TJW

Has anyone installed 3M ScotchCal yet? (Invinca-Shield or X-Pel product names)

TJW

If anyone's interested, the installer is coming to Knopf Automotive in Allentown, PA at 9:30 a.m. to do the install right on the showroom floor. It should take about 2 hours.
He will be installing upper & lower bumper/fender kits & a headlight kit.
I will definitely post pictures when it's done.

tuan

Yeah, installed invinca shield myself last week. Unfortunately it won't protect 10MPH crashes.

leslie

How much, service and parts?

TJW

$375.00 (plus $50.00 to drive up from Philly on his day off)

Jim De Arras

I'm installing mine next warm day, how did your's go?

BrianN

I had the mirrors, headlights, foglights, hood, and lower bumper kit installed. Parts and S&H were $277 from Xpel and I paid the installer $180. A local (Chicagoland) factory trained installer was recommended by Xpel. He installed it today in my garage. IMHO well worth the $180 as there is a learning curve involved. I have yet to clean, polish and wax it as the adhesive has to fully set. There are some scratches on the material surface, originating either from the factory or from the installation. My installer used a piece of chamois on his adaptor tool during installation to take care not to abuse the finish. I'll have to find out the best way to polish the clear bra material. Any suggestions from those experienced? The brutal honesty of black paint shines through! :-) I have yet to see it in daylight as the S4 is in the heated garage to allow for adhesive drying. However, it should look better than chipped paint! ;-)

I felt that the body panel pieces could have been cut a bit larger at the factory, as there is about 2.5-3.0 mm of exposed paint at the periphery of the panels. My installer has installed other manufacturers' kits and says they are all similar in this respect. This protects the edge of the material. All told, I feel another 1mm-2mm is possible to enhance looks and protection.

The kit does not cover the top of the bumper nor the very thin painted strip under the grille. Tim @ Xpel told me today they are will be working on a redesign for the under-grille area, and offered to send me it at no charge when it was available. Wouldn't you know it, this is where one of the three minor nicks I have had in 4 weeks of ownership is!

The mirror is not covered fully. There is about 10-20 mm of exposed paint at the neck and outer edge. This is probably due to limitations of the material to be placed on curved surfaces.

The headlight kit is made from a very heavy material. Supposedly withstands a 1/2inch stone at 120 mph. Those facory lenses are so clear and pristine that I am glad they won't get dinged up and opaque looking from wear and tear anymore.
Not to mention the major $$ if one should break!

BrianN
00 Black S4

leslie

Thanks for the detailed info! I'm asking for money to be used toward bra etc. for Xmas...

Al Pollack

I've had the 3m film (Armourfend) on my A4 for quite awhile. The scratches/scuff marks caused by the installation, don't really come out. I've got a couple of scuff marks on my film. I've tried a couple of different waxes and they're still there. I'm using Zaino Bros. polish on my A4 right now. It leaves the film as clear as it can be. Granted, the 3m film is not perfect, but, it does work. Let the film sit for 2 days, then apply something on top of it. It took my install about 3 weeks before all the bubbles were gone. Be patient. I've seen several cars with the film and i think the darker the car, the better the film looks. Try to keep your wax away from the edge of the film. If you do get wax on the edge, a toothpick works pretty good-just don't press hard.


Al
99.5 1.8tqtsc "Bullwinkle"

tuan

I used a heat gun to make the parts fit snug. Its kind of like tinting your own window, basically the same concept. If you have a couple extra have a professional install it.