Protective Film? Good Idea or Not?

[nwoods]

I'm thinking of getting something like this for my Storm Trooper LR3 with custom paint on the fender flares, rocker panels, and bumpers.

http://www.invisiblemask.com/

Is this is a good idea or bad idea?

 

[montanablur]

Bad.

 

[syoung]

that stuff sucks- I've seen it before on trucks. Looks like ass after a short time.

 

[NorCalDiscoII]

I?ve seen it on a few passenger cars ? couldn?t tell it was on. Saw one on a D2 few weeks ago, but I think the guy had his truck on a lease and didn?t want scratches on sides from the trail brush. He paid about $800 to have it custom cut all around up to windows.

The kit that that website has is useless? D2 hood is high and flat enough to not worry about road chips. It works great on cars with low hood line and nice painted bumpers, but unless you are going to put it on sides and pay $$$$ it?s useless.

The 3M stuff I?ve seen appears to last for quite some time with no visible aging.

 

[dmarchand]

I have the 3m stuff on mine. Has been swell for the 8 months or so it's been on. Can't really tell it's there. I don't have any pitting of the hood or bumpers and lights like my d-90 has.

It was a pain to apply though. Second time around, I'd have someone apply it who does it for a living.

 

[cptyarderho]

what is the word I am looking for here...

lame. that may be it.

 

[kennith]

Let's see the LR3.

As for the film, it is silly. Keep a good enough coat of wax on her, and detail properly. No worries.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Nori]

Can you guys imagine how it would look like after going out on a trail and all the limbs brushing against that thin film? 800 bucks and one run on the trails will tare that film off. I think........:flamethrower:
Waist of MONEY. unless you done go out wheeling, hen thats another story

 

[RhinoRange02]

Can you guys imagine how it would look like after going out on a trail and all the limbs brushing against that thin film? 800 bucks and one run on the trails will tare that film off.

Interesting point, I'm curious now....
Has anyone actually had this film, and/or seen how it performed after a trip through the woods/bushes....?

 

[scubaman99]

on "passenger cars" its GREAT. a friend of mine has a blue Ferrari 360 and you cant even tell its on it. you actually have to get right down and look for it to even notice it. on the ferrari its only on the leading edeges of the car... mirror, bumper, fender wells, etc.

in any event at first glance its not noticable at all.

now how it will handle after going through bushes and twigs that leave "trail pinstriping" i dunno... it could look like ass afterwards...

 

[NorCalDiscoII]

Can you guys imagine how it would look like after going out on a trail and all the limbs brushing against that thin film?

Actually that's the idea. It holds up very well. If the brush is strong enough to penetrate the film, you'll most likely end up with dented alloy and completely scraped off paint.

 

[Nori]

Actually that's the idea. It holds up very well. If the brush is strong enough to penetrate the film, you'll most likely end up with dented alloy and completely scraped off paint.

Ok, but its a film right? And its soft, and not hard like the paint job.
If a small rock hits the film on the highway it bounces off with out chipping the paint.
BUT, when you are running slowly and a branch catches the film, I bet it will tear real easily.
If you can catch it with your fingernail I think a branch can do more damage.
Just like those smoke films inside the cars. You can hit it with a plastic plate and it will tare, but I guess this film is a little stronger though.
Don?t you think?

 

[NorCalDiscoII]

I've got a nice collection of hair-scratches on the lower side of my doors and rear quarter panels from my last trail ride that I'll try to buff out once the rain stops. The guy who had that film on has nothing. Granted, his truck is white, so it's hard to notice in the first place, but no visible scratches in film. I'm not saying it's immune to branches, but seems to hold up very well to brush from what I've observed.

 

[Nori]

interesting......:bigear:
But still for me I don't think I would spent that much Money on a film.
I would rather scratch the hell out of my truck and repaint it.:victory:

 

[kennith]

It is still silly.

Are you going to try and prevent stone chips with it? How will you get it all around the Land Rover hood lettering, which is about the only place they occur? How do you plan to wax the vehicle? What will you do about the wax buildup on the edge of the film?

I am an "environmental consultant" now. I occasionally have to take the Disco through briars, sticks, blackberry bushes, mud, rocks, and pine trees. The land is going to be logged anyway. I routinely hear that horrid squeal as a thorn or a stick rakes down the paint the wrong way. She comes out looking like she has been in a blender full of rocks.

Guess what? About an hour with the bottle of Zymol's cheap stuff and no more scratches. Shines up like a nickle. That film would be torn to pieces.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[DiscoTim]

Um.. If you all would have actually followed the link, this not about 'body' protection.. its just for the front... a 'clear bra'... that is ALL they offer.

You get around the " L A N D R O V E R " because the letters are pre-cut out.

Ive got the Llumar version of this (its all 3M) on the lip of the hood after I started getting major dings on it. Shit works. Got it on the headlights also.

Its capital T THICK. it is NOT window tint.

and Zymol doesn't get chips off the hood. Id rather use a toothbrush to clean the wax off than have a dinged up hood.

 

[kennith]

But the paint needs wax...

You can't wax through the film. That is my point. Proper paint care involves cleaning, polishing if neccessary, foreign matter removal, waxing and touch ups on chips.

The bra concept is merely an easy way out, clear or not.

And if it is on the leading edge of the hood, it will be impacted by brush, mud, and limbs if you wheel in wooded areas, just as if it was on the sides of the vehicle.

I don't like any type of car-bra. It is not a proper solution to the problem. The solution is time, work, and a little cash regularly. The prevention is actually keeping the proper distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

After almost 75000 miles on this Discovery, and a cross country trip to California and back, and many, many, interstate miles on I95, as well as it's share of off roading, I have only two real areas where my paint is scratched.

The first is from a hidden barb wire fence, the second is from a wild animal. I have no stone chips at all, and no scratches that won't buff out. The one time I decided to "go with the flow" I won a nice windshield divot. That says something about following at a safe distance.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[DiscoNomad]

Lets see that LR3! What is a strom trooper LR3?!?!

 

[fishguy]

I had a toyota that the previous owner had put some clear film the protect the paint where the shell met the cab. I'm in the desert and before I realized it the stuff cracked and baked itself on, I was never able to fully remove it. I will never try one of the clear bras for this reason.