peachboy

Excuse my blatant ignorance but I have never had any clear films on my cars. Waiting on an all black RS, should I start considering these protective films ? If so, where are they applied, hood only ??

mooty

USUALLY hood, front bumper, front fender, behind wheel arches and door sill area.

EndlessEarth

FWIW I just had my 993 done by a company called Autobahnd. They have franchises around the US. I used the franchise based in Gloucester, MA. They use 3M products. When I went over the car with the installer I explained how I wanted the car covered (I track the car so I had most of the hood done and I have an RS splitter so that had to be all custom work. I also had the original factory clear on the rear quarters re-done with more coverage.) The installer also told me that he thought that the 3M-supplied 993 kit had a few too many seams and so in the end all of my car was custom panels except the upper front fender. It took 8 hours and he only charged me $550 cash. This includes rear quarters, front quarters from wheel wells to door, hood, front upper quarters, front bumper top and splitter. He was a wizard wth the X-acto knife and it looks fantastic. He actually did the entire upper front fenders with headlight cut-outs and washer cut-outs and had only one seam per side. I would take pics but you really cannot see the stuff being invisible and all.

rop3

Spoke with a rep from X-Pel and some installers here is what I know as of now, waiting for my car to arrive. Will probably view a few samples side by side on the car.

Have only seen Venture on an orange RS looked good, I am hoping the X-pel maybe that much less noticeable.

According to X-Pel they reached out to 3M to see if they could make a product to their specification regarding elasticity for easier install. Turns out 3M does not manufacture their product, this was confirmed by a friend in the chemical/coatings biz. So it is possible that X-pel and 3M are being produced by the same supplier but their are differences between the two.

Starting in Jan 08 X-el will be partnering with Rolex, Grand Am & Daytona prototype racing series so the name will become well known over the next few years.

3M-

Pros- Longest in the biz, very durable

Cons- A few suppliers agreed as well as some on the board it is the most visable film texture wise etc. little harder to install, limited to 48" rolls.

Ventureshield-

Pros- smoother less visable when installed, wide enough rolls to do full hood

Cons- According to what I was told by X-pel and one installer. It has a top coat, very different than a clear coat. Supposedly no clear coat applied top coat is a marketing legality. But in the end films without a clear urethane coat don't hold up as well. As per the one post above.

X-Pel-

Pro's- They have been in the pattern biz for years liscensing to installers that can use any type of film. As of late 07 introduced there own product, supposedly Porsche NA has them cover all there press and corporate demo cars. Per X-pel they demoed the product at SEMA and all competetors were impressed with the clarity of the film, there entry level film is more transparent and there premium is a step above. Sounds like a hybrid combining the proper width roll, clear coat, best transparency/least orange peel etc.

Due to their patterns they will sell a precut kit as opposed to a roll to individual installers that will go up to the seams or wrap around them.

X-pel carries and distributes 3M as well, approached them to make a wider more flexable film to their spec.

Cons- New product so not many dealers have it in stock, more expensive as a raw material. No reports on accelerated aging test out yet.