Newbie: use of detailing products & clear films (like 3M)

[DetailShawn]

Hi All, newbie here and 1st post. Just bought a package from AG after relying on a favorite car wash for the past 9 years. They recently changed owners and apparently techniques as I swore by this place and now started noticing swirls in the paint.

Not only that, but they're not located close to me and instead of spending the money & time to go to them I started looking at doing it myself. Then I found AG here.

I started with my first wash/wax the other weekened using the Pinnacle products (along with DP for wheels, Stoner for windows, Cobra for MF products, etc.). So, just a newbie and did a lot of reading/cross-referencing between the advice on the AG product pages and the reviews from folks. So, I could be way off on what you all think is "best".

Anyway, I washed 3 cars so far (a weekend toy [Mazda Miata] I just sold, my daily driver [BMW X3] and also mom's weekend car [MBZ C320]). The results have been pretty nice after many years of these cars not getting good attention. Looking forward to additional cleanings/coats of wax to really see how the products do.

Sorry, long-winded intro.... here's the actual topic:

I have a new toy & daily driver coming this weekend (2007 Porsche Boxster) and am strongly considering having a professional apply a clear protective film. It's going to cost around $800-1000 and the installer is well regarded. My question is, what is the general consensus around here about living long-term with such a film and the interaction of detailing products with it?

Does the wash/wax job you do before you put on basically stay perfect for the duration of the film's lifespan? Will there be a difference if you keep detailing the rest of the car nicely and then the body panels under the film start looking different? Is there anything else I should know before committing to do the film or maybe not worth the money and just skip it?

Thanks much for all your advice/tips. Really happy that I'm taking care of my cars on my own and it's actually fun and I don't look at it as a chore at all. I'm staying away from the DA orbitals like Porter for now as I'm not sure I need 'em, but open minded.

Shawn

[Thejoyofdriving]

Well first of all, make sure that the areas which the clear film is being applied are swirl free. 90% of the cars i detail have clear film on them. I polish, wax and wash the car as i would any other car. I think of the clear film as a extension of the clear coat. As far as i know, most high quality products will not damage the clear armor or affect its life span. I have seen many times where clear film saved the paint from a bad scratch or chip. It is much harder to work with a car having clear film as after polishing there is left over residue stuck in the seams which has to be cleaned out or else you can see white lines every where.

[julian]

what is this so-called clear film that is applied for 800 to 1000 dollars???

[guidosrx8]

sorry to jack, but TJOD, do you polish on top of the clear plastic? or just around the edges? do you do this by hand or machine?

sorry

[DetailShawn]

Thanks for the feedback, TJOD.

I just had it done yesterday on the new car and the installer said the same things. I chose a kit along with some upgrades & full treatment, so there aren't that many seams.

For the remaining areas with seams, I will make sure I follow the general advice of treating the areas with seams as 2 separate panels to avoid making seams appear via wax residue.

Looks great so far and waiting for some good weather to give the car the full detailing/wax treatment.

Shawn

[Thejoyofdriving]

Originally Posted by guidosrx8

sorry to jack, but TJOD, do you polish on top of the clear plastic? or just around the edges? do you do this by hand or machine?

sorry

I polish the whole vehicle, on top of the clear armor. Like i said, i think of it just as an extension of clear coat. I use a machine always, its not going to harm the film. The problem with getting white seams happens when you polish, the polish gets in there and drys white. I use an apc or ipa solution to get it out. If your using a high quality wax like pinnacle or wolf gang, you wont have to worry about getting wax residues in the seams, because it dries clear.

[killrflake]

I just had a "clear bra" installed on my car. I've been advised to use Plexall to clean it and although its ok to put wax on it, it should not be done with a machine. If someone feels differently, please say so as I'm just learning about this clear film myself.

[Thejoyofdriving]

Originally Posted by killrflake

I just had a "clear bra" installed on my car. I've been advised to use Plexall to clean it and although its ok to put wax on it, it should not be done with a machine. If someone feels differently, please say so as I'm just learning about this clear film myself.

Who told you it should not be done with machine?

[TOGWT]

1. What can be done about wax build up along the seams and how can I avoid it?
Wax will leave a white line on the seam, it is recommended not to wax over the seams and wax the film and uncovered portions separately to keep from wax build-up. If you accidentally wax over the seam, soak a Q-tip / swab in a 1:1 solution of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) /distilled water; gently wipe the seam, once the wax has dissolved use a micro fibre towel to wipe the residue from the edge of the clear bra.

2. To polish-out light scratches- Menzerna Final Polish 106FF, LC White foam pad at 800-900 RPM do not use any downward machine pressure and maintain a fast linear motion

3. Clear bra polish- Menzerna PO 85 RD3.01 LC Blue foam pad 1000 RPM do not use any downward machine pressure and maintain a fast linear motion

[Thejoyofdriving]

Originally Posted by TOGWT

1. What can be done about wax build up along the seams and how can I avoid it?
Wax will leave a white line on the seam, it is recommended not to wax over the seams and wax the film and uncovered portions separately to keep from wax build-up. If you accidentally wax over the seam, soak a Q-tip / swab in a 1:1 solution of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) /distilled water; gently wipe the seam, once the wax has dissolved use a micro fibre towel to wipe the residue from the edge of the clear bra.

Usually there is no need for that, high quality waxes like pinnacles SSII for example wont leave a white line or any residue, but if you use stuff like megs it will. The problems with residue come with the polishes.