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      11-11-2008, 10:07 AM   #16
///M3Power
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Drives: M3
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: VA

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Quote:
Originally Posted by MMMorish View Post
Hey ///M3Power,


I got my car done a month ago when I got it and this is the experience I had.

First off, I went with 3M because it has a clear coat built into the actual film. Unlike Venture shield and other popular brands, 3M is easiest to detail and maintain because the clear coat enables you to wax your car and use cleaning solutions to remove things like road tar and bugs.

Another thing about the veture shield is that it is a little sensitive to the touch and can actually leave hair line scratches if you press on it too hard or rub your finger accross it with some pressure.

The one draw back that 3M has is that the standard film which is their largest roll, is only available in 48", whereas venture shield is available in 54". This makes installing a custom venture shield wrap easier than 3M because there is no stretching involved to cover the hood. This does not mean that you can't have 3M on your hood.

I have a full hood wrap and it covers the whole hood, and wraps both underneath and at the top of the hood with no stretching. There is one drawback however. You will see two lines at the very top of your hood close to the hinges where the film cannot be stretched. The installers tried to stretch it the first time and there were major stretch marks on the hood. I got it redone and they couldn't stretch it all the way leaving about 3 inches at the top of the hood exposed. I actually got them to patch it so that there is no exposed pieces and you can't even tell.

As well, I got the door handle cups, rockers and rear dog legs (areas before and after the rear wheel arch) covered as these areas tend to see a lot of abuse as well.

To answer your question if venture shield is better than 3M, I'd say they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Like I said before, for me 3M was the better choice because I didn't want a product that was too sensitive that would show scratches easily. Yet, I do see those two little lines where the films meet. It's really up to you.

Below is a picture of my hood, they're really not very noticable but the coverage is amazing.

Cheers and good luck!
My hood is not fully wrapped.

I have double checked with Venture shield and they say that theirs also has a clear coat, its not as thick as 3M and therefore why its easier to apply. But they said I could use Wax regularly as I would with the rest of the car.

I'm talking about 5 of these companies, the 3M ones say that the venture shield turns yellow over time, and the same is said by venture shield.
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