Jean-Claude

Just installed my first piece of 3m's latest revision of the film. The topcoat is smoking from an installation standpoint but it does have slightly more texture than Suntek. I would say the topcoat looks similar to Xpel Ultimate. One other thing I really really like is the adhesive in terms of installation. It is more prone to stress marks than Suntek though. 

It was installed on a 2014 Cayenne bumper. Installation-wise, I think I may like it better than Suntek. Suntek wins on looks though.

Well, isn't that he same case with gloss too guys? It's very common in our industry to promote that the film is made for OEM paint jobs and there is a higher risk with repaints. There are cases, rare but they do happen, when we lift the clear on a glass factory car. There are some high end cars where the paint is softer and I know that BMW had some major issues with one of their new cars. I'm pretty sure it was the X5 a year ago and the paint was chipping too easily. We run the risk every day and it just so happens that matte is not as common as gloss so the pool of experiences of installing matte are far less than gloss which leads to a higher percentage of possible issues. 

 

It is certainly a choice and by no means am I saying you should or shouldn't. As business owners, you take risks and it's up to you to determine whether the risk is worth it. It's a great topic to continue exploring more about so other installers can be more informed which trickles down to educating the consumers in the process.

The difference is that smooth clear coated paint can be cleaned with adhesive remover and withstands mechanical abrasion very well. Even if the paint becomes marred during the cleaning process, it can be polished. None of this can be said of factory satin/matt finish paints.

Well said Norm.

I've turned down matte/satin finish ppf jobs because I know that if/when it is removed there is a good enough chance that it will leave adhesive that I don't want my name on it. When you start using harsh cleaners on satin paint you will ruin it and you will have a livid client. Just because it's money in the pocket now does not mean it's good for our industry. Install responsibly gentlemen.

I don't advise covering matte paint with any film. Good luck removing left over adhesive when the film is removed from the matte paint.