Bengalfang

So I just talked to a place down here in Sarasota. They will do the Bumper, Fender, Mirrors and Hood (18in) for 550 installed. I might get 10% off because I have another car I want to get done too.

They say they have 2 brands, Avery Dennison and 3M. The lady said they use whatever one they feel has the better film at the time (9 yrs experience). Right now she said Avery Dennison looks better. I've searched for the brand on here but haven't found much about it. I can always just have them use 3M it's the same price. But they seem to be experienced in this.

What do you guys think?

ahohnstein

I had the AD brand installed after having my dealer re-install the film 3 times ( the installer kept screwing it up). It was a bit colder then (December). The first two attempts were w/ the 3M brand. They finally called in a different (better) installer from their Porsche dealership and he went w/ the AD brand. He said that's what he had on his car. Said it's much easier to work with and has the same thickness and protective properties of 3M. So far I've been satisfied.

EBMCS03

3M. I have some sort of Avery film on my BMW and I dont think its as good as the 3M. Plus I think Avery is cheaper thats why they want to use it. They're telling you wantever just to make you feel better.

Bengalfang

I was thinking that, but she said they would do either one for the same price. I think they would jack up the price for 3M then. But who knows.....

EBMCS03

*shrugs* Personally I would go for 3M.

NjDude

I had my car done with Avery. Since I have the car in Crystal White, I was informed to go with Avery as there is a less change for the film to turn yellow. I was told the 3M will turn yellow faster. Its ok for cars with darker colors, but not lighter colors.

I had the entire hood, front bumper, rear bumper, head lights, fog lights and outside rear view mirrors done.

Cleric

How ironic, I just came back from a place that had both films available. I was able to compare both the 3M and Avery films side by side on a black Porsche about an hour ago. After some long discussion with the installers and watching them install the film this is what I can tell you:

The Avery film is what exotic car owners tend to go with because the appearance is slightly better. The 3M tends to have an ever so slight orange peel appearance under certain lighting. You would notice it more on the hood with varying angles than you would on the verticle portion of the bumper. The Avery film has a more smooth, glossy appearance to it and is less noticeable on the car.

Both the 3M and Avery film have the same film thickness, however the 3M is harder to work with. I beleive the 3M film has a clear coat on it which contributes to the added difficulties. Your choice in film should be more based on what your priorities are.

For the average person who does not hand wash their car often and does not garage it, the recommendation is to go with 3M.

For someone who values appearance very highly and will "baby" their car a little more can get away with the Avery film.

Since I garage my car and will not use an automated car wash I am going with the Avery film.

The 3M film has a good reputation for durability, but this may be attributed to the name 3M. 3M is like Intel was to AMD back in the day. You can't go wrong with 3M, but no one can prove their competitor such as Avery is inferior. Avery has been in business for a long time too.

Whatever film is used, the best way to prevent yellowing is to keep your car clean by not allowing dirt to sit on the film. The film does have pores from what I was told and keeping dirt out of them is key. Applying a wax to the film was recommended. I think using Klasse sealant + film will be the best route to take.

EBMCS03

Heres what I was told. 3M is still the only brand that has a clear coat applied to their film. So you can wash and wax it just the same way as you would treat your paint. No other brand does this yet... not that I know.

The reason why the films turn yellow is because owners are not properly taking care of them. Its not sunligiht or UV that turns them yellow, its contaminants... road debries, dirt and mud etc. These film have pores in them and can trap dirt.

Exactlly what Cleric said...

Ya I think what contributes to the orange peel is the clearcoat.

Bengalfang

Thanks for all the info!! Only problem is that I am still confused. I guess I can't really go wrong either way. I hand wash my car, but I am not sure how long that is going to last. I'll set up an appointment and flip a coin I think.

Cleric

I think the best thing to ease your mind is to go and see all your options in front of you by going to the actual place you plan to have the PPF installed. This way you can see for yourself. Also, you should try to speak to the actual person who will do the install. Ask him/her how comfortable they are with either brand and try to show them your car. That is what I did. I had the guy go outside and tell me the potential problem areas on the car based on his ability and experience so there would be no surprises.

Also, I think your decision should also consider the coverage level you want. For the IS, you can get standard coverage all the way up to the 30" extended coverage kit (or you can go the custom route with wrap around edges). With the extended coverage kit you may want to consider the visual impact the film will have a bit more. I did notice the 3M film did show imperfections a little more, especially if the paint already had chips in it.

Bengalfang

I just got back from the shop. They gave me a sample of the Avery film and a sample of the 3M film. The 3M film does look a bit more hazy. I also watched them working on a Cayman. They looked like they were pretty meticulous.

I am going to settle on the 18in coverage for the hood. The bumper is really the part I am worried about.

So I think I will go with Avery since it looks a bit more clear.

Thanks for all the helpful ideas!

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Bringing back this thread from the dead as its all I cound find on an Avery product... I recently contacted a local installer to ask about getting a Ventureshield clear bra on my 08 IS and here's what he told me-

I can offer the whole hood and fender package for that vehicle. I use the
Avery Stoneshield film, which is proven to hold up better than the Venture
product. I can get the Venturshield, but I wouldn't recommend it for
doing the whole hood and fenders. To do the whole front (bumper, lights,
hood, fenders, and mirrors) it would run $1300. There are additional
areas that you might consider, like the rocker panels and door handles.
we can work those in some how if you would like. Let me know what you
think, I would be happy to have you as a customer.

I'm curious if anyone involved in this thread, or anyone else, has ended up using the Avery product and can comment on it, or the price mentioned, or anything else that'd help me out on this... thanks!

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

If you can go Ventureshield.
Ventureshield has a clearcoat film and guarantee for life.

www.ventureshield.com

Jeremy1976

I would just like to get the hood and front bumper done up. Any ideas on how much? Also what brand would be best for me. I live in Wisconsin (harsh winters) so in winter it is washed in a touchless wash, summer it is hand washed and detailed meticulously by me. We also plan on keeping this car for a good 10 years or so.

cssnms

I recommend the 3M brand based on my own personal experience with the product. I have it on both of my Lexus vehicles and I also had it on my BMW M Coupe for close to 5yrs without any issues and it's been on my GX for over 3 yrs. I have run all my vehicles through brushless car washes and I lived in Boston with the M Coupe so it saw plenty of abuse during the winter from salt to sand. 3M warranties their product for 5 years and some installers will offer an additional warranty on top of that. 3M is a large and stable company so you know they will be around for 5yrs to stand behind their product. The lifetime warranties offered by smaller more obscure companies are only as good as long as the company is still in business, not to mention the fine print is so ambiguous it gives them an "out." When I was in the car business, I saw plenty of the off brand clear bras go bad (fade and or peel) within a few years only to have the manufacturer claim that the product was misused so it would not be covered under warranty. And more recently despite my recommendation my father had the venture shield installed on his Toyota only to have it fade after 2.5 yrs. It is cloudy/yellowing and highly visible now. You can barely see the 3M on my GX even after 3yrs - it's night and day parked next to my dad's car. 3M is harder to work with because it is a thicker more durable product. After installed it dries clear and is almost invisable from 2 ft away.

If you are going to get the hood and bumper done you should also include the front fenders, otherwise what is the point? They come in kits, but can be custom cut if necessary. Shop around and you will find prices vary from installer to installer, but generally average around $650-$750, which will cover your mirrors, hood, fenders, and bumper. Make sure the installer is a certified 3M installer or you will get no warranty. Check out 3M's website for more info and to fina a local installer in your area. Here's the link...

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3..._the/Consumer/