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Paint protection film kits are a relatively new
(last 5-7 years) phenomenon. During Operation Desert Storm,
3M Corporation developed an exceptionally tough film for the
U.S. Government that was intended to protect the rotor blades
of Armed Forces helicopters from damage due to sand particles.
Later in the 1990's 3M saw that the same product eliminated
the shortcomings of using vinyl or leather vehicle bras and
plastic bug shields as a means of protecting the paint on the
leading edges of vehicles. Some of the normal problems associated
with the more traditional products included chaffing and abrading
the paint, trapping dirt and other debris under the bra, vibrations
causing the permanently mounted fasteners to shake loose, a
loss in vehicular aerodynamics (along with decreased fuel efficiency!)
and last but certainly not least, the need to install a horrendous
looking device on the front end on an otherwise attractive vehicle.
3M's innovative solution to this industry-wide problem was to
introduce their Scotchcal as an automotive film.
Today 3M's Scotchcal is the premier automotive paint
protective film and prior to the recent appearance of a competitive
product made by Avery Dennison, was the one used by nearly every
film kit manufacturer in the world. The film itself is eight thousands
of an inch thick (about twice as thick as the films used for automobile
decals, pin striping and graphics) and made out of a tough urethane
with a glossy topcoat. It has a layer of adhesive that becomes exposed
once the paper backing is removed by the installer. Kits are available
from various manufacturers throughout the industry that are custom
cut to fit specific vehicles. In fact, you can buy pre-manufactured
kits for all makes of automobiles, trucks, big rigs, recreational
vehicles, trailers, small and motorcycles. Most vendors guarantee
their product not to haze, yellow or peel and offer a warranty of
anywhere from two to five years when properly installed. The film
contains ultra-violet stabilizers to prevent discoloration or degradation
of the product itself while still allowing the sun's rays to pass
through to the paint so if you do decide to remove the film your
vehicle will not be two-toned! By the way, 3M's own testing has
determined that the actual product life for this product is in excess
of seven years as determined by extensive weathering tests simulated
in their laboratories in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Once applied to the leading edges of a vehicle using
a proprietary solution containing water, detergent and isopropyl
alcohol, the kit pieces cure in as little as 24-48 hours and provide
the same degree of protection or better as the traditional bras
and shields without the negative side effects. The installation
process itself is very similar to window tinting or even wallpapering
and the best attributes you can have as an expert installer are
patience and experience. First the area is cleaned and all excess
wax is removed. Secondly, the area is sprayed with installation
solution. Next, the paper backing is carefully removed from the
film and the film is sprayed with application solution. One piece
of film at a time is placed into position and finished by gently
removing the excess liquid from underneath the film with a squeegee.
The end result is a nearly invisible protective barrier that guards
and shields the paint against damage caused by bugs (and their secretions),
small rock chips, road salt and other small particles of debris
found on the roads and highways. The product works so well we say
it is "Invisible Yet Invincible".
A standard kit just about always means 3 pieces of
film, one hood piece and two end cap or front fender pieces. Deluxe
kits usually include the 3 standard pieces but then go on to include
film pieces to protect bumpers, spoilers, mirrors and any painted
grill areas. Some manufacturers even offer optional pieces which
can include door pillars, cab tops, rocker panels and fender flares.
This film is not suitable for covering chrome surfaces or areas
that are already heavily chipped or pitted nor is it suitable for
headlight protection. (Editor's note: I have this on my headlights
and it works great. The bugs slide right off and it protects the
lens from yellowing with the UV protection)
Manufacturers that normally sell to the retail market
usually include some installation supplies like a squeegee, squeegee
sleeves, concentrated application solution, a spray bottle and instructions
with their kits. Many retail customers install their own kits especially
the more basic hood and end cap pieces. Experienced installers usually
have their own preferred type of squeegee and have "tweaked" the
application solution (by adding or decreasing the amount of concentrate
or alcohol) to accommodate their individual preference. More concentrate
keeps the surface area slicker for a longer period of time and allows
a relative novice to reposition the film several times until it
is perfectly in place. Using more alcohol results in the surface
area drying more quickly therefore tacking the film in place almost
instantaneously. The time needed to install a kit will vary based
on the installer's level of experience, the design of the kit and
the difficulty of the surface to be covered in terms of total area,
presence (or absence) of compound curves and number of pieces. A
standard 3 piece kit can be installed on an automobile in as little
as twenty minutes while a deluxe RV kit may take over five hours.
A typical installer charges his customer in the neighborhood of
$40 per hour for installation in addition to the price of the kit.
Similarly, the learning curve needed to become expert at installing
this film varies from person to person. Typically, only one or two
kits are required before someone "starts getting the hang of this
stuff" especially if they've used similar products such as window
tinting film in the past. Experienced installers are in very high
demand right now. One of our best installers just returned from
an all expense paid trip to Portugal where a customer requested
that he install a kit on a new $175,000 Porsche!
You must be asking yourself "Does this product really
work as well as Tom says it does?" This product is used on nearly
all of the NASCAR vehicles you see racing every Sunday. We like
to think that if it will protect the paint and aerodynamics of a
vehicle traveling 200 miles per hour just think of what it will
do you on the highway at 65 miles per hour! Actually, 3M does have
a specific test for this product using a device known as a gravelometer
which is designed to fire one half pint of gravel at painted surfaces
at a rate of 30-60 miles per hour for approximately ten seconds.
The areas covered by the Scotchcal film always emerge unscathed
while uncovered panels suffer from pitting and chipping. Honestly
people, this is a real test! The actual procedure (which specifies
the proper size and shape of gravel to use), is documented by ASTM.
I know that virtually everybody that owns a vehicle
or trailer no matter what year or make is a potential customer and
that those individuals that frequent YOUR BUSINESS are prime targets
as they have already demonstrated that taking care of their investment
is very important to them. I invite you to see it for yourself.
Start getting in the habit of looking at the front painted surfaces
of vehicles, at your business, at the shopping center, anywhere.
You will notice that the paint on the front ends of all those vehicles
are eaten up with chips and scratches!
The general public is only now just starting to become
aware of paint protection film products like Invinca-Shield. The
Monaco Coach Corporation with manufacturing plants in both Oregon
and Indiana now offer kits made from 3M's Scotchcal film as a factory
installed option for all Monaco and Holiday Rambler RV's. Panelite,
one of the largest aftermarket accessory providers for the commercial
trucking industry now offers these kits. All of the 16 Circuit City
Road Shops throughout the Atlanta region offer film shields and
Ford Motor Company's Black Belt Quality Team in Chicago was recently
inquiring about paint protection film kits as a method to protect
their cars especially while transporting them from the factories
to their dealers. This industry is primed to explode!
We have seen people in this industry try many different
methods to market these kits ranging from radio advertising, to
working the Internet car club chat rooms to actual sponsorship of
a NASCAR race team. While I suspect that an infomercial on national
television might do wonders for this industry, our actual experience
has been that the most effective methods of marketing this product
have also been the least expensive. Word of mouth, as I previously
stated is responsible for most new kit sales whether it be a proud
Mustang owner showing his car off at the local car club rally or
an excited Audi TT owner sharing his satisfaction with others in
an Internet chat room. 3M does a superb job of providing marketing
support for their Scotchcal film and even supplies free brochures,
easels and other point of purchase materials. We particularly like
their brochures because there is a blank area on the back where
a distributor can insert their own contact information! Lastly,
nothing will sell a kit faster than someone actually seeing it professionally
installed on another vehicle. Most distributors have kits installed
on their personal vehicles for use as a sales aid in addition to
the usual paint protection advantages. Some people have even made
deals with local dealerships to install a kit on a car on the floor
of the showroom for free so potential customers can see the shield
that way! Others have sold dealerships with a deal so that all cars
on the lot have a kit installed when they arrive but the dealership
is not required to pay for them until the car is sold ("preloading").
Sometimes the shield is added to the actual sticker on the automobile
(just like dealer prep, rust coating or other protectors) and financed
for "just pennies a day", a real plus to the dealership's bottom
line.
Several companies in the industry are offering new
distributors the opportunity to promote, sell, and install paint
protection film kits in exchange for a piece of the profits. Current
distributors range from independents to franchise owners such as
Ziebart, Dr. Vinyl and ATD (Auto Trim Design) Group members. Many
were already involved in the automobile care and maintenance industry
and found that it was a perfect add-on to supplement their existing
business for no extra investment. Selling and installing just one
typical kit per week can mean an extra $500-$600 in your pocket
at the end of the month while we personally know several individuals
who earn over $100,000 a year selling and installing kits full-time.
Earlier in this article, I mentioned having picked
up on the common theme of "increasing revenue for your business".
This industry is primed for your participation and holds the allure
of offering potentially huge profits for little or no investment.
Purchasers of new vehicles are having to pony up more and more of
their hard-earned money as automobile and truck prices increase.
As a result, they are holding on to their investment longer and
are much more willing to spend a few dollars to protect their investment.
It costs you nothing to investigate whether or not becoming a player
in the paint protection film kit industry is a good fit for your
current business. |
