Then don't order the film directly from Lotus and, instead, have it put on by another approved (by 3M) applicator. They have listings of where they are located at the 3M site.nxm150 said:Various people have been saying that do not want the dealer to wash their car as they would prefer to do it themselves. But what if you want the clear film protective bra? The dealer would have to wash the car to apply the film.
Oh you wrote "drive or SIT". Not really related at all but: I used to work for CSX railroad and it was commonplace for new GM and Ford cars to arrive at the distribution centers in the South having been "lived" in during the train ride down from Michigan. The hobo's would use the cars as bedrooms and bathrooms for the trip down from the north on a pretty regular basis. The car carrier's used to be very easy to get inside, but now the RR's have buttoned up the cars a lot better to avoid the problem. FWIW(not much)zvezdah1 said:Why on earth would someone not trust the dealer to wash the car!? They'll probably say noone at the dealer is allowed to drive or sit in the car either!![]()
Wow
Chris
when dealer washes--->zvezdah1 said:Why on earth would someone not trust the dealer to wash the car!?
Jeff,frayed said:Ouch, that hurt.
Two questions:
1. Wouldn't it be more likely that our Lotus dealers are a different breed? You aren't buying a Kia, and it seems many of the Lotus dealers sell new/used high end Italian machinery and the like (at least my local dealer does). I'd like to think that they have a sensitivity to new car prep that the Ford dealer never will have.
2. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but how does the Lotus protection compare to Invisishield, Xpel, Stongard? Having had Xpel on my S2000, it would seem that completeness and fit may vary (I think they all use the 3M film).
Assuming they are all roughly equivalent, it makes sense NOT to use the Lotus stuff, but rather, use either Xpel or Stongard applied by a certified local installer. In my experience, the trick with this stuff is finding a good installer, just like window tint. I think a good installer is generally one with lots of experience. . . so unless your dealer has lots of experience, I'd rather go to a 'pro'.
Thoughts?
Visited the 3-M booth at the NY Show where theyfrayed said:Nope.
Invinca Shield, Xpel, Stongard all use 3M Paint Protection Film
I believe Dynashield and Venture use the same 3M film as well.
The difference is in the patterns. Each company has their own, the details will differ. I'm sure each company claims their patterns are better, but I'm betting that one cannot generalize, and that the answer to the question of which is best will be car specific.
$400 labor is high. I was told that if I brought in my own kit, labor would be $200; buying Xpel, labor = $85. But, like anything, I'm sure it's a function of where you are located (supply/demand). Here there are multiple Xpel trained install shops to choos from.