hey gang,
i'm going to have a clear bra installed on my BMW today. lifetime guaranty.
so i arrive at Proform, company name is "Maryland Performance Works LTD". proform is the name of the 3M film. i've got the camera out ready to take pix of the install in progress. as i put the view finder up to my eye, i burst out laughing. i can't see S_ I T . it's clear, you can not see it on the car. you can see a slight line on the bonnet where the film ends and the hood is not covered by the film.
Rob said this stuff, from 3M is not cheap. he goes thru about $50K of this stuff a year. he covered the front bumper cover, to include below the opening, front portion of the fender,(cow, or splitter section area) head lights, fog lights, 24" up the hood, both mirrors, and all 4 doors w/ clear edge guard. 
sorry i can't show pix, but like i said, you can only see this stuff where it stops, like the slight line, 24" up the hood.
rob said you can sand it(K-Block), buff it, polish it. anything you can do to the paint, you can do to the film. if it gets a scratch on the film, just use 70% alcohol solution, and it will take out the scratch. he advised the only time this stuff will fail is when something impacts the hood that will cause a dent. but the tensile strength is much greater than an area of the car w/out the film on it. so it is now much more impervious to being damaged where is film is on the front of the car.
i can show pix during the day time tomorrow of the tint. the finished tint number is 38%, all around. got to keep it legal. 35% all around is what is allowed in Maryland on a passenger vehicle. when i arrived they were installing the blueish colored tint, the same as seen on a new mercedes benz, on to Rob's jeep. UV protection block is 99%. cool looking stuff.
so this stuff is not cheap, but when my wife's Volvo dies, she will be driving the 335 up and down I-95 on a daily basis. this will certain keep the frequent stone chips away f/ the car. i hope to be in my new E93.
rob, at proform is the only certified installer in MD. only doing this because i plan to keep the car a while. and when my wife stars to drive it to work, (up & down I-95, 88 mi. round trip) the stone chips to the front of the BMW will pile up quick. i filled in the few (6) paint chips w/ touch up paint 2 days ago, so it could dry for a day. then went to my preferred body shop,
PJ's Body and Paint Shop 806 Bel Air Rd. bel air, md.
they K-Blocked all the filled in stone chips, so it looks like new and no chips under the clear bra. they would have been visible.
will take pix as the install progresses. might have tint done too. will keep it legal. no darker than 35%. will ask for 40% as a finished results.
So anyway my question to Rob was, if I’m in an accident and the film is removed off a section it was applied to will an ins. co. replace it.
He advised only if it was installed by an improved installer.
He is, and is the only one in MD at the time.
can't beat that...
________________________________
From: DBA email
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 6:14 AM
To: 'Rob @ Proform'
Subject: RE: appointment
hey Rob, yes, that was a nice conversation today. i have about 3 or 4 tiny stone chips on the front part of the bonnet where the clear bra will go. i have touch paint that I can fill in ahead of time if you can K-Block it and polish it before the clear bra goes on.
i am not sure how a tiny chip looks under the clear bra that is not touched up. So I divert to your expertise.
anyway , looking forward to the improvement to the BMW. Glad the tint man is on board w/ matching the price of my local tint installer $175 for all 5 windows. not the windshield.
see ya Friday early afternoon,
ps. 40% total would be great.
________________________________________
From: Rob @ Proform [mailto:mdperfworks@verizon.net]
Sent: Monday, 20 July, 2009 10:34
To: DBA email
Subject: appointment
Hi Dave, was great to speak with you, The tinter can do the $175 with 40% so it is legal
...see you at 1 on this Friday the 24th ... address is below...Rob
Rob Freeman
PROFORM PROTECTIVE FILMS
Maryland Performance Works
3220-D Corporate Ct.
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Ph: 410-750-8371
Fax: 410-750-8370
Toll Free: 866-PRO-3682
Web:
www.proformauto.com