3m paint film

Has anyone here used the 3m/scotchguard paint protection film? I'm already finding a couple small paint chips on my 2 month old truck.

I understand it is pricy but it also sounds like cheap protection vs a paint job.

 

I've seen it put on some military vehicles. You really can't tell it's there unless you get right up on it, atleast when it's first installed. I thought about getting it myself.

 

I'm thinking of putting it on my truck too- I've got 3K miles and there are a few chips and dings already. I want to get a bit of touch-up paint and then try to protect that.

 

http://www.invisiblemask.com/search.html

To do an SR5 2nd gen, price is something like $250 but you can keep going up. Look at both catalogs, there's different patterns in each.

 

I had it done on my truck, 08 access cab. I had the upper and lower bumpers, grille, front of hood, door edges,door handle recesses, front fender moldings. Total installed was something like $390. My previous trucks all had chips all over the front end and I decided on this truck to protect it. The truck is 1yr old this month and no marks on the front anywhere.

 

So Larry, now that ~3 years are past, does the 3M film still look invisible? I was considering a Husky Bug Shield product that is similar, but customized cut to fit the vehicle. The man who just repaired Belle's [my 2007 Dbl Cab Taco] front bumper for extensive bug/rock damage told me he had 3M film and could accomplish the same task. However, he advised against it because of yellowing. Our TX sun believes it is in Hell and wants to always do a good job tormenting the residents!

The Husky product says it guarantees against yellowing for at least 5 years. But, I have not found any docs about how easy it is to remove at any time. Also Husky only makes the product for hoods and door edges, I think.

 

Still looks good. My truck is black so I would not know if I would see any yellowing. Still consider it the best investment I made. In fact I had the front of my car done to protect it. I had the car done a year later and the product is even better. It is as strong but thinner. The front of my truck looks like the day I picked it up. No scratches or dings or rock chips. The only way you know its there is if I don't clean the dried wax nfrom the edges.

 

I had the complete front of the truck done including the hood up to the scoop, he did the mirrors, door edges and the door handle inserts. My old truck was black and I had to have the front repainted after a couple of years. When I got the new truck that was the first thing I had done. Never have looked back.

 

Hello fellow brother. I used to be a painter and have installed clearshield before. I can't speak for anything but 3M but it holds up very well. Plus it's way cheaper than a respray.

 

how is it with waxing??/

 

Don't wax it it will cause it to prematurely yellow and get cloudy.

 

Its a truck....I would not worry about a few road chips. The 3M stuff is not armor LOL.. If a stone is big enough it will scrap the plastic film and you cannot remove or paint over that. Just drive it and when it gets bad enough to obsess over have someone paint the area,

You can find these guys at new car dealers who painting bumpers and removing dings. They do the trades and are pretty cheap. I paid $75 to have a bumper repainted by one of those guys who do it from their trucks. Its not brain surgery.

 

I used to work for one of those companies back in the day, they do sub-par work. It'll look good for a while but won't stand up over time.

 

I agree. i only get it done (as well as dings) when I am ready to trade or sell.

No sense it doing it twice. I just don't stress over road debris especially with a truck now. With my cars i was more concerned about the aesthetic aspect. A truck is kind of a relief from all that. When I had my 94 and would go wheeling I could not care less about brush stripping and a few rock hits. I usually only washed the undercarriage really good and rinsed the rest off.

I don't wheel anymore but a truck to me is more rugged and less I worry about aesthetically. I was even glad to find a TRD with the unpainted fender flares because they could take a door hit. My last two black cars cured me of the obsession with "finish". I am on vacation now.

 

Look up air craft tape on line you can buy enough to do 10 trucks for $180 or less 6" wide. It's what is used on the leading edge of a wing to protect them from stone chips.

 

where do i get if i just want the door handles???