Stone Guards

Bish Wheeler · #1 (**permalink**) 11-22-2001, 12:09 PM

Between other winter projects I am touching up "numerous" rock chips,.... numerous! I've been meaning to get stone guards applied at the critical places. Those of you who have been to my place know the problem, for those who have not been here, think "Country Roads". Some of you guys have a clear, tough plastic guard which I think is called "Stonegard" or something like that. The question is; Where do I get this stuff? Does it come in big rolls or can you get it "ready made". Is it self adhesive. Any info and/or advice you can pass on will be greatly appreciated.

Hope ya all have a happy Turkey day.

Bish

dana · #2 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 06:46 AM

I found through this forum a company called xpel. (www.xpel.com).
They sell complete front kits, stone guard for infront of the rear wheels and headlights guards.
The complete front kits look like they would need to be professionally installed. The others most people could do.
Their site has professional installers listed on site when you tell them where you are located.
I ordered 2" for around the rear (for the soft top marks I am getting on the rear deck) and 4" for on top of the door for the "curious" who lean on the door, and their zippers.
They sell kits and by the foot in many sizes.
Good luck.
Dana

Zderf · #3 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 02:31 PM

Bish,

Here's the stuff most folks are using which is a 3M product:

http://www.invinca-shield.com/main.htm

I can't speak for it cuz I haven't tried it. I understand its spendy, and kinda tuff to install properly the 1st time.

let me know what you come up with...

(P.S. Hows the virus coming along??? YIKES!!!)

Zderf

Bish Wheeler · #4 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 04:41 PM

Thanks guys. I t appears that as usual, nothing is simple or cheap. I saw some brushed stainles steel (I think they were SS) rear fender guards in the header on Cobra Forum for $55.00. The fender guards are all I really want. I don't think I want to get into wrapping the entire car in "Saran Wrap".

Zderf,

Sorry about the Virus. It didn't hurt me at all, it just sent a bunch of gobbledeegook to gawd knows how many people. My Norton anti virus thing, caught it and shut the computer down then isolated the critter. As you can imagine, I have scanned everthing but my shorts for a Virus and except for the isolated one I am clean.

Spending the weekend building a car for a major race. My grandson's Pinewood Derby is next Tuesday night and I am the designated builder. I worry more about this thing than I ever do about the Cobra. Guess I'll put a Ford in this one.

Hope you had a nice T-Giving. See you soon.

Bish

M & M · #5 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 05:41 PM

Bish,

I am a newbie here. I saw your post regarding the Pinewood Derby. Have you ever built a car before? There used to be a couple of good web sites which gave some speed tips. I don't have the link anymore but a search should find them, that's how I did. Also, I would be happy to send you a copy of the best tips I found off one of the sites, I copied them for future reference. Worked well for me (ops, I mean my son! hehe), we took 3rd overall in the pack and that was with an axle that went bad in the last round!

Good Luck!

Bish Wheeler · #6 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 10:04 PM

M&M,

Yeah, the reason I got the job is because I have done this a few times. We get pretty elaborate with the air brush and have a lot of fun. Two years ago my now 11 y.o. son and I finished 2nd, so it seemed natural that my grandson wants a piece of the action. As I discovered, through trial and error, the secret of success is the axles, wheel ballance, total wt. (exactly 5 oz.) and ballast placement. Aside from my passion for the Cobra I am a modeler (R.C. giant scale aircraft) so this is really fun.

Cheers, Bish

M & M · #7 (**permalink**) 11-23-2001, 10:44 PM

Go get'm man!

You got the idea!

Don't forget the mini nitro bottle! (That's the one in your coat pocket for the celebration!)

TheShadow · #8 (**permalink**) 11-24-2001, 03:31 AM

Bish,

My son and I went overboard with pinewood derby racing. Built our own track. Won pack and District three years straight. The shape of the car has little to do with winning. You can graphite the wheels, have the coolest paint, and 5 oz. but if the car will not track straight for the first 10 feet it hard to win at the district level.
If you have a basic track build two cars. Take the faster car and tune it using the slower one to compare against until you can't get the faster car any faster. Now you can try to get the other car to run faster.
I was going to set up the track with a computer but never had time to do this so I used this two car method so I could tell if the change to the wheels and weights were helping.
Next to tracking straight, most important is the location of the weights and the surface of the nail head where the the wheels rub. It will have a ridge that needs to be honed off and polished.
You want the wheels tuned so they move out when the car roles forward not rub the wood body.
There are more tips to improve the car but I will list one more that is important. Do not let anyone handle the car but your son.
And teach him to set the car up at the start with the wheels off the body of the car and not touching the guide strip on the track.

I said we went overboard and this is getting off topic so good luck and have "fun"

Your friend, Ed

Zderf · #9 (**permalink**) 11-26-2001, 10:09 AM

Bish,

I want to know how those stainless units work... I'm thinking I might do the same. Please keep me posted.

Best Regards,

Zderf

Bish Wheeler · #10 (**permalink**) 11-26-2001, 04:51 PM

Zderf

I have ordered the S.S. stone guards from Laser Stencils Inc. www.laserstencilsinc.com . I ordered the model with the word COBRA on them, but not the ones with the snake. They look pretty easy to apply, I'll keep you posted.

Bish

Hey Brent,

How come the url doesn't lite up on the post? Am I doing something wrong?

Never mind, my bad, I had it in parenthesis.

Bish Wheeler · #11 (**permalink**) 12-21-2001, 11:43 PM

Well I got the stone guards from Laser Stencil Inc. They are just fine except that, as is sometimes the case, I didn't do enough research. Turns out these guards will fit a FFR just great, but they are not right for the shape of my car. So, any body out there with a FFR who would like a nice set of stone guards....I got 'em.

I have a client here in town, a sheet metal wizard (he is also building a GT-40), who keeps after me to bring the car over so I think I will and see what he thinks about stone guards. It's gotta be easy, the trick is cutting the SS with out stretching it, Stay tuned!

Bish