Clear Film Bra / Stone Chip Protection Question

[jmark]

I wouldn't trust that. Installing film is not a science, it's an art form. It is very easily screwed up and you can not re use it. So this guy will be a couple hours from home and if he screws it up, how is he going to fix it? Would he pass off a defect on your car because of it? Dave has accounts with both Porsche dealerships, as well as the Aston Martin, Ferrari, Audi, Jaguar, and a couple more. You don't get in those places doing half assed work. Guys like him that are willing to do anything for business are very desperate and fly by night. There was a guy by me that would do that sort of thing and last month I just walked into his dealer accounts and took them all...at a higher price. Since the price is the same, do you want to risk dealing with someone like that?

BTW, thanks for that link, I'm blowing him in to the Xpel for selling kits below the minimum price! Big violation!!!

He has his own machine & he would just cut another pattern. Reason I would consider him is because he comes to me & I don't have to drive 2 hours there. Dave doesn't do much 3M anymore.

[hls30.com]

I need to check on the initial cost before I put together an official group buy. This is just so I don't tell people one price and wind up charging another. There is a lot of test fitting, wasting film, and other work that is involved. I deal with the best of the best in the business so it's not an if it can be done, just when. I can get a company to design it, but I have to pay over $1000 and then THEY have the rights to the pattern and make it available to all the other dealers....so they profit of something I paid for.

I'm going to try to get a price in the next couple weeks. I'm in the slow season right now so I want to get it designed by the spring when I'd be too busy to do this.

If you have to pay for it, it is yours. If the best in the business don't want that deal, I can write code for plotters and film cutters(every bit as well as anyone)...and I am a perfectionist when it comes to MY Z. 3M publishes all of the specifications of their film, so the particulars used to figure the stretch allowance are as available to anyone as they are to those who want you to pay $1000 for something the best in the business freehand cutter will produce on a car anyway-keep his cuttings and you have the outline for the cuts-from the best in the business.

Then it is just a matter of a two dimensional plotter map-most of the cutters are driven by Corel Draw, or a dedicated vector graphic program.

I have never let enhanced complication as explained by someone with a vested interest in less competiton stop me from trying anything, about 80% of the time the barrier to entry they chat up is a paper tiger.

Will

PS, I don't mean any of this against you, but against the guys wanting $1000 to make a pattern. If I pay for a job, all of the results belong to me-I have this same thing going on with some stainless steel Z parts I am negotiating to have made overseas.

[bkelly]

Tell me about it. I don't want to name names but the company is always looking out for themselves and not the people who are putting money in their pocket. Us. They're great for dealing with us on new cars, but won't help us out with an older one. It's more of an image thing for high end car buyers. If Ferrari comes out with a special run of 50 cars, they'll have the pattern out for the whole car the day they can get their hands on it. For an old car that sold hundreds of thousands, they won't.

[bkelly]

Just and update- All parts of the standard Z are done and are going to put into the computer over the next few days- Headlight buckets, valence, valence corners and the hood. Once I can get my hands on a BRE spoiler that will be designed as well as the area on the 1/4 panels that are under the spoiler over hang. Next step is test fitting and final tweaks. If there is demand for other pieces (different air dams, rocker panels, etc) I will design them if I see fit. This is not cheap and very time consuming to do.

I have left a loose tolerance on the edges due to the fact that many cars have been through restorations and other things that may effect the shape of the metal. My goal is to have a pattern than is user friendly and can be easily installed with out having to contact a professional.

[Oiluj]

BKelly,

This will be a great item for our older Z's!

As I said before, I'm definitely interested, (assuming it's not too expensive).

[Oiluj]

Does that fit your timing for availability of the kits?

Also, do you have an idea of approximate cost for a film kit for budgeting purposes?

Obviously, there will be your material cost, your development time and some profit, so I know the kit won't be inexpensive. As I'm probably not in the same state as you, I'll have to go to a local installer, so I need to figure that in as well.

Thanks again for making the patterns! I appreciate the effort and am certain that many on the site feel the same.

[bkelly]

The price will be in the $200-$250 range, most likely $250. A lot depends on how much I can fit on the smallest width film. If everything will fit on 18in it should be closer to $200, if it has to be bumped to to 24in, then it goes up. I'm going to break up the price into an upper and lower. Like I said, these are being designed for end user installation so hopefully you won't need to pay extra and have it installed for you. I'll be making a video and putting it on you tube and giving out my phone number for tech help. I'm also including all the installation tools with an order.

[hls30.com]

If you have issues finding a spook and its mounting panels, I have a full set uff the car.

Will

[bkelly]

I've already got a spook lined up locally, if that falls through for some reason, I'm putting one on my car so I'll just order one. The guy is also putting on a BRE rear spoiler so I'll be able to design the 1/4 panel contact area once it's on the car.....maybe in a week or so, we just prepped the hatch for paint today.

How popular is the MSA air dam?

[Oiluj]

That sounds great! Count me in when it's ready. I'll need the BRE spook film also.

I'll be putting the film on a freshly painted car. Do have an idea of how long should I wait for the paint to cure before installing the film on fresh paint?

Julio

[bkelly]

I like to wait 30 days for the paint to fully out gas. If not, the solvents in the paint can cause the film to discolor. More important than that is to make sure the surface is properly prepped before it's painted. When you have to lift the film up for what ever reason, if the paint is not adhered correctly it will lift up.