Carpokes Porsche Forum

Hi Gang,

One of the jobs I've been putting off since I bought my 944 7 years ago (yeah, I can procrastinate with the best of them), was removing those old stone guards. Well today was the day and I can tell you removing those guards is only slightly better than getting poked in the eye with a stick. I did a lot of investigating from some of the other sites before starting and decided to use the process and tools from some of those sites. Thanks to those folks who entered those posts to the other sites. I did not find a thread on CP. Apologies if it is already here and I missed it.

Tools:
Hair dryer
Plastic razor blade scraper
3M Adhesive Remover 08984

1. Using a hair dryer, I would warm up a section of the guard and slowly work the plastic razor blade under the edge of the guard, slowly peeling off one section at a time. Since the guards are all cracked, I would work off each of the cracked sections then move on to the next. This would leave 90% of the adhesive underneath.
2. Take a clean rag and dip it into the 3M adhesive remover and dab a section of the adhesive then carefully start scraping off the adhesive. You'll have to do a section 2 times and then go back an additional time or two to clean off any remaining adhesive...and there will be some.

To be completely honest, I was a bit concerned about the 3M adhesive remover on 40 year old single-stage lacquer, however the label does say "Will not dissolve or mar automotive paint that has been properly aged." I figured 40 year-old paint was properly aged. In any event, it worked well and as far as I can tell, did not mar or dissolve any of the paint.

I can't emphasize enough this is a slow process. I started around 2:30 and finished around 6:30. I do plan to install new guards. If anyone is planning on doing this and you are in Southern New Hampshire, I have plenty of adhesive remover and a bunch of plastic razors. You are welcome to it.

Great job! Thanks for sharing your process and results - there will be many it will help, I'm sure.

I love the 3M GP adhesive cleaner. I always have one of the friendly red and white quart cans ready when needed. Good stuff and quite useful.

I also appreciate this and will take your advice when I do mine. You're not the only one who procrastinates!

Let us know any tips when you apply the new stone guards...

After a respray, my body shop out them on and their trick was to spray the area with soapy water 1st. Then slide them into the right position and use a plastic edge to squeeze out the water.
In a different car recently, I used meguiars quick detail spray instead of soapy water and got good results.

I used the soapy water method myself. Worked great.

I should also mention I used the squeegee to remove any excess water and bubbles under the new guards. The squeegee I purchased has a side with felt that allows you to put some pressure on the new guard without damaging it.

Could I get those pictures to be any larger? Sorry about that guys.

Really impressive job! I'd be scared to death to do that. I had a 2006 997 Cab that had cracked guards, but I never replaced them before I sold it.

Replaced it with a 2017 Targa 4S and got clear bra installed, including removal of the stone guards and reapplied with the clear bra. Looks great with no stress!

clarkrandall wrote: Fri Oct 06, 2023 3:59 pm Really impressive job! I'd be scared to death to do that. I had a 2006 997 Cab that had cracked guards, but I never replaced them before I sold it.

Replaced it with a 2017 Targa 4S and got clear bra installed, including removal of the stone guards and reapplied with the clear bra. Looks great with no stress!

Thanks for posting your take on that and welcome to Carpokes!

If you're at all concerned about harsh chemicals damaging your paint trying to remove adhesive residue, I've used "Rapid Remover" for years in my business removing large decals from the sides of vehicles and trailers of all makes and models. It's citrus based and actually works "rapidly." Instructions say to spray it on and let it set for 60 seconds. If the residue is light, it will wipe off easily just using a microfiber cloth. Otherwise, it might take a couple sessions using the plastic razor blades mentioned above. Finish off with a 10% alcohol/water mixture. You'll be pleasantly surprised! Available at several places online, like Amazon, and carried in some stores. A quart bottle will go a looooong way!

An industrial steamer works even better than a heat gun. It heats the film quicker, and the paint less. I use a Vapacore Amica to remove stone guards, clear bra, etc. Heat alone doesn’t seem to work as well as steam. In any case, be careful. Old films tend to want to pull a bit of clearcoat when they come off. You don’t want to be pulling in tension away from the surface. Keeping the adhesive in shear ( parallel to paint surface) reduces the risk a lot.