I am getting the 3M kit only because I saw a demonstration at the NY Auto Show at the XPEL booth. Now I know for sure that it looks good. It is also guaranteed for 5 years against yellowing.
04 6MT Coupe | Caribbean Blue | On Order ETA 4/30/04
Why LLUMAR?
LLUMAR has a lifetime warranty against yellowing, etc.
Optically clear
Has a perectly smooth finish as opposed to an orange peel effect on 3M film
Hmm, I didn't see any "orange peel" effect on the sample I saw at the autoshow. They also provided me with a sample to take home, and as I look at it right now it seems perfectly smooth and optically clear to me, unless my optics are off.
04 6MT Coupe | Caribbean Blue | On Order ETA 4/30/04
Know a guy with a 350Z with Clear Bra...It's been on since last summer and I've got to tell you...It looks like shit!!! The line across the hood looks pretty bad...and this is a car that is immaculate!! It just didn't hold up very well...Lots of people having problems with these...Just an FYI...
The place I am going to has 3M as well as LLUMAR. I will take a hard look at both side by side. There are inferior products out there that do not hold up. After considerable research, I feel that LLUMAR and 3M are the best. When I weigh a line across the hood vs. stone pit marks all over the front (I have a dark G35), I will go with the line. Besides, I have been told that if you go braless, over time the front will have a tendency to sag!
MRL, you didn't tell me who gave you that information re: 3M.
Please remember that many people have a vested intrest in which product you choose.
The installer might be pushing you towards LLUMAR becase it is a "mee too" product that is not as well known as 3M, which mostlikely means his cost for LLUMAR is much lower than the name brand 3M, which equals to more dollars for his pocketbook.
My research on LLUMAR
Solutia was founded in St. Louis in 1901 as Monsanto Company. For decades, chemicals were the foundation of Monsanto, which eventually expanded beyond its original identity as a local producer of saccharin to become one of the world's leading chemical companies by the 1960s.
Solutia was created as an independent company on September 1, 1997, after Monsanto shareholders approved the spin-off of the company's chemical businesses. Today, Solutia is a specialty chemicals company with a growth-oriented business strategy that drives our commitment to excellent customer service. A true global enterprise, Solutia has more than $3 billion in annual sales, $4 billion in assets and more than 9,000 employees located at 35 manufacturing sites throughout 30 countries
CPFilms Inc., a subsidiary of Solutia Inc., is the world's largest manufacturer of solar control and safety window film for both automotive and building applications.
ISO 9001 certified
GSA contract
Lifetime guarantee against yellowing, etc
Reported to be the most optically clear of any paint protection film.
From various forums people have indicated that the surface of 3M film has an "orange peel" feel. I have never seen it in person so I cannot comment. The LLUMAR film is apparantly made with a process that produces a perfectly smooth layer.
I will see both on Monday.
My intuition tells me that CPFilms/LLUMAR might know a thing or two about film.
In any event, tomorrow I will find out. The installer does both 3M and now LLUMAR.
I'd surmise that 3M's history would be 10 times as illustrious as the one you just posted for LLUMAR. You type "Reported to be the most optically clear of any paint protection film". Who is this reported by? "Lifetime guarantee against yellowing, etc." Does 3M have a similar warranty?
Again, oftentimes salespeople step the consumer from the name brand product to a secondary product, because the secondary product has more of a profit margin.
A long time ago I worked in an electronics store (like best buy or circuit city). People would come in for the $150 Sony boombox we advertised, but many salespeople would step them to a Fisher stereo, which obviously isn't as good, but it had a better profit margin.
Did you come in looking for 3M, and they told you about LLUMAR? This is where the term "bait and switch" comes from. I'm not saying this is happening, but I wanted you and other board members to be cognizant that this happens frequently.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Gary Perez
Hmm, I didn't see any "orange peel" effect on the sample I saw at the autoshow. They also provided me with a sample to take home, and as I look at it right now it seems perfectly smooth and optically clear to me, unless my optics are off.
04 6MT Coupe | Caribbean Blue | On Order ETA 4/30/04
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
i can vouch on the orange peel effect but it's not that obvious on a dg or any other dark colors.
This is not from first hand experience, but I [b]heard[/] (from a local installer) the 3M bras have extraordinary amount of adhesive that eventually seep out at the edges and collect a lot of dirt and grime, making the lines even more noticeable and shitty. Some bras deflect uv rays where you get the uneven fading, which you probably don't want. There was a new bra (brand) that they mentioned that doesn't suffer from the above mentioned side effects but couldn't recall what it was....I think it was Llumar, better double check...
The only time the orange peel effect is really visible on any car is in direct reflection of light. Otherwise, you can't tell there is a bra on it unless you look specifically for the seam.
KAl.
'04 G35 Coupe 6MT, Black/Black, Premium Package, Aero Package w/Spoiler
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LLUMAR clear bra
