Autobahn

Here's my 2 cents. I know it's a lot of money but I agree with whoever made the post about waiting until the front end looked pretty bad before having it painted. One reason the Z probably costs more is that there is a tremendous amount of surface area. For instance, the peice that covers the headlights is huge and had to be special ordered. The headlight material is 40mm thick instead of the 6mm used elsewhere. It guessing it costs quite a bit to have Xenon's replaced.

You could have the front painted, but to do the hood, front bumper, mirrors, and maybe the front fenders would likely be more than $650. That's exactly what I did with an old '95 325IS we had. The problem is that in order for me to spend $1200 it was looking pretty bad. I drive on a freeway (605) that has a lot of trucks hauling rocks and stuff and it gets pretty bad. My Z is a daily driver so I'd prefer to keep it looking as close to perfect as possible for as long as I can. By the way people really think the Z looks like a Porsche.

Someone asked about ripping. This stuff is pretty thick and it wouldn't rip like cellophane. At most you could get a little nick in the material. The beauty is that if there is a nick it’s not like any color or paint is coming off which would be the case if you chipped the actual painted surface. Anyway it’s just a matter of individual taste.

Regarding window tint installers -- I guess they could do it . Tinting uses the same skills but I would recommend someone that does this stuff professionally for a living. The 3M hood stuff is quite a bit more complicated that a “flat” piece if glass but the principle is the same.

krinkov

This stuff DOESN'T tear. Just as a demo I usually take a 1" wide strip of the film and DARE people to try to tear it, cant do it. Thats why its so hard to cut even with a razor that you have to push down hard enough it can easily cut through the paint.

Bishop_Tx

so when will the computer kit custs be available and what are they likely to cost compared to custom jobs.

My Z is scheduled to be in soon and will be looking to have this done, but based on what I read here there's too much at risk to have someone cutting that stuff on my car...

And what types of places do this stuff professionally? In Austin?

Chris
Chrome Silver Track
All the fixings

AudioPat

For those that know this product...I'm a little concerned by the comment that the film is removed with a heat gun..it's been 111 here for the past two days

GUido

I don't think you have to worry, there's a big difference between the 111 you're experiencing and the 300-400 degrees a heat gun puts out.

Also krinkov, do you have any contacts with installers in the Southeast, specifically the Atlanta, GA area.

banned

doors? anyone think about putting it on the doors? i hate getting dents/knicks on the door cause peoople hit it when they park next to me.

would this protect against that?

silvrz5

looks like your putting a rubber all over this car? Whats the point? Do you have Plastic on your couch and chairs?

What about the carpet, do you lay down garbage bags when people come over?

I just think this is a silly way for someone to make an extra buck.
Why would you want to see a seam line all over your car?
What about the dirt that gets in the grove of the seam, wont that scratch your paint?

I think this is just way out of order. And if one were to put this on your car, where do you stop?,, the roof gets chipped, the trunk will get chipped, the underside will get chipped.

This whole 3m thing is just one more gadget to get over fussy people worried about thier car, looks like some are bitting thou.

Good job 3m.

And plus cutting film on your paint, on your car,
god i would not wont to be there when it was being installed,
" hey buddy, are you sure your not cutting into the paint"?
Yes pal for the 40th time, im doing the best I can.

No thanks once again.

Dr Bonz

iTrader: (1)

400 degree heat gun? What temp do you start to bubble your paint?

Also, I didn't mean to imply that it tears easily but once it DOES get a little nick in it, won't that small tear propagate?. For example. when you pop the key through the plastic (like in your picture) isn't it THEN easy to take it with your hands and pull and have it tear right in half?

jran76

iTrader: (1)

Come on Austin people, I would like to know of a place.... If we find a place we need to see if they will give us a deal if 4 or 5 people do it at the same time....

AudioPat

HMMMMMMMM...let's see...propagate...propagate,,,Oh yes...to cause to multiply by natural reproduction...Got It

krinkov

Nope, this film is adhesive backed, so even if you somehow cut a tear in it, it wouldnt go any further since all the surrounding film is adhered to the car. the film can be removed without a heat gun at all, it just takes a bit of extra effort, usually you have to work at a corner for a minute then start peeling it back, if the heat gun scares you than bug and tar remover in a spray bottle, sprayed as your pulling it works well too. The point is though that this film should never really have to come off, Ive seen it on cars that are now going on 7 years old and it still looks the same as when it went on.

And as far as silvrZ5 was saying, if you look at my previous post you will read that unlike the "custom cut" jobs, we provide coverage to just the frontal impact area of the vehicle. I agree, covering anymore than necessary is expensive and impractical. But I think your feelings toward the notion of protecting a car against inevitable chips and scratches is a bit extreme. Yes there is a line where the edge of the film lays on the hood, this is usually only noticeable upon close scrutiny, but the alternative is an ugly vinyl bra which is noticeable a mile away, or chips and scratches. If you dont mind your bumper and hood getting chips and scratches thats your prerogotive, just let us know how you feel about it the first time you take your brand new car on the freeway behind a few big trucks

Bishop, the paint protection kits(hood, fenders, mirrors, bumper) are likely coming out by the end of this week, Im going to be selling them installed (SF bay area) for $495 or shipped to you for $275, and I can put you in touch with a local installer. If you want the headlight kits too Im selling those for $60 installed or $40 shipped. The headlight kits are MUCH thicker(40 mil. compared to 6mil.) and are crucial on plastic lenses to keep them from turning yellow and hazed like you see on cars with plastic lenses after a couple years on the road. If you have any other questions go ahead and mail me, Jeremy invisiguard@sbcglobal.net

bighamz

That orangepeel I see? Thanks for the pix.

bighamz

How often do you plan on doing this? Just curious, since you can't predict when those flying rocks come zooming by to kiss yer car.

$650 is too much for 3M though....

This guys thread was cheaper... and he said he is heading south soon. Jeremy invisiguard@sbcglobal.net

silvrz5 is right. Paint chips, vinal bras, etc are way better than a chip free front end with a hard to see seem between the 3M and paint.

z350z

These prices for the 3M film actually sound pretty reasonable to me. My friend just had his Boxster done and it was over $1,000 (but they did more than just he front). You really can't notice it unless you look for the seam line.

It sounds like a good idea. My only concern would be the edges lifting up over time with repeated washing and waxing. Krinkov, have you seen any occurences of this?

krinkov

with as tough as this stuff is to get off its surprising that it would ever come up at the edges(ive seen a pressure washer get held right up to an edge and it didnt budge!) But I have seen a couple that were bad installs where the film started coming up in a small spot along an edge. This usually happens within a few days of a bad install where an installer was stretching to hard on a small spot on an edge or using a bad solution that cut through the adhesive where they were pulling on it. I havent had any problems with this, but we do provide in writing a 5 year warranty for material and installation. Jeremy

Dean

Autobahn,

Excellent idea getting the 3M Scotchcal paint film installed professionally.

I'm both stubborn and a fanatic about maintaining my cars, so the clear paint protection film has been a mandatory item for me.

I'm NOT a professional, but at last count, I've installed the custom cut kits for my BMW 330i, BMW M Coupe, Subaru WRX Wagon, Acura MDX (my father's) and new 2003 Maxima SE. Over the past 2-3 years, I've also screwed up the 3M film installation on several early attempts. (Did I mention that I'm stubborn?).

Xpel makes the best, most accurate patterns. Stongard is a close second, but I was a bit disappointed in the WRX front bumper fit. Invincashield (www.invincashield.com) is a most user friendly kit, but they usually have multiple pieces, with more borders and edges.

Overall, I've very pleased with the 3M film. It's nearly invisible, easy to care for and can be removed without damaging the paint.
Hard to believe, but I have NO PAINT CHIPS on the WRX front end.

Proper installation is critical, but definitely within the capabilities of the average person. This isn't rocket science, and only a minimum of tools are required. Be patient, use plenty of "slip solution", work in a clean environment and you'll be pleased with the result.

$650 may seem like a lot of money for a custom kit, but there's quite a bit of labor involved. I would expect that the complete headlight and paint kit from Xpel will be under $400 retail.

One more point. I would NEVER allow anyone to install the custom (i.e. cut on your car) kits on my car. First, the final appearance of the kit depends on the quality of the edges. There's no way that free-hand cutting of the edges matches the computer generated patterns from Xpel or Stongard. The so-called "custom kits I've seen have uneven, ragged edges.

For the non-believers in the 3M paint protection film, I wish you luck. The quality of modern paint finishes with environmentally friendly water-borne solvents is poor. The wide surface area on the 350Z's front end will mean that you can bet that paint chipping will be a major problem. I pity the owners of black or brickyard 350Z's....

Just check out our Maxima colleagues experience:
http://www.nissanpaint.com/

I've included a couple of pics of my M Coupe with the Xpel hood, bumper, headlight and rear fender protection.

AudioPat

Here's a question I don't think has been addressed yet..If I plan to Zaino my car do I have the coating applied after the Zaino?..if so what about additional coats of Zaino?...would you apply Zaino over the 3M coating?..if I sound confused please pardon me but that's the way I sound all the time

krinkov

Hey thanks Dean! My company Invisiguard is actually a distributor for Xpel, so I know what your talking about. All the distributors work close with the designers at Xpel to constantly refine the product that ends up on your car, thats why they are consistently the most precisely cut kits on the market. And yes, the 3M film can be washed, waxed, and treated as any other painted surface of the vehicle.