Clear paint protection films from an insider. (Long)
04-22-2006, 09:52 PM
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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.
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.
Last edited by Patric F.; 04-23-2006 at 12:50 AM.
04-22-2006, 10:02 PM
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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.
04-22-2006, 10:37 PM
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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 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
04-23-2006, 12:42 AM
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To each their own.
Originally Posted by kilrgt
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.
04-23-2006, 12:46 AM
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You certainly cannot go wrong with 3M.
Originally Posted by Benjamin Choi
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 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
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04-23-2006, 01:08 AM
#8
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.
Last edited by wross996tt; 04-23-2006 at 05:49 PM.
04-23-2006, 02:35 AM
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Originally Posted by wross996tt
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 re[ainting 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.
04-23-2006, 09:28 AM
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I think it is made by Sherwin Williams.
Originally Posted by marlinspike
Do you know anything about this removable spray on peel off product griot's is selling?
http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1090&SKU=20264
http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1090&SKU=20264
04-23-2006, 09:33 AM
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It really is a personal preference thing.
Originally Posted by RAC
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.
But you gave some good info that I'll pass on to others, thanks.
04-23-2006, 09:59 AM
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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.
04-23-2006, 11:34 AM
#13
Burning Brakes
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?
04-23-2006, 12:53 PM
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will venture actually look clear on white car?
04-23-2006, 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Patric F.
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.
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.