Transparent Paint Protection Film - Tips / Maintenance

We would like to make available some information about paint protection film, some tips on maintenance and how to search out professional dealers for the Rennlist community. As quality of film makes a tremendous difference in the way it looks after an installation, it is only one of three ingredients for a "clear" install. The 2nd would be the installation quality and third is the design of the clear bra kits. For the 6 years we have been in the paint protection film industry, we have used and tested every single film manufacturer on the market. Below are our opinions of each: Films on the Market: 3M - 1st generation film had many fading issues, which prompted an upgrade in early 2004. The film still uses the same urethane, but a clearer adhesive. The old film also received many complaints about "orange peel" texture that made the film very visible on darker colored vehicles. 3M's new film is clearer, but is still behind in strength and clarity. 5 Yr Warranty Avery - Film generally fades w/in 1yr and customer service is poor. The company has all, but fall off the face of the paint protection industry. Clearshield - Film's quality is very similar to 3M's 1st generation film, if not the same. Tends to yellow and crack in 2-3 yrs. Similar to 3M's 1st gen film, 90% of the adhesives will remain on paint when film is removed. 5 Year Warranty. Llumar (CP Films) is one of the clearer films on the market. Customer service is lacking and company tends to work warranty claims based on the small prints. Film's quality does not reject environmental oxidation, bird droppings, and other chemicals as well as 3M and Venture. Lifetime Warranty Venture - film's clarity along w/ its patented acrylic adhesives make it the clearer film. Excellent customer service and film looks great on all colors - even black. Lifetime Warranty INSTALLATION & SOFTWARE DESIGN Film's quality is only as good as the installation. Searching out a good installer is not an easy task as many companies make outrageous claims of experience and expertise. The most important thing is to see what type of coverage you will get and whether or not it will be in one piece especially for the front bumper. Companies that use 1 piece for bumpers are generally more skilled at paint protection film installations, while software designers such as Clearshield, Invicashield, and Stongard created these kits for those DIYers in mind. Below are some tips to searching out good installers: -what type of software do they use. This will dictate their skill level as companies utilizing the 3 softwares above are used to having these kits come in multiple pieces for ease of installation. -how detailed oriented are they........you will have to pick up these little signs while talking with the company or installer -how long have they been installing paint protection -are they certified? although certification is not a pre-req for being a professional installer, it does show that they received some type of training. -can they do custom work with one piece of film. This is generally meant for those with aftermarket bumpers or would like to have certain areas wrapped that is not computer generated designs. -if they do custom work, do they cut on the vehicle? When we do any type of custom work, a template is designed for the vehicle and then cut out on a drawing board. This will reduce the chance of cutting on the paint to 0. -Ask to see if they use a heat gun to "soften" the material during installation. This is often a technique used by those not familiar w/ proper stretching of material..........this goes back to experience -Take a look at their work or better yet, ask the locals about their reputation. FAQ 1. Will it yellow, bubble or crack over time? Depends on the film (Venture comes with a Lifetime Warranty from yellowing, bubbling, and cracking) 2. Can it be washed and waxed? Yes, to maintain the film, it is meant to be waxed and washed 2 wks after installation. 3. When my car gets dirty, the line on the hood is more visible. What can I do about it? Wash the vehicle and use a wet q-tip and run it along the edge and this will clean up the dirt or wax build-up 4. If I ever remove the film, will there be a two-tone effect? No, 3m & Venture are UV stable and allow the rays to penetrate; therefore, there will not be any 2-toning if film is ever removed. 5. Would the paint get stripped if I remove the film after a few yrs? The film is paint-safe on OEM paint. 6. Can I repaint my bumper and put a film on right away? Yes, you can, but you risk having the paint get pulled off if it is removed later. The recommended new paint curing time is 30-60 days before clear bra application 7. From my local clear bra installer, Venture is easy to install. Well yes and no. Yes, it is easier to install due to its elasticity, but that doesn't mean the quality of install will be ideal. In actuality, the film is more difficult to work with to bring out a truly invisible installation because the film is so clear.........it does not hide any type of installation flaw. While companies like 3m, Clearshield and Avery has some orange peel texture, it helps hide some of the installation imperfections. 8. Why do you charge more than these other guys? Our company was founded with one idea in mind - "Perfection is Our Standard". We truly believe that you get what you pay for and we provide our clientele with excellence in installation, warranty, and service. 9. How long does it take to install a full kit? We are typically done with the actual installation between 1.5-2.5 hrs for a full kit. The standard in this industry goes anywhere from 4 hrs to 6hrs. 10. I don't like to see the line on the hood, can you cover the entire hood? Yes, we can. We are one of several companies in the U.S. that has film large enough to wrap entire hoods as well as entire panels. Hopefully, this thread will be helpful for those wondering about getting a clear bra for your vehicles. Our company is exclusively mobile and can travel to anywhere in the world (except for the Middle East ) for group buys. If anyone is interested in setting up a group buy for your area or would like a quote, please feel free to email us at: [email removed] or call us directly at [phone removed]. -we reply to all of our email inquiries within 24hrs.

And an average cost of installation would be...?

Pricing will range from $650-$825.....depends on the amount of coverage and type of vehicle

How effective is this film and will it be of any use on the track? What do you recommend for track use? If I could arrange for a "club" price during a PCA track event what kind of numbers do you need to make it work? What might be the cost for groups of 10, 20 , 30 , 40 and so on?

We actually have some cars that we will be sponsoring for track events and will be documenting it with video and digital cams. The next car we will be wrapping for the track will be at Laguna Seca this late February. Our new website will be up in about a month and all documentation will be up for everyone to view. As for how well it holds up to rock chips, the film is very resistant to scrapes and chips. There was a recent lab test done by an independent lab between the Venture and its major competitor (3M). The film was exposed to UV rays and then sandblasted by machinery. Venture held up better than 3M in this test as far as protecting the surface and yellowing issues. However, everyone should keep in mind that any film on the market will protect the paint surfaces from road debris. All films will have its limitations and is not "perfect". vyper340 - will pm you for more information. Thank you. Best, Premier Team

As some additional information, the test in question between 3M and Venture was conducted by an independent lab, but the test was paid for by Venture and done at Venture's request. Much like Microsoft hiring an independent analyst to tell everyone that Windows is better than Linux. Premier is correct that all films have their limits and films will vary in response to the environment they are exposed to, as such try to compare films on cars that have taken a similar beating to what you expect to put yours through and which were both installed by reputable installers. Premier is among the many reputable installers available across the country, so simply do your research into installers and make a choice.