Armourfend/paint protection film

[Luegonigel]

Hi, I just got my nose cone repainted and armourfended. I later found out that the armourfend "kit" doesn't include any bits which go down the side of the nose cone where it gets slightly wider next to the side panels. I've bought some film off the internet, any tips on fitting it?

[Mark w]

Don't put you fingers on the sticky side at all , you will leave finger prints that don't go away .

Use plenty of liquid on the panel prior to positioning .

Dont panic ! You should have plenty of time to slide it around and position correctly .

You can stretch it to fit odd profiles but don't over stretch , you can use a mild heat source ( hairdryer ) to aid the fitting ,

I managed to fit on the compound curves of the front edge chassis at the rear of the " door opening " without too much hassle , the rear side of the nose cone should be fairly straightforward .

[F355GTS]

Use washing up liquid/ water mix nad wet the surface, both sides of the film and your fingers, slide into t position and use a rubber blade to squeeze out the fluid

[Paul Richards]

Nigel

Plenty of water (with a little soap).

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT put your fingers anywhere near the "sticky side". Metal tweezers may be of help.

[7 wonders of the world]

have a bowl of water /soap to wet your hand with prior to handling it just in case your fingers get on the wrong side,

[John Vine]

Here are some tips from PPG, who sell the 3M equivalent of Armourfend.  They also supply an application kit, which contains a couple of low-friction rubber spreaders and bottles of diluted Johnson's Baby Oil (which you then dilute further).  I used a plastic spray bottle (ex Sainsbury's Shower Cleaner) to apply the fluid.  If you still end up with bubbles under the film, prick them gently with a fine needle and squeeze out the air.

JV

[Wrightpayne]

i'd use johnsons baby shampoo (recommended by most window tinting companys) washing up liquid containts salt. Not a problem on fibre glass I know but still a corrosive.

Ian

[Luegonigel]

Thanks for all the tips, will give it a whirl early meet week.

[John Vine]

johnsons baby shampoo

Yes -- not Baby Oil -- doh!

JV

[Luegonigel]

Some feedback:-

- the baby oil and water worked a treat, I smell much fresher now!

- the baby shampoo and water did allow the sheet to be moved into place pretty well and correct initial fit up mistakes. Bought a spray bottle for £1 from local DIY shop.

- with the kit I bought I got a scraper and bought a couple of other ones on line. Good job I did because the one which came which the kit was a bit too hard and didn't flex around the curves I was trying to match up with.

- fitted a couple of small sheets to my old tool chest just to get the hang of it

- make sure the surface are completely free of any dust or grit as it gets trapped underneath easily

- don't put the roll of armounfend down on anything which isn't clean, it picks up crap on any exposed edge. This stops it sticking at that edge. I now know!

- If you cut a length off a roll, you may end up with a sticky bit exposed, again this picks up dirt so cut this off just before fitting so it is definitley virgin material you are trying to stick on.

- don't attempt compound curves - I ended up putting a couple of small sections on the nose cone rather than trying to force a bigger sheet around.

- Assuming it hasn't fallen off over night, it seems to have been a reasonable job. Easy to cock up without a bit of patience I would say.

- have some bonnet protecting patches which I have had for a while but never fitted. Will now fit these having got the practice in.