[bbates]

Anybody have this done to their car? I've been talking to a local guy who says he'll do the hood area and rear view mirrors for $125 installed. It sounds like a fair price for the labor involved...just curious how well these things hold up over time.

 

[flyingn]

I have know others to use it and were happy with it.. I just wonder over.. say 5 years in the sun how yellow is it gonna get??i

 

[bbates]

That's what I'm wondering too.

 

[spwolfx]

I have know others to use it and were happy with it.. I just wonder over.. say 5 years in the sun how yellow is it gonna get??i

i wonder how nice will your hood be after 5 winters on highway .

 

[flyingn]

yea true. Wonder which is the lesser of two evils??

i wonder how nice will your hood be after 5 winters on highway .

 

[spwolfx]

yea true. Wonder which is the lesser of two evils??

i wonder how nice will your hood be after 5 winters on highway .

for $125, I would get it in snap. You can always remove it later on. 3M should be pretty good anyway...

 

[michael]

I have it on my Matrix over 2 year (3m Headlight Film, but I believe same material) and still in very good condition.

 

[bmorton]

I've had it on my Subaru for 2-1/2 years now. Leading 30cm of hood, plus entire front bumper. Still looks fine and the front of the car looks much, much better than it would have without. Very little noticeable effect from road debris.

The film (made by 3M or Avery) is warranted against sun damage and has UV inhibitors in it.

This will be the first thing I have done to any future vehicle.

 

[michael]

Forgot to mention, suggest professional install. I leave few fingerprint on the film during install. :?

 

[flyingn]

thats good info guys.. Thanks

 

[John E Davies]

I have had a full 3M StonGard kit on an Audi A4 for 6 years and it is starting to look a "little" bit haggard, but the underlying paint is absolutely pristene. If I sell the car I will remove the film with a hair dryer, apply some polish, and voila! New paint!.

Care can be a bit finicky - you need to pick a polish/ wax that won't leave white residue at the edges of the film. A round wooden toothpick quickly removes what does stay there, if you don't let the wax set up hard.

The film is pretty strong, but it can be penetrated by a large rock. But in sacrificing iteslf it is protecting the paint and sheet metal - which would you rather have?

Minor swirl marks on the flm can be buffed out just like on paint.

The headlight film is great - it doesn't yellow, though it isn't recommended if you install high wattage bulbs. Are the RAV4 lights glass or plastic? If glass, they are no doubt horribly expensive to replace.

Good product - highly recommended, if you value how your paint looks. Spend a little, save a lot.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[puttputt]

I'm interested in getting the 3M film but I can't seem to find an authorized installer in San Diego. According to 3M's site, the closest one is in LA. :-(

 

[sternem]

Does anyone know where I can get this installed nicely in the Toronto area? This sounds like a nice alternative to hood deflectors and conventional bras.

I'd probably just install it on the hood and the leading edges of the quarter panel. The bumper should be more resistant to rock chips.

 

[OCInsomniac]

Just had mine done yesterday, looks nice - covered the hood, leading front of quarter panels and mirrors for $270. If you can get it for $125 installed with the 3M warranty, go for it! Just make sure it's installed professionally, and not done by hackers.

Guaranteed not to yellow over time, and can be removed if necessary.
We'll see how good it is in the long run - been looking for an unobtrusive alternative to the vinyl hood covers for my vehicles for some time now.

OC

 

[bmorton]

Does anyone know where I can get this installed nicely in the Toronto area? This sounds like a nice alternative to hood deflectors and conventional bras.

I'd probably just install it on the hood and the leading edges of the quarter panel. The bumper should be more resistant to rock chips.

My experience is that the plastic bumper cover is softer and less resistant. If you can afford it, get it done as well.

There are probably several installers in the GTA, but one is: http://www.chipguard.com/locations.htm

Or check with local auto tint/graphics shops. I had mine done at one of these places that does the film on the side.

 

[Inocense]

OUCH.. Just got a quote for the following...

Package: partial hood, grill, bumper, partial fenders & mirrors for $595 installed..

Or he said he would do JUST the partial hood for $150.00 installed..

 

[vroom2grow]

Does anyone know what the cost is in Canada?

I know it probably depends on each individual place, but I wonder what other's in Ontario, Canada have been getting for costs to get this done.

 

[sternem]

Thanks for the clue about tinting shops bmorton.

One tinting shop that seems to have a good reputation is Thornhill Tints (north of Toronto). I was just quoted $230 Cdn for the hood and leading edge of quarter panels.

I'll probably get it done there once the new RAV arrives .

 

[vroom2grow]

I have found two companies in the states that are similar to the 3M product, which are basically the same. Does anyone have any long term results, instead of the company's results? Is it easy to care for, does it yellow and how does it handle stone chips etc.?

PRO-TECT FILM Distributing, Inc. is a Master Distributor for Avery Dennison Automotive products specializing in distribution, marketing, and installation of Avery Dennison StoneShieldâ„¢ Urethane Film for the automotive aftermarket. Our in-depth knowledge of urethane film and installation of these products allow us to lead the industry with customer service, installation support, product support, and price.

http://www.pro-tectfilm.com/products

Stevens Urethane is a diversified polyurethane manufacturer, and the only company in the world to offer urethane in blown film, extruded sheet, tubing, cord, and profile form. Stevens Urethane is used in a wide variety of “can’t fail” applications in a host of different markets, including medical, industrial, sporting goods, and consumer products, among others. Urethane is sold directly to OEMs and to converters who fabricate the urethane into the end product.

http://www.stevensurethane.com/newsroom/stoneshieldNR.html

The costs I found were around $1000 CAD for the front of the hood, fenders and bumpers. That is a lot of coin for this process, which I don't think is very time consuming. I can understand if the product required expensive machinery to apply and had special environmental concerns while disposing of the excess. However, isn't it just a roll of film that is cut to fit each vehicle?

The service people just apply it to your vehicle. I don't see why the cost is soo much. Hmmmm...can someone help explain? Maybe it's because it is a fairly new process?

 

[vroom2grow]

Thanks for the clue about tinting shops bmorton.

One tinting shop that seems to have a good reputation is Thornhill Tints (north of Toronto). I was just quoted $230 Cdn for the hood and leading edge of quarter panels.

I'll probably get it done there once the new RAV arrives .

Now that sounds more reasonable. I wonder why the big difference in cost. Does anyone know which product do they use? Does anyone know what they are like to deal with?

Since I am not from Thornhill, can they do it in a couple of hours?