Transaprent Paint Protection Film Tips / Maintenance / Faqs

[Premier]

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 MB 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 fallen off the face of the paint protection industry. Clearshield - Film's quality is very similar to 3M's 1st generation film. 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. Film's quality does not reject environmental oxidation, bird droppings, and other chemicals as well as 3M and Venture. The film is not OE approved. 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. The film has been tested by Nissan against 3M. The test results showed 3M's film punctured when a 9lb prove was used while Venture's did not break until 20lbs of pressure was applied. Film is approved by Ferrari, Nissan, Infiniti, Dodge, GM and several others. 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 (not so much as the first two) created these kits for the beginner installer. 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? There are two ways of working custom applications: a. Template drawn and designed for the vehicle and plotted on a cutting board. b. Film installed on the car and trimmed on the car. We do use this method quite often and it is highly recommended that the installer know what he is doing when trimming on the car. The technician must be skilled at such trimming because too much pressure will cut into the paint. Although, we do this type of installation very often and have never damaged the paint surface, the general market technicians have yet to be experienced enough to trim on the vehicle and not damage the paint.......... -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...........usage of heat gun to stretch material could easily result in stretch marks forming.............this goes back to experience -Take a look at their work or better yet, ask the locals about their reputation. -Whenever a technician makes outrageous or exaggerated claims such as being the "best".......it would be advised that such claims is not backed by any type of proof or statistics. 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 OE paint safe. 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, they say Venture is easier 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. I have heard that Venture is a cheaper product price wise? Not true, Venture costs about 15% more than 3M. 9. 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. It is easy to make a quick buck in business, but to keep a life-long relationship with our customers is the challenge. We focus on the future and the longevity of our services. 10. 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........there are reports of overnight installs. 11. 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 Venture 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: sales@premiermobilegroup.com or call us directly at 510-390-6920. -we reply to all of our email inquiries within 24hrs. Attached are some images of vehicles we wrap on a daily basis:

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[Premier]

996, 997, Gt3

[mmgrad]

Can you post close-up pictures of clear bras?

I want to see how hard it is to pin-point the edge of the bra...

[Premier]

Here you go

[mmgrad]

i've seen a few over the times... and i'd have to say, they weren't all that impressive... i was just hoping someone had stepped up and did a quality install... too bad, its still too far away from home....

[Premier]

We will be in LA betwen Feb 1-5 for a clear bra group buy......please contact us directly if interested.

[tmushy]

how much does this usually cost to do?

[Premier]

We are constantly on tour to certain metro cities. For those interested in either flying our best techs out or setting up a group buy for a certain location and date, please feel free to contact us directly for more information.

REFERENCES:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10096

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...&highlight=bra

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153528

http://davepaden.net/z/clearbra/default.htm

http://g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44750

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50417

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/show...ewpost&t=10284

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142109

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153151

http://g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45094

http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/sho...294#post983294

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...&postid=217473

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...hreadid=139049

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...&highlight=bra


Tour schedule:
March 17-23 Los Angeles / Orange County
March 25-April 2 New York / New Jersey
April 20-25 Los Angeles / Orange County / San Diego

For those interested in our services, please email (sam@premiermobilegroup.com) or call us directly. Thank you.

[Premier]

Update to Tour Schedule:

May 2-9 New York / New Jersey
April 20-27 Los Angeles / Orange County

[ericktu]

how much for a CLK bumper?

my email is: ericktu@gmail.com

thanks

[Premier]

email sent. thanks

[adam699]

Coming to chicago?

[Premier]

Southern California Tour Schedule Update:

July 25-30: Santa Barbara, LA, OC, San Diego

For those interested in being added to the Tour, please email us directly at sales@premiermobilegroup.com with the following information:

1. Name
2. Contact #
3. Exact vehicle make / model / year / color
4. Address

Thank you.

[Premier]

Update to Tour Schedule:

Aug. 29 - Sept. 2nd, 2006
Southern California
(Santa Barbara, LA, OC, San Diego)

September 18 - 20th, 2006
Calgary, Canada

September 26th - 29th, 2006
Philadelphia

October 2nd-5th, 2006
Cairo, Egypt / Dubai

October 17 - 23rd, 2006
Hong Kong, Shanghai

Oct. 31st - Nov. 2nd, 2006
Las Vegas, NV

November 13 - 16th, 2006
Southern California
(Santa Barbara, LA, OC, San Diego)

December 1 - 5th, 2006
New York / New Jersey

January 3 - 13th, 2007
Hong Kong, Shanghai

Those interested in our services, please contact us via email - sales@premiermobilegroup.com or by phone - 510-623-1308

[sim_benz]

can you do custom aftermarket bumpers?
my Email is big.fat.killl@gmail.com
thanks

[Bay Area User]

could you please pm me a quote? I own an 04 E55.
thank you.

[midget fidger]

Are you doing anything in the Baltimore, MD area anytime soon? If not, is there anyone out here that you can recommend? How much will a job like yours cost for an '06 SLK350? Thanks!

[kkuna]

I am also in the baltimore area, I would like to have my GL done. Any recs would also be appreciated.

[Premier]

Unfortunately, we currently do not have any plans of traveling out to the East Coast. You could check with local 3M dealers to see what they have in your area. Good luck and be sure to look at references / final product.

[midget fidger]

3M? I thought Venture was the best one?

[midget fidger]

Have you heard about eBay pre-cut kits? My friend is looking at buying one and getting a professional to install it. The guy says he can do it in about 2.5-3 hours and will charge a lot less if we provide the film.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MERCE...spagenameZWD1V

[Premier]

Many issues with ebay films:

1. the ones that are selling for under $150 for a full kit are not genuine paint protection film. Many are actually clear vinyls that are much thinner -2-3 miles vs. ppf 8-8.5 mils+. These films do not have a clearcoat on them and most also do not have UV inhibitors, which protect the film from yellowing.
2. some vendors are selling true paint protection film, but generally the older generation films due mainly to overstocking. These films do not like quite as good and are more prone to discoloring over time

[Benz084]

Here's what I'm worried about.

I polish my car alot. It's always glossy.

Will the front of the car look like crap after 3-4 years or so?

I realize the paint underneath will stay in good shape, but it has to fade over time. Then, at that point, you can't buff the clear plastic. Wax can only do so much.

[dac086]

what is the recommended time to wait to put the film after a new paint job?

[Derspeed]

You left out X-pel's film. It is incredible.

I agree with your statement on a lot of the ebay films. Make sure you ask the sellers what it is they are selling. BTW, one of my cars has had 3m film on it since 2003. It has not faded or turned yellow.