Paint film protection

[gman74]

Have any of the owners on here put paint protection on their new Beetle? I just bought a black turbo and do not want to get rock chipped straight away. Always heard about the 3m or Scotchgard plastic film but I haven't installed it myself.

Any suggestions where to take it to or purchase outright?
Difficulties, learning tips?

[Babie]

Have any of the owners on here put paint protection on their new Beetle? I just bought a black turbo and do not want to get rock chipped straight away. Always heard about the 3m or Scotchgard plastic film but I haven't installed it myself.

Any suggestions where to take it to or purchase outright?
Difficulties, learning tips?

Go to a BMW dealer and seek their best 3m film person. They are usually the best.

Hard to do I hear

[ridgemanron]

There are 'pros' and 'cons' to the 3M Film. The same way chips show up on cars without
the film, keep in mind the film can also get to look damaged when hit hard by debris while
driving on highways. It's only a sheer plastic with limited ability to withstand 'hits'. The
'clearcoat' on our paint works in somewhat the same manner. 'Filmed' cars, when damaged,
will need sections replaced with new ones and then original sections could look not as fresh
and bright as the new piece. It's recommended to clean the edges of the film with a toothbrush
and water but you must be careful. Too hard an attack on the film edge can cause it to raise
up after time. There are the two other alternatives to dealing with chips. One is the standard
OEM paint 'touch-up' in pen or brush form. After using this you also need to then apply the
OEM 'clearcoat' that also is available. The other alternative can best be viewed on YouTube
and involves a product called DR Colorchip. Using their unique exact color matched paint, you
dab a bit of it on the chips, then smear it with a rubber glove, followed by a special clear solution
that is blended over the affected areas with a micro-pad they supply. The chips are filled and all
the excess on your clearcoat is gone without harming your paint's original clearcoat. This product
was rated #1 by The Wall Street Journal among do-it-yourself paint repair products. They have
3 size kits that were priced at $39, 49 & $59 when I first purchased it.

[GTarr]

I put 3M scotchguard on my Beetle shortly after I purchased it. I installed it myself, and let me tell you it is tough to do well. I am satisfied with my job, but it is far from perfect. If you're looking to DIY, the hood and the fenders above the headlights are not too tough. The bumper is a total pain. I found out afterwards, that Beetle is considered one of the more difficult installs because of the large amount of curvature. The bumper piece must be stretched a lot to get the upper part of it to lay flat. Basically, watch a ton of videos on youtube of people applying it before trying yourself. I purchased mine off ebay from cleardefender; the other one I looked at was clearmask.com, but I couldn't tell what material they actually use, if it is 3m or what... they do include an installation kit though, which would be handy.

As for performance, I guess I can't really say, I've only had the car for 3 months, and haven't done any long road trips with it yet. I never had film on a car before, either. I am hopeful it will help prevent chips. If it works for 5 years or so, I'll be happy with it, and then think about having it reapplied (maybe professionally next time).

GTarr

[plex03]

No matter which way you go on he film, I'll second the suggestion on getting a Dr. Color Chip set.

Easy to do and it's amazing how well it works.

Highly recommended.

Website is here: Dr. ColorChip

[GLi_20MkVdUbB]

Any suggestions where to take it to or purchase outright?

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...ateApplicator/

[SaberOne]

I have the clear gloss 3M invisible bra plastic material applied to the front of my car, headlights, side view mirrors and door sills. I just had the black area of the roof and sunroof glass covered with the newer flat matt bra material this week.

Anyway, since I have to drive about 175 miles on the freeway to reach a major city, I fine it very effective! Removing bugs and crud from the film is very easy and doesn't scratch the paint. It serves as an effective shield and I'd rather replace it vs. fooling around with bottles of paint. Ok, I do see the value with paint dabbing but not as an effective solution to the daily barrage of frontal attacks.

As for dings' from road debris, this stuff is fantastic. I took a hard hit from something and it cut into the plastic film but it completely protected the paint. I don't have to use a toothbrush to clean the leading-edge, I simply use a terry cloth and wipe. For me, it's the single most effective mod I applied on the car. I had my done at Cactus Tinting in Scottsdale, AZ and I'm quite happy with it.

By the way, I watched the technicians cut and apply the material and there is no way I would want to tackle the job myself. The stuff is really good but it's also rather pricy and I would not want to take the risk of screwing it up.

[Chrisho]

No matter which way you go on he film, I'll second the suggestion on getting a Dr. Color Chip set.

Easy to do and it's amazing how well it works.

Highly recommended.

Website is here: Dr. ColorChip

Never seen them before, that looks interesting. Might have to try it out on my parent's car first

[Cadenza_7o]

Never seen them before, that looks interesting. Might have to try it out on my parent's car first

That's what parents are for...

[Chris659]

I just had the black area of the roof and sunroof glass covered with the newer flat matt bra material this week.

I'm familiar with PPF but what is this product about? Why on the roof?

I used Suntek's PPF on the front bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors, A pillars, headlights, fogs, blinkers, and trunk area opening on top of the rear bumper. My roof is currently wrapped in vinyl but will soon be painted and after that cures I'm going to add a strip across the top of the windshield.

Had it on since November and love it!

[Stever32]

I have had 4 cars done with 3M paint protection film, most recently my wife's 2013 TR TDI Beetle. The installer is:

http://www.ultrashield-hr.com/


Steve

[SaberOne]

I'm familiar with PPF but what is this product about? Why on the roof?

I used Suntek's PPF on the front bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors, A pillars, headlights, fogs, blinkers, and trunk area opening on top of the rear bumper. My roof is currently wrapped in vinyl but will soon be painted and after that cures I'm going to add a strip across the top of the windshield.

Had it on since November and love it!

The new matt material is a new product or at least that's what I was told. The high gloss black plastic area surrounding the sunroof glass as well as the sunroof glass itself, came out looking as though it was all painted matt black. I simply wanted something different and I actually like the look. Now I have the look I was hoping for with the added benefit of additional insulation, and a diffused light through the glass. In theory, it will also be easy to clean off bird droppings without acid stain residue, etc. Being a plastic covering also allows me the option to take it off if it didn’t turn out the way I was expecting.

Admittedly, it's not as good as a professional paint job but at least I know what it will look like if I decide to go that route. Seemingly, you and I are using the same approach by experimenting with vinyl first, and then painting it later. Hopefully, it will last for at least 18-24 months since my car is typically in a garage during the day.

[Chris659]

I would imagine it should easily last that long especially being 3m! They stand behind it for at least 5 yrs if its an outdoor material I think

[SaberOne]

I would imagine it should easily last that long especially being 3m! They stand behind it for at least 5 yrs if its an outdoor material I think

Frankly, I got mixed information regarding the 'matte' finish 3M material. First, the guy said that would be covered under warranty and then when I went to pay he said the 'matte' 3M doesn't have a warranty. Could've been my misunderstanding as I was quite tired after the second day of getting all the work done. I do believe that if I have a problem the owner would make it right although there was some issues I wasn't crazy about. Overall and for now I'm happy with the work despite some missteps.