Had 3M installed on my Meteor Gray '08 TT at the dealer by a specialist installer they brought in to do it. Did half the hood. Hardly noticeable from a distance and the guy did a beautiful job. Had it on there since August and no problems yet.

 

The dulling and spotting usually comes from not caring for the film properly. Products like Plexus WILL yellow the film. Just look at the nozzle on your plexus bottle. For years we've been recommending a simple polish and spray wax that contains no YELLOW carnauba. Zymol HD-Cleanse is a mild paint cleanser that works amazing on the film. You can actually FEEL the film becoming smooth and silk-like in texture. To protects, Zymol Field Glaze is the spray wax of choice. I had the opportunity to visit the XPEL headquarters in San Antonio a few months back. Whe I asked them what they recommend to protect the film, the lead installer opened their cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Zymol Field Glaze. I chuckled and said "great, we've been recommending this stuff for years".

 

+1 I found an acrylic polish and sealant that is used for aircraft windshields... made to polish and fill any swirl marks in the shield. Cheap waxes usually yellow over time... not good considering it absorbs into the film.

 

Gee-Bee, I am disappointed to hear your VS has yellowed. I had VS installed on my full hood, fenders, sides, inlets, mirrors, door sills, and in the wheel wells and do not have any yellowing yet. I was told that 3M owns VS now and it is the same product? I had an excellent install and I use Plexus at least once per month on it as that is what my installer told me to use. Why do you think yours has yellowed? Where has it yellowed and how long have you had yours on? Hope the new product works better. White is difficult with this. I'd appreciate hearing more - thank you.

 

Hey Bubba !

The whole thing is a shade off, Iam going to call them tomorrow

My local dealer does both 3M and Venturesheild...

Will see

 

I wouldn't own a high performance car without it.

installer is key.

 

VentureShield should warranty their film. They are owned by 3M now but 3M and Venbture are still two different films.

What kind of cleaner and wax have you been using on the film?

 

Per the shop who did the install they gave me Plexus...

Gee-Bee

 

This is my 7th????? car w/ clear film. Currently own 2 sports cars & an SUV w/ 3M film & couldnt be happier. Like Chris said it's more about the quality of the install then anything. There's guys that install pre-cut kits where you can see every edge & there's guys that do every car as a custom cut install. Even then theres only a couple of shops that are on the top tier.

I do have BOTH 3M and Venturefilm on my Turbo Cab because I wanted the full hood done & 3M doenst make a piece wide enough to cover the hood in 1 piece. The Hood is Venturefilm the rest of the car is 3M. So from having both on the same car it makes it easy to compare & IMHO the 3M is superior. For one there is a difference in clarity on a Jet black car, the 3M looks better. Looks like the 3M is holding up a little better too.

To answer your question about the swirls - I always have my cars done the very same day as I pick them up from the dealer. From the dealership I drive to Detailing Dynamics for 1st detail (tell the dealer not to touch the car) & clear film, so dont have a lot of experience w/ swirling under film but do know that you have to remove all wax, etc from the paint prior to the install anyway so my guess is your probably not going to see swirls under the film like you do when sun is hitting the paint directly without film.

 

Thanks Mo - put in an order for the products you recommended above and some more! Happy Holidays.

 

Got your order Greta and shipped it out on Monday, thanks. The only thing I didn't see was this:

http://www.glisteningperfectionstore....5oz%2C/Detail

You'd use this prior to applying the field glaze. Please let me know if you'd like me to ship that out as well.

 

Called Venture Sheild , there going to cover my complete car with new film under warranity

Gee-Bee

 

^^^Gee Bee, that is GREAT! Glad to know they are standing by their warranty. If mine yellows, I will do the same.

MO: I didn't order that product because Aaron (3LG) does my big detail/polish/wax every quarter and I wouldn't need that for my weekly detailing. Thanks anyway.

 

Glad to hear it was taken care of for you. Who was the shop that performed the install?

All films will yellow at least a bit as it is their natural aging progression, VentureShield does have a top-coat and UV inhibitors that slow down the process but like anything else it has to be properly maintained.

 

I have 3M on everything except the rear bumper,parts of the roof, and spoiler. I have another product (forget the name at the moment0 covering my front windshield (this has really saved me a few times!). I have had no problems with these products and they have saved me many a time from major chips and dings. It also keeps your car looking almost new and helps keep it value.

I drive my car every day including our Canadian winters with pea gravel on the roads and so far my car looks great. I wouldn't drive behind a truck or semi mind you.

I think it important to note that to keep your car and 3m products as new as possible you need to take good care of them. I have my detailer care for my car regularly and he also treats the coatings to keep it clear and fresh from smaller marks - you can still hardly tell it's on. You can't just put on the covering and forget about it.

Also, these coverings do wear from chips etc. so you can plan on replacing them after a period of time depending upon your driving climate and styles. And, as previously noted, make sure you get a very good installer!
K.