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Still no one who has driven both the rear SSK and the inside SSK?!?!?! Someone at B&M must have. Does the inside kit also feel unbalanced? Searching for the elusive driver who can set this record straight...

After all my checking,... Too funny! But, I certainly know how that goes. I also understand how you feel about overdoing it with the film. There's an accessory package available for the Cab that covers the A-Pillers, but I couldn't even consider that. The thing that absolutely sold me on the kit is the way it saved my hood, so it's the full frontal for me.

Here is some information I gathered about a year ago when I investigated this issue. Apparently, it makes quite a difference which film you use, and caution dictates a professional installation. Kim 2000 Cab Kim: Sounds like you decided to go with the Venture, how does it look a year later? I need to find out what was on my car. The job was done several years ago and it still looked pretty much like new. No yellowing, shrinking or cracking at all. The kit on my car had two pieces protecting the fender, one on either side of the headlight. Most of the kits I've seen have a single piece of film wrapping around the top of the headlight. Which do you have? Do you know the length of film on your bonnet? I understand it is available 12, 18 or 24 inches. Any thoughts on how long is long enough? I like the idea of protecting the paint, but I also prefer the look of the car without the film. It's a tough call deciding how much to cover. Thanks for chiming in. ix ix vi

Hi Don: From what I can tell from your photos, my kit looked very much like yours. Same swooping line across the hood. My car is Ocean Blue, it looks just as unobtrusive as it does on the Silver. The kit really is pretty spectacular, and there's no doubt it works. I think it's just incredible that your acquaintance had a rock hit the car hard enough to cause a dimple in the bumper cover, but the film was still able to protect the paint. I believe that the bumper covers can be restored to factory shape with the use of a hair dryer. You might want to double check that with a qualified body mechanic. The gouge to the film on my hood was pretty substantial as well. Certainly would have left a ding and a chip, but the film absorbed the impact, tore just a bit, but there was not a mark to the paint! Coincidentally, I just got off the phone with the local 3M certified installer. He's going to get back to me with an installed price, he's checking on all of the precut options for me. Said it was about a 4 - 5 hour job! This clear guard thing is getting crazy! There's a piece available now to go around the A pillar of a Cabriolet! Guy was telling me they just did a vintage Jag XJ220. They custom cut and covered the ENTIRE CAR!!! He was telling me the owner said it was a chip magnet (at first, I thought he ssaid a chick magnet! Which I'm sure it is.) He just got back to me, said $670. Little high, but not too bad. If he's so good that people are flying him around the country to do the work, he's worth the extra $100. I'll let you all know when the job's done.

Ok... I think I hit the information jackpot. After reading your two posts last night, I did a Google search for 3M Clear Bra. It returned (at least) 10 pages of results, but I barely got thru the first page. I found availability from several different retailers that sell the kit as a whole, or in parts; read an informative article on the subject that was in R&T; got directed to a current thread in Autobahn.com that included a post from a gentleman who deals with the product professionally every day; a link to the appropriate section of 3M's site that includes a list of authorized local installers; and more. I was particularly excited to see that they are available in slightly different shapes. Mine had two pieces around the headlights whereas the factory package has one big piece that wraps around the top of the headlight. That's how the guys at Porsche knew I didn't have a factory kit. Apparently, the OEM kit is available complete only, so you can't replace just one piece. AND, it's $1200!!! The kits I found vary from about $350 to about $600, depending on the cutter/retailer. Mine wore incredibly well. I bought the car in April of '05 and believe the original owner had the kit installed when he bought the car new in the late spring of 2000. I think the talent of the installer is to be credited for the longevity of the set. I read last night that the 3M product (2 other companies also make the film) is guaranteed for 5 years and expected to last for 7. I got wax build up around the film, which was pretty easy to control, but I never saw a black line attributable to dirt deposits. When I bought the car, there was a good size ding, small gouge really, in the bonnet protector and not a mark in the paint. I was sold on the stuff immediately, before I as much as put a mile on the car! Since the kit is 5 or 6 years old, I'm going to replace the whole thing. From what I read, seems 3M has recently released gen V of the product, which has several improvements. My body mechanic said he wanted to wait at least a month before applying the kit, which gave me this time to do a little research. On the other hand, I don't want to drive the car until it's reinstalled. The DMV and Dept of Public Works use salt and sand extensively around here at this time of year and I'll have a heart attack if I damage the paint before the new kit's put on. Thanks to you both for your input. I hope you, and anyone else intereted in the subject, find the google search as productive as I did. ix ix vi

Hi Gas-Man: I looked for a thread discussing this issue before I posted my question, but couldn't find one. I'd appreciate you pointing me to it, if you know how it can be found. I think the product is referred to by several names, like clear armor, clear bra, like you mentioned, gravel guard, etc, etc. The kit I had on mine included a couple of pieces around the headlights that seemed pretty practical to me. Especially the one on the inside, next to the hood. I agree with you and will have mine reinstalled professionally, as well. Where did you find this 3M product? Did you buy it seperately and give it to a body shop to install, or did you buy the kit from the shop directly? Thanks for your input. ix ix vi

Hi Happy: Yup, I forgot about the mirrors. Is your kit the factory Porsche product? I'll be looking forward to seeing your photos when they're available. ix ix vi

Hi Richard: You're right, those are known as mud flaps, or splash guards. And I would agree, they don't look terribly intrusive. But, what I'm referring to by gravel guards is a custom cut set of clear something or other (vinyl, plastic, etc.) that is applied to the front of the car on the bumper cover, about the first third of the hood, behind the wheel well and around the headlights. They are designed to stop road rocks, etc from damaging the finish, like a bra, but are nearly invisible. My car had an aftermarket set, but I don't know where they came from. The OEM kit is $1200, which I think is ludicrous. I will check with Mid America to see if they have what I need, but still welcome thoughts and suggestions on the issue. Thanks for your input, Richard. ix ix vi

Folks: Needed some minor body work to my 2000 C2 Cab which required the removal of a few pieces of an existing gravel guard kit. I bought the car with the kit, consequently, I'm unaware of it's origins. My local Porsche dealer, who arranged for the repairs, noted that the kit was not OEM Porsche, so I can't easily match the shape of the remaining pieces. I'm wondering if anyone, or maybe a bunch of anyones, has experience with gravel guard kits and could recommend something they liked that was reasonably priced. If not, any ideas where I might start poking around? Thanks in advance for your input and suggetions. ix ix vi

Hi GCP: Thanks and congratulations for an excellent job documenting the task. I have a short shifter on my short list of mods for this upcoming season. (For you southern boys, and girls, we have a driving season up here in the north for our "good" cars!) Any comments at all regarding the performance/feel of the rear shifter as opposed to the inside shifter. Specualtions welcome. The only one I've driven was an inside shifter, official factory Porsche mod, and the shaft is shorter. I'm having a hard time imagining how the shifter might feel having the standard length but a shorter throw. Of course, this might all be moot if you can't get one. ix ix vi