Premier

We would like to make available some information about paint protection film, some tips on maintenance and how to search out professional dealers for the MB community.

As quality of film makes a tremendous difference in the way it looks after an installation, it is only one of three ingredients for a "clear" install. The 2nd would be the installation quality and third is the design of the clear bra kits.

For the 6 years we have been in the paint protection film industry, we have used and tested every single film manufacturer on the market. Below are our opinions of each:

Films on the Market:

3M - 1st generation film had many fading issues, which prompted an upgrade in early 2004. The film still uses the same urethane, but a clearer adhesive. The old film also received many complaints about "orange peel" texture that made the film very visible on darker colored vehicles. 3M's new film is clearer, but is still behind in strength and clarity. 5 Yr Warranty

Avery - Film generally fades w/in 1yr and customer service is poor. The company has all, but fallen off the face of the paint protection industry.

Clearshield - Film's quality is very similar to 3M's 1st generation film. Tends to yellow and crack in 2-3 yrs. Similar to 3M's 1st gen film, 90% of the adhesives will remain on paint when film is removed. 5 Year Warranty.

Llumar (CP Films) is one of the clearer films on the market. Customer service is lacking. Film's quality does not reject environmental oxidation, bird droppings, and other chemicals as well as 3M and Venture. The film is not OE approved. Lifetime Warranty

Venture - film's clarity along w/ its patented acrylic adhesives make it the clearer film. Excellent customer service and film looks great on all colors - even black. The film has been tested by Nissan against 3M. The test results showed 3M's film punctured when a 9lb prove was used while Venture's did not break until 20lbs of pressure was applied. Film is approved by Ferrari, Nissan, Infiniti, Dodge, GM and several others. Lifetime Warranty

INSTALLATION & SOFTWARE DESIGN
Film's quality is only as good as the installation. Searching out a good installer is not an easy task as many companies make outrageous claims of experience and expertise. The most important thing is to see what type of coverage you will get and whether or not it will be in one piece especially for the front bumper. Companies that use 1 piece for bumpers are generally more skilled at paint protection film installations, while software designers such as Clearshield, Invicashield, and Stongard (not so much as the first two) created these kits for the beginner installer.

Below are some tips to searching out good installers:
-what type of software do they use. This will dictate their skill level as companies utilizing the 3 softwares above are used to having these kits come in multiple pieces for ease of installation.
-how detailed oriented are they........you will have to pick up these little signs while talking with the company or installer
-how long have they been installing paint protection
-are they certified? although certification is not a pre-req for being a professional installer, it does show that they received some type of training.
-can they do custom work with one piece of film. This is generally meant for those with aftermarket bumpers or would like to have certain areas wrapped that is not computer generated designs.
-if they do custom work, do they cut on the vehicle? There are two ways of working custom applications:
a. Template drawn and designed for the vehicle and plotted on a cutting board.
b. Film installed on the car and trimmed on the car. We do use this method quite often and it is highly recommended that the installer know what he is doing when trimming on the car. The technician must be skilled at such trimming because too much pressure will cut into the paint. Although, we do this type of installation very often and have never damaged the paint surface, the general market technicians have yet to be experienced enough to trim on the vehicle and not damage the paint..........
-Ask to see if they use a heat gun to "soften" the material during installation. This is often a technique used by those not familiar w/ proper stretching of material...........usage of heat gun to stretch material could easily result in stretch marks forming.............this goes back to experience
-Take a look at their work or better yet, ask the locals about their reputation.
-Whenever a technician makes outrageous or exaggerated claims such as being the "best".......it would be advised that such claims is not backed by any type of proof or statistics.

FAQ
1. Will it yellow, bubble or crack over time? Depends on the film (Venture comes with a Lifetime Warranty from yellowing, bubbling, and cracking)
2. Can it be washed and waxed? Yes, to maintain the film, it is meant to be waxed and washed 2 wks after installation.
3. When my car gets dirty, the line on the hood is more visible. What can I do about it? Wash the vehicle and use a wet q-tip and run it along the edge and this will clean up the dirt or wax build-up
4. If I ever remove the film, will there be a two-tone effect? No, 3m & Venture are UV stable and allow the rays to penetrate; therefore, there will not be any 2-toning if film is ever removed.
5. Would the paint get stripped if I remove the film after a few yrs? The film is OE paint safe.
6. Can I repaint my bumper and put a film on right away? Yes, you can, but you risk having the paint get pulled off if it is removed later. The recommended new paint curing time is 30-60 days before clear bra application
7. From my local clear bra installer, they say Venture is easier to install. Well yes and no. Yes, it is easier to install due to its elasticity, but that doesn't mean the quality of install will be ideal. In actuality, the film is more difficult to work with to bring out a truly invisible installation because the film is so clear.........it does not hide any type of installation flaw. While companies like 3m, Clearshield and Avery has some orange peel texture, it helps hide some of the installation imperfections.
8. I have heard that Venture is a cheaper product price wise? Not true, Venture costs about 15% more than 3M.
9. Why do you charge more than these other guys? Our company was founded with one idea in mind - "Perfection is Our Standard". We truly believe that you get what you pay for and we provide our clientele with excellence in installation, warranty, and service. It is easy to make a quick buck in business, but to keep a life-long relationship with our customers is the challenge. We focus on the future and the longevity of our services.
10. How long does it take to install a full kit? We are typically done with the actual installation between 1.5-2.5 hrs for a full kit. The standard in this industry goes anywhere from 4 hrs to 6hrs........there are reports of overnight installs.
11. I don't like to see the line on the hood, can you cover the entire hood? Yes, we can. We are one of several companies in the U.S. that has Venture film large enough to wrap entire hoods as well as entire panels.

Hopefully, this thread will be helpful for those wondering about getting a clear bra for your vehicles. Our company is exclusively mobile and can travel to anywhere in the world (except for the Middle East ) for group buys. If anyone is interested in setting up a group buy for your area or would like a quote, please feel free to email us at: sales@premiermobilegroup.com or call us directly at 510-390-6920.
-we reply to all of our email inquiries within 24hrs.

Attached are some images of vehicles we wrap on a daily basis:

Premier

996, 997, Gt3

Gid_E_Up

Excellent info

Rev It Up

Nice work. Thanks for the post.

Can Drive 55

Nice info. Are there any dealers other that the California location?

Premier

We are constantly on tour to certain metro cities. For those interested in either flying our best techs out or setting up a group buy for a certain location and date, please feel free to contact us directly for more information.

REFERENCES:
http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10096

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...&highlight=bra

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153528

http://davepaden.net/z/clearbra/default.htm

http://g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44750

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50417

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/show...ewpost&t=10284

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142109

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153151

http://g35driver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45094

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...294#post983294

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/s...&postid=217473

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...hreadid=139049

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...&highlight=bra


Tour schedule:
March 17-23 Los Angeles / Orange County
March 25-April 2 New York / New Jersey
April 20-25 Los Angeles / Orange County / San Diego

For those interested in our services, please email (sam@premiermobilegroup.com) or call us directly. Thank you.

E55 KEV

Premier, what type of film does Xpel use? What is your overall opinion on Xpel kits? Thanks.

Premier

Xpel promotes the usage of 3M. Xpel kits are generally sufficient for most apps, but on some Mercedes it falls short in bumper coverage. You could view their kits online at www.xpel.com

E55 KEV

who makes kits using the Venture film?

Premier

We are an authorized Xpel and Armourfend dealer using Venture film for their kits.

Premier

Update to Tour Schedule:

May 2-9 New York / New Jersey
April 20-27 Los Angeles / Orange County

Premier

NY / NJ TOUR SCHEDULE UPDATE - JUNE 8-17

Please contact me directly for more information - sam@premiermobilegroup.com

Thanks!

Noredline

Great info. I have one on my E55, but not sure of the manufacturer. I am not very happy with it at this point. 16k miles, and more than a handfull of punctures. I admit, I have gone into the three figure speed range quite often, couple times a week. If punctures are more likely at speeds then maybe I am not too unhappy. Though they didnt put it on much of the plastic parts of the front end/low air dam area. I am getting a number of chips in the unprotected areas. Also. there are a few "wrinkle" areas as well. My question is; how difficult is it to remove the existing film, and replace with better?

Thanks,
Dave

Premier

Here are some pics of a custom installed film on the full front bumper w/ wrapped edges wherever possible, 90% of hood also w/ wrapped edges. The standard is to step back 3-5 ft and have it disappear. We've upped this standard to about 3-4 inches with tucked / wrapped edges through custom work

Premier

Here are pics of the custom hood app

vraa

That is actually kinda cool. I like how you included install pictures.

MHaynes772

So, how much would it costs to do one on an E55 same color as above covering the whole front bumper, 90-100% of the hood (you recommendation), the mirrors and fenders (if recommended). Also, where is your company located? Thanks again.

Matthew Haynes

Premier

We are actually based out of Northern California.....

Premier

We will once again be touring the San Diego / OC areas between July 20-26th. For those interested in being added to our list, please contact us directly - sales@premiermobilegroup.com or at 510-390-6920.

brt3

Just had Premier Mobile install front-end protection on two of my cars -- a 2004 VW Phaeton and a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E55 Wagon.

I am one picky SOB and these guys do fantastic work! Highly recommended; you can't go wrong with them. They took all the time necessary to ensure a superb result and the cars look great. Their price is on the high side, but do NOT try and use a bargain installer on paint protection film; you really have to know what you're doing to install this stuff properly. The last guy I used charged $400 to do my G500; the job was so poorly done I refused to pay for it and pulled it off as soon as I got the car back home. To make matters worse the bozo cut the material on the car and scratched it badly. Much better to pay more for faultless work -- trust me on this one...

Thanks, Sam!

AMG BLISS

For starters, this is my car that Premier Mobile did. I share the same view as many others here and other forums. I am very meticulous when choosing who works on my car. I try to choose who is best, based on reputation, experience and comfort level after initially speaking with any person/company who I decide on.

As an example, I chose not to use any pre-cut applications on my car and decided to have a custom cut and install, down to the Carlsson front spoiler lip that was added after these pictures were taken. I wanted the most protection within reason for my paint because although inevitable, I hate to see rock chips. I know in some ways rock chips add character, almost like showing it off that one DRIVES his car and is not a garage queen. I enjoy driving my car, I just don't want it to look too aged before its time.

My $0.02 based on the finished product is it's perfect.

Premier

We are now scheduled to be in the San Diego / OC areas between Sept. 14-18. For those interested in being added to the list for an installation, please email us directly - sales@premiermobilegroup.com

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Premier

Update to Tour Schedule

Austin, TX - Aug 25-29th
Southern California Tour - Sept 14th-18th

stevebez

Hi guys any idea who the agents are for Venture in the UK?

Rgds Steve.

Premier

You should contact Armourfend (armourfend.com). These guys are top-notch installers.