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Interior & ExteriorDiscussions about the interior, and exterior of your vehicle.
This is a discussion thread titled "3M Invisible Film Application", within the Interior & Exterior forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
**Please Note, this is just some helpful advice, use at your own risk!!**
Well, I installed the 3M protective film around the truck (hood, headlights, upper bumper, fenders, and bottom of the doors) this weekend and it went fairly well. I’m pretty sure a professional would have done a better job as there are a few very small “mistakes”, but mostly it was a smooth installation.
Some advice I would give to those thinking of doing this on their own:
- definitely get the 3M cleaner and cloths for using to prep the surface area before application
- make sure to have plenty of the “blue” type paper towels (shop towels) on hand
- have an X-acto knife available and ready for use
- work in a “wind free” area
- bring a tarp, knee pads, folding chair, and/or towels for being comfortable
- have a small table or place to rest excess material
- give yourself 3 or 4 hours without interruption
- get the proper rubbing alcohol solution, baby shampoo, and a couple of gallons of distilled water
- work in a well-lighted area
Also, some things you should expect during the process:
- be calm as even the things that seem the simplest can go wrong very easily and getting frustrated just makes it worse – so try to do this when you don’t have a lot of time pressure
- understand that, in some cases, no matter what you do, the film will end up sticking to itself and you’ll need to be calm about getting it back to normal.
- understand that the film doesn’t always fit and that you’ll have to do some manual cutting to get it to fit the areas that you’re working on (often it is too large, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as this results from stretching the film or working with it)
- keep the film wet all the time so that the squeegee glides easily
- sometimes things show up long after you’ve worked on it; in most cases this is normal and will correct itself over time with exposure to the sunlight and heat (i.e. from a blow-dryer)
- you’re not going to have it “perfect” (something difficult for us perfectionist types) so weigh your options carefully when you’re thinking of “redoing” an area; you may end up making it worse
- understand that the film is 2D and your vehicle is 3D, so sometimes, no matter how good you are, some things will just take time and hard work to get it done right.
- don’t get too involved in one area and let the other area dry up… keep the bottles close by and constantly spray to keep things moist
- you’ll get plenty wet so don’t be bothered by it
- keep your hands and fingers wet constantly
- occasionally there may be a very small “error” in the application; don’t sweat it and move on… chances are you may make a bigger error spending too much time worrying about it and leaving something alone that can be a bigger problem
- trapped moisture can be “relieved” from small bubbles by using the X-acto knife to poke a small hole through the surface of the film and flattening it out with a paper towel wrapped around the squeegee
- it is ok if the film goes passed the edge on one or both sides provided that it “fits” the rest of the area properly… you can use the X-acto knife to trim it as necessary (BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CUT THROUGH THE PAINT!!)
- be sure to be firm when using the squeegee; it can take a lot of pressure and you get good results this way.
- When working on lower portions, be sure to put some kind of barrier on the ground in case the film accidentally slips off while you working with it and it touches the ground.
So, I hope this helps anyone that is embarking on this. Remember this is advice and I don’t assume any liability for using it; it is your risk to do so, but I hope that it helps a bit in terms of how you prepare and work with the material. I think doing this a few times will produce professional results… enjoy! Feel free to ask any questions, I would be happy to answer them!
Great post! I have been weighing out whether or not to do this for a while now. A few things you said are of concern to me, mostly the "patience" involved. I tend to get frustrated easily. The other is that I am definitely a perfectionist. But whos to say the "kid" at the shop is any better than myself at applying. Again, thanks for the info!
I used VentureShield and had it professionally installed. No issues what so ever. The installer does Porche, Mazerati, Lexux, Benz, and even Bentleys. He completely advised me NOT to use 3m and would not install it on any vehicle for a variety of reasons. He said he used to install it but had too many returns on issues with the 3m product, peeling, bubbling, etc. He said the biggest issue was it will orange peel and turn yellow over time. Since he installs on the above mentioned cars, of which he had two sitting in the shop a 70k Lexus, I was easily convinced he knew what he was talking about.
As for prepping the surface, the installer used a clay bar to complete clean all painted surfaces of any wax or road grime, very impressive. When cutting the material for any little excess of the pattern, he actually just etches the material with a very sharp surgical blad and never touches the clear coat. Another reason to consider have it professionally done. He did very little cutting as the pattern machine he used was pretty exact.
I have not had any issues since the install of the VentureShield clear protective film. I would highly reccomend this product if professionally installed. Well worth the $400.00 pro-install. I would highly reccomend a professional install on this product. This also gives you the VentureShield warranty. For what its worth.
Big Dave
Last edited by 07Tundra/Charlotte; 09-04-2007 at 11:40 AM.
Great post! I have been weighing out whether or not to do this for a while now. A few things you said are of concern to me, mostly the "patience" involved. I tend to get frustrated easily. The other is that I am definitely a perfectionist. But whos to say the "kid" at the shop is any better than myself at applying. Again, thanks for the info!
Chris
Well, I will say this; most of the people I talked to about installing this had a lot of experience (20+ years in most cases) of working with treatments and restoration (though 3M experience was less). But it does take a lot of practice to get things right and sometimes you're working on the same area for a long time. That is where patience is involved. For me, the small "errors" were worth saving the $900+ in labor involved in doing it somewhere else. But for others, that may not be the case. Just understand that the people that do this have a lot of experience and it takes that to do the job right. I think doing this about 5 or 6 times will give you enough experience to do a pretty flawless job, but there are always things that show up after you're done. Take care and good luck!!
I used VentureShield and had it professionally installed. No issues what so ever. The installer does Porche, Mazerati, Benz, and even Bentleys. He completely advised me NOT to use 3m and would not install it on any vehicle for a variety of reasons. He said he used to install it but had too many returns on issues with the 3m product. He said the biggest issue was it will orange peel and turn yellow over time.
I have not had any issues since the install of the VentureShield clear protective film. I would highly reccomend this product. Well worth the $400.00 pro-install. I would highly reccomend a professional install on this product. This also gives you the warranty
Big Dave
Yes, I've heard of these issues with 3M before, but honestly, the info is really old... this was an issue that affected film used in the mid 90s... nothing to worry about now. Enjoy!
Yes, I've heard of these issues with 3M before, but honestly, the info is really old... this was an issue that affected film used in the mid 90s... nothing to worry about now. Enjoy!
Just offering a well thought out option to doing this type of mod yourself. I figured after spending the big bucks on my new Tundra, a professionally installed clear bra system was worth the research and the $400.00.
Just offering a well thought out option to doing this type of mod yourself. I figured after spending the big bucks on my new Tundra, a professionally installed clear bra system was worth the research and the $400.00.
Glad your happy with your install, best of luck.
Hey, if I could have gotten it done for $400, I probably would have done that too! That is an awesome price, but I just couldn't find anybody to do everything I wanted done for that kind of price! Thanks for the info! I hope others can get it professionally installed for a great price like that!
Just offering a well thought out option to doing this type of mod yourself. I figured after spending the big bucks on my new Tundra, a professionally installed clear bra system was worth the research and the $400.00.
Glad your happy with your install, best of luck.
Did the $400.00 include the material or was that only the labor cost? Did you get the whole front (including chrome grill surround and lower bumper) done or just the hood area?
You have given a lot of great advice and I agree with all. My only other suggestion would be to have a hair drier available for stubborn areas. Make sure when using it to do it in short bursts so as not to damage the film. Like the man said lots of wet and lots of patience.
__________________
2007 Tundra DC, 5.7, 4x4, TRD, TRD dual exhaust, back up camera, remote start, wood dash, Billet grill, 3M paint protection, Garmin 680 GPS, Nautical Blue w/beige interior, etc. etc
My other passion:
2003 Corvette convertible, Millenium Yellow, Z51, 6 sp manual. Lots of goodies.
I guess I got a good deal then. I bought the 3M clear bra when I bought the truck and they sold it to me at $1 over cost. $240 for hood, lights, fog lights, door handles and mirrors. That was all installed by a 3M dealer with a 5 year warranty.
That is an excellent price. I have mine done by a guy who did my previous cars. He is not cheap, but does good work and comes back to fix any problems. I even have a strip around the Undercover just in case. (yes, I tend to be paranoid sometimes ).
Did the $400.00 include the material or was that only the labor cost? Did you get the whole front (including chrome grill surround and lower bumper) done or just the hood area?
Stuball
Hood, headlights, front side fenders area, under headlights, and painted trim on bumper. I did not have the chrome grill done or lower chrome bumper. I goal was to protect the painted surfaces. You do bring up a good point, I may go back and see if he carries the pattern for the grill area. The bumper, I will pass on having it done its chrome.
Had it done at Carolina Glass and Tinting/Auto Xtras here in Charlotte, NC. Very pleased and fee like I can drive and not be as concerned about random paint chips. Seems from what I have read that the paint is pretty thin on the new Tundra's.
I hope now that they are building the Tundra here in the U.S. they don't start going cheap on us. Sad to say but this could happen. It will be interesting to see. So far I am very pleased with my 4.7 liter TRD D/C.
Hood, headlights, front side fenders area, under headlights, and painted trim on bumper. I did not have the chrome grill done or lower chrome bumper. I goal was to protect the painted surfaces. You do bring up a good point, I may go back and see if he carries the pattern for the grill area. The bumper, I will pass on having it done its chrome.
Had it done at Carolina Glass and Tinting/Auto Xtras here in Charlotte, NC. Very pleased and fee like I can drive and not be as concerned about random paint chips. Seems from what I have read that the paint is pretty thin on the new Tundra's.
I hope now that they are building the Tundra here in the U.S. they don't start going cheap on us. Sad to say but this could happen. It will be interesting to see. So far I am very pleased with my 4.7 liter TRD D/C.
It may just be me, but I’ve noticed that the darker colored vehicles have thinner paint than the lighter colors. Also, for whatever reason, the paint on the bumpers is extremely thin, probably due to it being a composite material instead of being sheet metal like the rest of the truck. Overall though, I don’t see it necessarily as a problem… the paint seems pretty durable, but only time will tell…
3M Invisible Film Application
Re: 3M Invisible Film Application
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