A very good client of mine just purchased this Alpine White BMW M3 and brought it to us at Unique Car Care for a proper new car prep and clear-bra install to the complete nose (full fenders, full hood, full front bumper) as well as the lower rocker panels to ensure ample coverage against stone chips and road debris. The car was almost sold to someone else, but the person was unable to get financed for the car at the last minute after the dealer had already installed a clear-bra to the front (standard kit with partial coverage). The owner requested for the existing film to be removed so I could have my installer re-install a better quality film with additional coverage and make sure the car was 100% perfect inside and out. We pulled the car inside the shop and got right to work. Bryan and Ryan began the wash process, while I removed the existing film from the nose. There was some residual adhesive left after removing the film, which came off easily by saturating a microfiber towel with a citrus based cleaner and lightly rubbing the paint. In order to get the paint perfect for the film install later that evening, Ryan, Bryan and I polished the exterior with Menzerna power Finish using an orange foam pad via DA, which really made the white paint glow. I was unable to get any “during pictures” of us polishing since we were pressed for time. After the polishing was complete, the exterior paint surfaces were wiped clean using a fresh microfiber towel saturated with 91% alcohol to remove any polishing oils that could interfere with the bonding of the film. Later that evening, the installer showed up to apply the film as you can see below. The install came out amazing and was virtually invisible. I think these after pictures speak for themselves as to how well the detail and clear film install came out. Afters!!
The M3 looks great Rick.:thumb: Were there any chips that needed to be touched up before the new film was installed.?
JoeyZ- I agree. Love the wheels on this car! bmw5541- Thanks! There was already film on the car which I removed, so luckily I didn't have to touch-up any stone chips. On some cars with miles that already have some stone chips, Dr. Colorchip works pretty well before the clear-bra installation. RussECU- Yes, I forgot to mention that all paint surfaces (including the clear-film) was topped with Collinite 915. kdude- Thanks! Love this color and wheels. M3ride-Thanks! I'm guessing you own an M3 too?
Looks great. What's the best way to remove film? I have some battered film on my lower fenders that needs to come off. Heat it up w/ a heat gun and then pull up gently?
It really depends on the film. Some film will just pull off without needing to heat it up, but some does require using a heat gun. Don't overheat it or the adhesive will be left behind on the paint, which can be a real pain to remove. Pull gently or you risk pulling off the paint if the panel has been repainted in the past. If you have any leftover residue, I have found that cirtus based cleaners work great (Try Goo Gone).
What clear film product did you use, it looks like it is laying really nice not like many that have quite the orange peel.
Killer work as usual, literally a handful of guys can do a flawless film install.. this is a primo example!
