JP4

Expel uses a 3M product...if I understand your question correctly.

Ebony27

My question was has anyone compared Stonegard with Expel/3M?

ChrisS -2008 A6-4.2

I think you will find that StoneGuard is a franchise business which happens to use 3M products. I have no experience with Expel but it's likely that uses exactly the same stuff too.

If you think about it, there are only a few companies out there large enough
to develop, test, and produce this kind of stuff at a prices most of us can afford. 3m, GE plastics, Dow, Monsanto and a few others are likely manufacturers..
No way could corporate "StoneGuard" pull this off! (IMHO)

That suggests that StoneGuard, Inc. is a pretty slick marketing package designed to fill a specific automotive after-market niche using readily available tested, and mass produced materials.

I happened to see the Stoneguard software package in operation when getting a quote for my A6. There is a search engine which asks for year, make and model. Once entered, the kits for the specific vehicle is (complete set of line drawing of the individual pieces) displayed on screen along with retail prices, labor costs, jobber prices and so on. (Bet they wished I didn't see that)

An answer to a carefully phrased question about delivery confirmed my hunch that the Stoneguard software package also contains system drivers that control a jumbo sized X/Y plotter which feeds and precision cuts individual components from a large roll of 3M material.

So, what do I make of all of this! Prices are high now, but likely to come down as more competition enters the market.

I'd be willing to live with the line on the hood, but can anybody tell me if the paint underneath will be stable in 3 years of so when the plastic has to come off?

JP4

Ah....I understand now. I haven't seen any data on Stonegard.