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3M Paint protectant
has anyone applied 3M paint protectant film to the hood and bumper?
2010 RX8 GT |
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Nice how much did something like that run you
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I had it done to my headlights to avoid oxidation. To have your whole front end, like that other dude with the 04, done it would be around $400-500ish according to the install guy who did mine.
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I wish that's all they wanted at the *one* shop in this area (extending out a good 50 miles) I could find. They wanted $1000 to do my RX-8. I said "no" to that one.
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damn that's slick.
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How long does the film last?
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How long does it last? There are a couple of problems with the 3M mask that RV owners have.
1. After a little while places around the edges will loosen. So around the edges you start getting dirt, etc, under it. It starts to look crapy. (Ever put a clear protector on a phone and see the bubbles around the edges or a edge start to come up?) 2. It's plastic. It will crack eventually. Think of how hot the car's body gets in the sun. 3. Bug, tar, etc. MUST be removed ASAP. If not they will embed in the soft plastic or cause it to deform. When rocks hit it the plastic can't be repaired but the paint is protected. From reading the RV forums, most RV owners would love to have it removed but don't want a paint job. Not sure how tough the paint is on a car with something like this, but on a motor home it seems the paint does pull off most of the time. If removing it prepare for a paint job. If it comes off without pulling the paint of all the better... We have had it on our RV since 2005. 1 & 3 (above) has happened to ours. That being said. It does protect paint from road rash... |
3M film on RX8 experience
1 Attachment(s)
Hi,
I had 3M film on the front and half-bonnet on my first RX8 (winning blue) and it did 80,000 miles and only got one serious 'stone chip; in it, which was caused by a lump of metal hitting my front spoiler at 130mph on the autobahn. What can you do? I then had a full-front job on my Aurora Blue R3 from my supplier in the UK (Paintshield, really nice guys and this is shown in the picture) and did 25,000 miles with no chips and only a very small amount of dirt on one edge by the lights. And I have just had a full body cover on my new Aluminium R3. It's pretty hard to see the film unless you know it's there, and it does keep the bodywork in great condition, and largely chip-free. However, it does, as was mentioned earlier, tend to get tiny bits of dirt on some edges, and this is more apparent if your car is a light colour, so I would view it as a disposable item that will keep your car looking great, but might need changing every 2 or maybe 3 years. I would also recommend getting the roof done, as both of my first two RX's had a big stone chip in exactly the same place on the roof! |
I put it in on my 09 r3...did the mirrors headlights and front bumper..it is pricy... I would check out www.invisiblemask.com if you are willing to try, you can put it on yourself and buy a complete kit for a fraction of the price.. They have a film that they offer lifetime warranty or you can have 3m for the same price.. It also includes instructions and an install kit.. I have researched what it takes to make these kits as I think it would be a lucrative little business. It really does protect the paint and if it starts to get damaged, just pull it off and replace it.. Roland makes software called film solutions for vinyl cutters and it also has templates for window tinting as well... Price of the software is 2000 a year but includes an extensive past vehicle database... I would like to have my rockers done and the lip under the trunk... Check out the Youtube videos on installing it yourself... Hope this is helpful...
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