[UUronL]

Do any of you have the 3M Scotchguard Paint Protection Film installed on your E60s? If so, about how much did it cost to have installed? If you're not familiar with what I'm talking about, there's a brief description here:


http://www.automotiv...ar_Bra_3M.shtml


Also, I'm thinking of ordering one of the 3 shades of gray. I don't like the appearance of swirls - is there one color that will show swirls less than others (other than white)?


I'm usually good about hand washing my cars and instructing the dealers not to wash my car when serviced, but inevitably something happens and someone besides me will end up washing/ruining the paint.

[stream]

Titanium silver will show swirls the least. It also shows dirt less so you can go for a lot longer without washing--the flip side is it's a lot less gratifying to wash & wax! My last car was light silver, and here in northern California (where it hardly ever rains--except for the few months of rainy season we're currently in) I would sometimes go for a month without washing it (just used a California car duster once in a while).

For my 545i I went with silver gray, which is a good compromise between low maintenance and a dark enough color to show off the lines of the car. I like it a lot.

[UUronL]

stream, on Mar 4 2005, 02:24 PM, said:

Titanium silver will show swirls the least.  It also shows dirt less so you can go for a lot longer without washing--the flip side is it's a lot less gratifying to wash &  wax!   My last car was light silver, and here in northern California (where it hardly ever rains--except for the few months of rainy season we're currently in) I would sometimes go for a month without washing it (just used a California car duster once in a while).

For my 545i I went with silver gray, which is a good compromise between low maintenance and a dark enough color to show off the lines of the car.  I like it a lot.

I'm leaning towards the silver gray for the same reasons you mention, although I like the darker ones a bit better. Thanks for the feedback.

[Hobi]

Hi

Does this 3M film actually work? And if you remove it after 3 years on a car, does it leave the paintwork marked in any way???

Thanks a lot

Hobi

[jefflieb]

I had my dealer do it prior to delivery for $400.00, a decent deal I thought.

[russo]

The primary reason for the paint protective films is to protect your paint and headlamps from stone chips on freeways, not hiding the swirls.

They do hide to a certain level but the swirls will still be there after you take it off.

In fact, the films can be scratched themselves during car washes. If you just want to hide swirls, better use a pre-wax cleanser to fill it up. P21S or AIO should do the job well enough. Follow through with a wax.

[xexyus]

I think its a waste of money. It might save you from bugs (which arent hard to get out) but it wont save you from that damn truck in front of you filled with rocks

[xexyus]

Guest, on Mar 8 2005, 04:24 PM, said:

Hey that thin layer of plastic CAN help,just like your friend in the pocket(raincoat)

I spent 5 minutes on your sentence trying to figure out what you meant by that

[JDN]

xexyus, on Mar 8 2005, 10:37 AM, said:

I think its a waste of money.  It might save you from bugs (which arent hard to get out) but it wont save you from that damn truck in front of you filled with rocks 

Hope there is room for a little disagreement here. I'm approaching 10,000 miles with only one chip which was self-induced - I actually tore the bra with contact with the end of an aluminum tube in the city's trash container. Other than that, she's clean as a whistle up front. I don't have to worry about getting the bugs off right away before they etch the paint, although I do it anyway.

[xexyus]

JDN, on Mar 9 2005, 12:41 PM, said:

xexyus, on Mar 8 2005, 10:37 AM, said:

I think its a waste of money.  It might save you from bugs (which arent hard to get out) but it wont save you from that damn truck in front of you filled with rocks 

Hope there is room for a little disagreement here. I'm approaching 10,000 miles with only one chip which was self-induced - I actually tore the bra with contact with the end of an aluminum tube in the city's trash container. Other than that, she's clean as a whistle up front. I don't have to worry about getting the bugs off right away before they etch the paint, although I do it anyway.

Yea I guess, just 400$ is a lot for a bra

[JDN]

$65k is a lot for an automobile, too.

[andy545]

JDN, on Mar 9 2005, 07:21 PM, said:

$65k is a lot for an automobile, too.

This was my argument as well. If I could find the d@mn thing here, I would get it.
Thought about shipping it over here...but there's nobody around with sufficient
install experience.

Touch-painting the chips as they come.

[UUronL]

Thanks for the replies. I actually was asking two distinct questions - I know the 3M film isn't to hide or prevent swirls. I drive 90+ % of the time on highways going 70-80mph at close proximity to other cars. I'll welcome any protection it can afford. Thanks for relaying the price information - I can use that when I go to order my car this weekend.