Clear paint protection films from an insider. (Long)

I just thought that I would clear up some misconceptions regarding clear paint protection. I have read alot of posts on this board, and being in that industry I thought I would explain some things. I am the sales manager for a large global distributor of paint protection films. We currently carry 3M, Venture Shield and Llumar. I am not trying to sell anything here. I could not sell to any of you even if you wanted to buy from me. We deal in large bulk rolls. I just thought that some industry backround and insite would help all of you make an informed decision regarding this product. First, at the present time there are only two reputable brands of paint protection. 3M and Venture Shield. Avery, Llumar & Clear Shield are the other players, but they are way behind 3M and Venture. There are advantages and disadvantages to both of those brands as well that I will explain below. 3M This is the grandaddy of this industry. They invented the product in the early 1990s to help the US Military prevent erosion of helecopter blades in the first Gulf War. When the helos started in the desert, the sand would literally sand blast the leading edge of the blades. So, this product was developed and applied to the leading edges of those blades and that fixed the problem. For the military, long term appearance did not really matter. So, when this first started to be used on cars it would turn yellow after 2-4 years. Since then, the product has been re-engineered several times in order to maintain the appearance for many years. The product is considered 8 mil thick, however it is really 6 mil with 2 mil of adhesive. The 3M product comes with a clear scratch resistant top coat. This allows the product to be very scratch resistant and seals the pores against staining from insects and dirt. The downside to this hard coat is that it has a slight orange peel look. Venture This product has been out for roughly 6 years and is the up and comer in this industry. The product is very clear and applies much easier than 3M making hard cars and more elaborate kits possible. This product is the only paint protection product that Scuderia Ferrari recognizes and authorizes. This product is also a 8 mil (6 mil material, 2 mil adhesive), but it does not have a hard top coat. The benefit to this is that the product has virtually no orange peel and looks fabulous on the cars. The negative is that with no hard coat it is easier to scratch and stain. Because of this, Venture requires you to clean the car frequently and protect it with a wax or Plexus type product to stay looking good. Many that already take car of their cars very religiously would apprecaite the better looks of the Venture. All that being said, I have 3M on my wife's Touareg and Venture on my 996. Both are great products, it just depends on what you want. I would especially recommend Venture on non-matallic paints though like Guards Red or Speed Yellow. On those types of colors the orange peel of the 3M becomes very noticable. On metallic paints, both 3M and Venture should virtually disappear if installed correctly. Finally, please do not try and install this yourself! This product is very difficult to install well and why would you want your 996 looking less than it's best. You will pay anywhere from $500-$1500 for a good install with either of these films. The range is to take into account amount of coverage and skill of the installer. Do not try and save a dollar here. A bad job is worse than not having it done at all in my opinion.

Great write up. Thanks! k

Good tips, and great insight, however I would never use this type of product, I would much rather repaint my bumper and hood, then use the film. There are Hugh advantages to using the film, but I cant stand the way it looks on the car. This product helps , I'm sure , but i am sure it doesn't stop all chips so then to me there is no point. I am not taking any shots , I am just giving my opinion on this product.

bro this is awesome information that is hard to find. thx for the edumacation. i actually will take durability such as better resistance to staining over a less orange peely look. i have always had 3M on my cars and don't mind if the line shows a bit and you get some organge peel. the car surface is never perfect so i'll take the peace of mind of the 3M. set it and forget it cool

I realy try to maintain factory paint on all my cars for as long as possible. Also, with some metalic paint it becomes near impossible to match. I agree that the lines detract slightly from the look, but if done correctly from 5ft away it disapears. I think the protection it provides is worth the downside.

However, stay away from the other 3 I mentioned at this point. Llumar is making improvements, but they still have some catch up to do. I just saw a sample of their latest product on a Ferrari red today and it looked good. I hope they do get it together. Then I would have all three brands worth a sh** in this market. Maybe I can get that GT3 after all! Just kidding, but I am hopeful.

Do you know anything about this removable spray on peel off product griot's is selling? http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1090&SKU=20264

Some nice information, but I'm with Kilrgt! Afterall the reason for paint on the car is to protect the metal...They all are detectable and repainting is a better option IMHO.

I agree. I gave this a lot of thought too. My color has a bit of color shifting and I felt the mask would not do the same... I could be wrong on that. In the end, I'll just go the repaint route cause I don't like the lines from the mask and it was a used car when I bought it. But you gave some good info that I'll pass on to others, thanks.

It is a great temporary solution for say a long trip or a track event. It will not provide the level of protection that film will, but it is better than nothing for short term protection.

I am glad that I could pass along the info to the board so that everyone can make an educated decision. It is amazing how fast this product catagory is growing though. 5 years ago at SEMA we were hardly visable. Now, many of the show cars have the material on them and there seems to be new competitors every year. The product keeps getting better and better and the triple digit sales growth is nice on my end.

I've had a 3M film on my 996 from day 1 and it has done a stellar job protecting the front end from normal road debris. I has used it on all of my cars except the race car. You're absolutely right on about paying for a good installer. The jobs were tough and took a long time to get right.

What about letting in UV light? Is one product better then the other in this regard? If and when the clear bra comes off will the paint be darker then the rest of the car underneath?

will venture actually look clear on white car?

I think Premier already had this info up about a year ago. It's not what they had orignally posted on here, but it's really helpful info. www.premiermobilegroup.com .

The paint below the material will fade equally with the other paint. There should be no adverse effects in this regard with either product.

The Venture does not have the slight yellow cast of the 3M, so it will look better on white cars.

However, they do not really talk in depth about the different films. Keep in mind that many are trying to sell you something and that skews what they may or may not tell you. I am not saying this about Premier, but be aware that the local installer has a vested interest in convincing you that their film is better. I cannot sell you anything and I carry 3 of the 5 major brands of film. One of the brands I carry (Llumar) I am admitting is not up to par with Venture and 3M. Just trying to give some non-biased educational information. What you do with it is up to you. Just for clarification, Premier seems to be trying to do the right thing by their customers by continuing to evaluate the different brands. I wonder if they would agree with my assesmnent of the films at this present moment.

Thanks for the info!! Great stuff. I have a black 2000 996 that is getting painted as we speak. I will certainly go with the 3m product.

Black tends to show any imperfections created in the installation. With that color in particular, a good installer is as important as anything else. Also, make sure the paint is FULLY cured before having the product installed! If you put the product on paint that is not cured, you risk pulling paint if the product ever needs to be removed.

Actually, the info I was talking about was a thread that they posted about a year ago about the same info, but perhaps a bit more in depth. In any case, it's good to see info like this revived.

In any event, all of the products have underwent major revisions in the past year, so it is good to occasionally review the major players.

Here's a stupid question, if visible lines are a concern, what if film was applied over the entire hood, fenders and mirrors? Why stop there, does anybody apply film to the entire car? I have clear film on my seal grey car and I agree the lines are close to invisible, but I've always wondered whether there were any advantages/disadvantages to covering the whole car (sort of like those folks who put plastic covers on their sofas).

yes, premeir has did full wrap on Enzo and CGT, i mean every inch of it is covered. and premeir (CA) is GOOD.

Hi guys. I guess we should chime in since a couple customers of ours sent us links to this thread. How does it look on white? To be honest, it will automatically cast what we call the "clearcoat" effect - the more clear that is applied on white, the yellower it gets. Once the film is applied to the car, for those with discerning eyes, you will automatically see a tonal difference. This difference is compounded when the car gets dirty or if the film is neglected. What we have been doing with a lot of customers with white vehicles to wrap the entire panel (with the exception of the hood on the 996 / 997 - stops some 3.5"s to the top corners). This way, we eliminate the cutoff line and trick the eyes with the film being covered all the way around the edge. For those who consider the "bra" visible it is because you see a cutoff line.....on any color you will get that. It's the standard in the industry to have half the hood covered along with the fenders. These are precut applications that are designed for professional installers. At the same time, the software manufacturers cannot create kits that are too difficult to install. This is where we have spent much time in custom applications of entire panels to eliminate as many seams as possible, which is why on the 997s & 996s, we would remove the headlamps, fogs, signals, and so on for film to be tucked and hidden. Yes, it is true that many clear bra installations are visible, but there some installers who could make it disappear. For the 997s & 996s, we have perfected our full front fender and full door applications, which eliminate the seams completely. On our new facility's grand opening on April 29th at 43096 Christy St, Fremont, CA 94538, we will be displaying a host of products / services for everyone local to us to see first hand what true custom application looks like. We have 3 Carrera GTs that will be in our facility (two entire covered - yes, 100% and the other just the frontal custom app). Installation is truly the key to blending the film in....after all, it is called "clear" bras. On our April 29th event, we will displaying the following: Automotive Safety Film: 4 or 6 mils film (with solar heat reduction properties) for doors that will provide some protection to occupants in an event of a side impact. With glass on all doors now equipped with tempered glass, on impact the glass will shatter into tiny pieces, which travels at dangerously high speeds. (we will have live displays where some would get a chance to test out the filmed glass how tough it is with a bat) -Paint Protection Film for entire panels: we will demonstrate how it would not only protect the paint from minor road debris, but also see how effective it is in protecting from key marks (vandalism). Yes, those who show up will get a chance to test it out themselves on actual doors and hoods. -Ceramic Nano-film for both automotive / commercial glass. Film blocks off approximately 70% of infrared rays, approximately 50% of heat, while not needing to go dark. At the same time, ceramic film does not affect wireless signals. There are several other lines we will be displaying at our event. In addition, we would also be raffling off some free installations. Come on by rennlisters!

you can do this! it works on a 360 but not on our 996 due to the material size limits. you can get about 3/4 of the hood wrapped.

Actually on the 997s / 996s, 97% of the hood can be covered with 50" rolls.

is it possible to put a clear bra on a car that has Zanio wax on it? Will the Zaino wax be stipped off first, before installation? Premier, I am in So. Cal, can you recommend a shop to get a clear bra installed down here? Do you have any affiliates down here?

"Whatever wax or sealants are used, be sure to not use any type of yellow dyed chemical as it could stain the film......to be safe, use white wax. Zaino can be applied, but most installers would strip it to ensure the film will be sticking properly. You would then apply the chemical onto the film." This was what I was told in an email exchange with Tint Pros here in Sacramento. Premier also said the same when I contacted them.

What's your opinion on Clear Armor ... http://www.cleararmorinc.com/

that they mention what film they use. They use one of the five that I mentioned for sure, but would find out which one. At the present time, I would only use either Venture or 3M products.

Interesting... No comment

delirium, sam at premeir and his crew regularly make visits to LA, just call him up.

Which would look better on a basalt black metallic car? Clearshield or Ventureshield? Any suggestions for installers in Portland, OR? What is a fair price? Thanks!

Wow, I always love information like this, it is very educational. When I am ready to put my project on the road, I was planning to have some type of film applied. Paragon has a kit (3M) that is pre-cut for the full front exposure of the 944: http://www.paragon-products.com/prod...64.011.095.htm This is what I would want, but from what I hear, I will be better off having someone install it. What makes more sense: Buying a pre-cut kit like this and hiring an installer, or, having an installer supply the material as well? I wonder whether that is a good approach given the relative complexity of doing the whole front exposure with all the various cut-outs and such... Thanks! (BTW, if anyone knows of particularly good Toronto area installers, please chime in!)

Ventureshield is clearer than Clearshield, but it is a little more on the maintenance side.....needing to wash / wax it once / month. It really comes down to the installation when deciding to getting ppf installed on the car. Many installers would stress the film, which is important, but do not mention how much actual experience he has......just keep in mind installation is the key....just like window tint.

Great information, thanks. Once you put either of these products on, can they be completely removed without damage to the paint? If so, is that a DIY project or are special solvents needed?

The film can be removed w/o damaging to paint as long as it is O.E. You may have some adhesive leftover, which will take some elbow grease to remove depending on how long it has been on there and which gen film is on there.

Anyone know an excellent installer in the Sarasota/Central FL area?

Premier: I recall seeing a great post by you recently on the topic of clear bras and I've heard good things about your services. I noticed that you rently did a 'road trip' to Southern Cal. Any plans for a road trip to Phoenix? Or can you recommend an excellent installer in Phoenix? Gary

Unfortunately, no plans on heading out your way nor do we know of someone we would feel comfortable referring to you.

I've talked to two Ventureshield installers here in Portland. Autobella touts that they don't "use patterns" and custom cut on the car. He says it takes them about 7 hours to install. Clearbra of Oregon says they use patterns and "don't risk the paint" by cutting on the car. They say it takes them 4-5 hours to install. Prices are both between $900-1000. Any suggestions?

I would like to get windshield protection film installed. I am in Los Angeles area, wondering if anybody down here does that? I live in Inland Valley, the weather has been 100+ everyday for the last month. hope to cut down some heat !!

bellwilliam - windshield protection film would not give you the type of solar control you would get with actual window tint. The protective film is meant to protect the windshield from road debris. Heat rejection is minimal compared to tint. Go with ceramic if you could find someone to do it on your windshield. stearnsn - you should go with a company that performs precut kits unless you are absolutely sure this company is known for custom work. In the past few weeks, we had cars transported to us that had razor blade marks. Even if the company only performs precuts, still be aware.......if the kit is not installed or aligned properly and the installer tries to trim for the fix...and he is not skilled in cutting film on paint, then you're going to get paint damage anyway. The most important thing about ppf is the installers' skill and experience. Good luck!

Patric, thanks for the info. Just picked up a new 997S in Atlanta and both Atlanta dealers use the same guy to do their clear coat. This group uses Avery. They swear by it and said that Venture is having problems. You mentioned that Avery was behind 3M and Venture in your original thread but don't make any further comments. Any further info on Avery? Anyone?

I stand by my initial statement. Avery is still not as good as the other two and it has an issue with staining. I will not bash any of the products, but just call it like I see it.

Patric, Thanks for your very helpful info. The VentureShield web site claims to have higher puncture resistance but it sounds like the 3m Clear Bra is more scratch resistant When all is said and done, which of those two films provides better protection to the car from flying rocks and debris without any maintenance? (I don't care how ugly they look, only how well they protect the underlying paint and body surfaces.) I don't want to clean the films with any special products either. I'm willing to replace the film every few years. When I am ready to sell the car, I want to pull off the shield and have the original surfaces dazzle the buyer. Your candid advice is greatly appreciated!