Paint Protection Film

[healeygal]

My Healey's karma goes something like this - 15 miles out of the body shop after her one-month servicing, looking gorgeous and purring like a kitten, a speeding SUV flew by, kicked up a rock and inflicted a 1/2 square inch chip on her front shroud. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Not only that, the rock ricocheted off the Healey and hit my daily driver, which a friend was driving behind me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif (On second thought, maybe it's MY karma, not the Healeys).

In any event, does anyone have experience or thoughts on a 3M protective film that can be applied to the front of the shroud? https://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/_l/en_us/_s.155/116931/_s.155/86661
From the description, it sounds like window film, only thicker.

Sharon
Wounded BN1

 

[Dave Russell]

Hi Sharon,
I have seen this type of film applied to rocker panels & other vulnerable areas of new trucks & cars. It Seems to hold up very well. Not a show car shine though, & hard to remove. I don't think that it is a project for a novice installer. There are likely some shops in your area that install it. Check with your painter or the yellow pages. It might be hard to do on the compound curves of your car's front.
Here are a couple of references where you can get a better idea of what it is about.
https://www.clearmask.com/aboutourkits.htm
https://www.roadfly.org/magazine/8/paint_protection_film.1.html
D

 

[healeygal]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the info. Sounds interesting. I'd like to see it on a car. Maybe I'll look up an installer in the area and stop by.

Sharon

 

[Keoke]

HI Healey gal, Sounds like you are in the market for a Bra. The protective films are generally used to protect the lower bottom sections of the rear fenders, the wheel arch and are not left in place for long periods of time. Similarly, the Car Bra is used to protect the front shroud when traveling and is removed for storage or show.--FWIW---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[PC]

Hi Sharon,

Sorry to here about the first chip in your beautiful new paint.

Did it get down to the base metal or just expose primer? Is it just a paint chip or is the metal dinged as well? As long as the metal isn’t dinged it should be pretty easy to touch up. Even if it is a little dented today’s “paintless dent repair” techniques can do a great job reshaping the metal.

Since the paint’s fresh it will be easy to get a match for touching it up. Get all the info from your painter on the paint and primer he used, brand, type, paint codes, etc. (He might even still have some lying around.)

The clear mask material does offer a lot of protection. Since your paint is new you’ll want to heed 3M’s advice (from 3M’s FAQ):
Q. Will Scotchgard™ Paint Protection Film harm the painted surface if the film is removed?
A. If the film is properly applied to a fully cured painted vehicle, it can be removed, usually in one piece, without damaging paint surfaces beneath the film.

Q. Can Scotchgard™ Paint Protection Film be applied over a vehicle that has had the paint touched up?
A. 3M recommends that any repainted surfaces on your vehicle be professionally painted and fully cured before applying paint protection film. If you have touched up scratches or chips with a tube of "touch-up" paint and then apply paint protection film over it, the film will protect that area until it is removed. If the paint protection film is removed, it is possible that the area around the non-professional touch-up paint could peel off.

Q. Will the paint smear if Scotchgard™ Paint Protection Film is applied over a newly painted vehicle?
A. The paint on a newly painted vehicle must be cured according to manufacturer's recommendations. Your body shop should be able to provide you with this information.


We had a clear bra put on our MINI. From 25ft. you can’t tell it’s there. From a few feet away it’s obvious but not terribly obtrusive. We got it because we like to drive across the desert and such and figured it was less obnoxious than the chips would be.

The clear mask is meant to be left on permanently. They aren’t terribly difficult to remove but I’m told it does take a fair amount of work and care and care to remove it without damaging the paint. Removing the film does destroy the film.


PC.

 

[healeygal]

Hi PC,

It's down to the primer. Dago at the body shop said they'd take care of it for me, so the Healey's been away from home awaiting repairs. Hope to pick her up soon. Also hope to see your Mini and the clear bra sometime in the future.

Sharon

 

[PC]

Hi Sharon,

Glad to hear Dago’s got it covered.

When your baby gets home and the weather clears up a bit we’ll bring the MINI and do a BCF get together. Can’t wait to see her.


PC.

 

[Guest]

This is weird! I was looking at the J.C. Whitney catalog about an hour ago and saw where they now sell "GILA" CLEAR PAINT-PROTECTION FILM. The advertisement says it is virtually invisible and will not change the look of the vehicle like bras and deflectors. It protects any fully cured automotive painted surface. It deflects stones and debris. It shields against pollutants and other environmental hazards. It is UV protected and will not yellow over time. It includes everything needed for an effortless application. Simply clean painted finish, then apply the film. Flexible urethane film can be stretched and molded to fit your vehicle's curves and angles....won't shrink. Film can be repositioned throughout the installation process until adhesive sets. Adhesive removes with product (even after years) and leaves no residue. No special care needed....wash/wax vehicle without damaging film. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR GLASS.
WA518938A (4" X 6' ROLL) $25.99
WA518939R (8" X 6' ROLL) $40.99
PHONE 1-800-529-4486.

This definitely sounds to good to be true!

 

[vagt6]

And, it may be!

By all accounts I've heard, the film is rather difficult to apply. I know this because I have a new MINI and lots of folks on the MINI Forums have the 3M plasticote covers on their cars. It's a very expensive, dealer-installed option, costing in the neighborhood of $800 or more for the front of the car.

Practically everyone says to have professionals apply the coating because of the difficulty of installation.

But, it may be worth a try. If the paint isn't harmed, all you have to lose is the cost of your materials.

Good luck, let us know what you decide!

 

[healeygal]

That J.C. Whitney ad description sounds just like the 3M description of their product. To help the decision-making process along, (or add to the confusion) I called three companies listed on the 3M website as installers. One installs pre-cut kits only, mentioning the Mini as an example. The other two have people who custom fit the film to your car, at an estimated cost of $400-$600 and $500-$700 depending on the car, saying they would have to see the car to give an accurate estimate. (That'll buy a whole lot of film to use for practice until one finally gets it right!) Then there's Udo Putzke of Bilstein fame, who sells a custom fit bra for all Healey models for around $250.

Sharon

 

[aerog]

And you can take the bra off for shows and when you're not on the open road with it. You need to take some precautions with the bra - if it rains don't leave it on with the paint/bra wet, don't put it on with the back of the bra or the paint dirty, make sure it fits well and doesn't flap, etc, but otherwise - go for the bra.