Maybe you are already aware of this but 3M in addition to making the Clear Bra material is now making a spray on material that you can peel off, like the vinyl film. It would be easier for anyone to have paint protection with little or no skill needed to apply it, or the high cost. The downside is that the stuff is only good for a year or so. Most likely I will continue to use the vinyl film, but for those who want paint protection they can do themselves this might be useful. New 3M Paint Defender System Offers Invisible Paint Protection in Easy-to-Use Spray | 3M Newsroom | United States hope this helps, ES44AC
hey evpv, Who knew that the Pa. Hwy. Dept. has these machines stationed at strategic locations on our highways! It really answers a lot! Of course the Pa. ones don't keep the damned gravel in a box, it hits your bloody car! Just had a nice 1/2" stone from a gravel truck hit me yesterday, luckily it hit the hood bra, then the windscreen and ended up on top my wipers! No damage though tnx to Venture Shield. Pretty impressive for a spray on coating I'd say. Can't tell if it has an orange peel to it when sprayed on. I'd do my taillights with it if I knew it would be smooth! Regards, ES44AC
Cool idea, I'll probably stick with the regular cut film though. I had a 3M film on my 08 Prius for 4.5 years and aside from some swirl marks on it from car washing it held up great. I have the regular 3M film on my 13 as well. How much does the spray cost? And do you just need one can?
3M does neat stuff. The claimed life is a year or so, I wonder what it looks like as it nears the end of it's life? This may evolve into a product with a life comparable to the stick on sheets.
Yeah, my concern with a product that is designed to be protective but also has a deterioration rate, would be two fold. How IS it going to look as the year progresses, and as you near it being a year old how much protection do you really have? How much does this cost? If it was cheap enough, I'd almost want to use it more as a "Temporary" or "As Needed" product. Like you could spray it on your hood before a known long road trip. Then remove it at some point shortly after the trip. I don't know if I like the idea of a "Temporary" but long term...degrading protective product.
Here is a good price on it and some user reviews Amazon.com: 3M 90000 Paint Defender Spray Film: Automotive Here are some examples of coverage per can 3M Paint Defender Spray Film - AutoZone.com I have a 3000 mile road trip in my other car scheduled for August. I might give it a try.
If you do, let us know what you think. Looking at that Autozone "suggested areas to protect" and the supposed amount of cans it needs to cover? Seems to suggest that you would need up to 3 cans to do the full hood and front bumper..at $25 per can, that starts to make it prohibitive to me as a "temporary" protective measure. If I've spent $50-$100 dollars, then I'm not going to want to remove it after a road trip. And I think it makes the value much more questionable. But if you do use it, let us know what you think about the amount of coverage per can, and of course anything else you discover about application, useage, and the product itself.
I think they either need to get the price down or the life up, but considering how 3M is a reliable company, the life may already be longer than they claim. The first blurb I read on it it was $45/can and Amazon is already selling it for $25/can. I probably won't use it, but am lightly considering it.
It's my understanding that the product was originally designed to be used on new cars in transit to dealers. It somehow evolved into a " One year or more" product. If I was transporting a new Lambo from Fla. to Philly, I'd spray it on for the trip then peel it off and get the real vinyl protection! I've heard of people even using Contact Paper in pinch to stop bugs etc. May look like hell but might help a bit. Cheers, ES44AC
