming the old guard just ahead of the non-marring chisel allowed the removal of the plastic by shaving it off in strips;

• Then quickly and lightly scraping over the just shaved section picked up a lot of small plastic bits that were left behind;

After removing the plastic there remained a film of adhesive;

• I removed the adhesive using the 3M spray adhesive remover. It requiring a few initial coats to soften it up and then shaving it up in sections as I did the plastic above;

• I wet down the area with the 3M spray one last time in small sections before running the chisel over it picking up the adhesive.

• Then wipe down the entire area with a cotton rag will reveal small patches of missed adhesive.

• Using the 3M spray with the non-marring chisel I worked in sections removing all the remaining adhesive.

The job took about an hour.  

Applying the new film:

• Wait a while for the solvent to fully evaporate  before applying the new film;
• Use a spray bottle with water and a very little wetting agent or dish detergent to wet down the side of the car while applying the new plastic sheet. This will allow the new guard to float around for positioning; 
• Push any air bubbles out to the edge of the film; 
• If after the fact you notice a bubble or two trapped under the film use a pin to prick the plastic to release them;
• A very easy job and I still have lots of extra film for future use.

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