Invinca-Shield is offering a Group Buy discount of 20% off complete film kits for Maxima.Org members.

For those of you not familiar with this product, it is a clear urethane film that is applied to your car much like window tint is applied to windows. It's purpose is to eliminate (or minimize) the effect of rock chips, bug stains, and other road debris on the paint of your car. It acts as a barrier to prevent chips and stains, much like a car bra.

Invinca-Shield uses the 3M Scotchcal 8 mil film and makes pre-cut molds for the Maxima. The molds make it easier to apply to your vehicle. You can order the kits for your model year through their web site at the following address:

http://www.invinca-shield.com/main.htm

The discount applies to kits only and you MUST enter discount code ISBY4 into the checkout page. You also MUST enter Maxima.org into the "How did you hear about us?" section when checking out. You may also call them directly to order the kits and mention that you are a Maxima.org member.

I am not affiliated with this company, but did initiate contact with them for this Group Buy. I will not receive any compensation, but if 10 or more people order kits, I get one free. I am not holding my breath for that to happen, but I will also get the 20% off discount now that a Group Buy is established. So, I will benefit from this as well.

I recently applied the film to my hood, side view mirrors, and door molding. It is not an easy process, but with a little practice and patience, you can get it to look good. It helps if you have tinted windows before. I can see a faint line across my hood where the film ends, but you have to be within a few feet of the car to see it. I just traded in a 2000 Max and went through half a bottle of touch up paint on the hood, front bumper, and door moldings (what's the deal with the door moldings chipping so easily?). I decided to use this stuff on my new Max to preserve the finish. Since this is the first time I have used it, I can't comment on how well it works or how long it holds up. Invinca-Shield warrants the product for 5 years, so I would think it holds up pretty well. I know the local Porsche and BMW dealers recommend this stuff for the cars they sell, and in fact I believe that Porsche actually applies this on the fenders on some of its cars at the factory.

The kits are not cheap. A 2002 Max standard kit (hood, and end caps behind the front lights) runs $67 before the discount. A deluxe kit includes the standard kit molds, plus the grill trim, bumper, and lower front spoiler. The deluxe kit is $289 before the discount. You can also buy optional pieces for additional cost. The optional piece kit includes pieces for the cab top, mirrors, door pillar, door handle, and back bumper. That kit is $88 before the discount. All pieces are available individually, but the 20% discount does not apply to the individual pieces. Pictures of all of the available molds are posted on the web site, so you have an idea of what you are buying before you order. Each kit comes with tint solution, a instruction video, and toll free tech support if you run into trouble.

I had to purchase bulk film for my door molding. It's available in a 4 inch strip that you cut to size. Invinca-Shield will sell you a 12 ft. long 4 inch strip for $98 (I am working on getting that price down - Xpel.com sells it for $2.50 per foot in bulk). That is enough for all 4 doors. They would also consider making a pre-cut template and adding it to the optional pieces kit if there is enough demand. If you are interested, e-mail me. If I get more then 10 e-mails, I will follow up with them on having that done.

As of right now, they do not sell light kits. That takes 40 mil film and thier machines can only cut 8 mil film. They plan to add it in the future.

Finally, if you want to have it applied professionally, there is a list of individuals and businesses that can do it for you at an additional cost (don't ask me how much - call the installer directly). There is a link on the web site to get to a list of installers, or you can call then directly.

 

Follow up on the molding strip film.

Invinca does not stock the 4" film, so they have to cut the 24" size to fit, hence the additional cost. They are preparing a pattern for the molding that should be much less expensive. The pattern and final cost should be ready in a week or so.

 

Debbie at Invinca-Shield sent this message to me today:

"I wanted to let you know that we have designed the side body molding for the Maxima. It will be $24.00 for both front doors and $17.00 for both back doors. Designing it made it quite a bit cheaper than using bulk pieces."

Yep, $41.00 is much better than the bulk rate of $98. Bulk is still a little cheaper (see the original post), but these are pre-cut and sized, so they will be easier to apply.

I forgot to mention a couple of things in my original post. You can get both the kit or bulk film through Xpel.com. The Xpel kits are more expensive, particulary when considering the discount. The Xpel kits are also cut to stop 1/8 inch above the edge. One of the most difficult parts of getting the film on is getting it to stick properly over the edges. But then again, the edges are also prone to chips, and the Xpel kit does not protect them. Take that into consideration when making your decision. I tried the bulk film for my bumper and spoiler and four hours later, I ended up throwing away $80 worth of film. Bulk film is much cheaper than the kits, but unless you have done this before, I don't recommend trying doing it using the bulk film sheets. Getting it cut and formed around the lights and spoiler is nearly impossible. At least, it was for me.

Geezer

 

thanks Geezer....I will be ordering the standard kit today!!!

 

Once you get it on, let me know how it looks and if you had any problems getting it on. I get compliments on mine all the time.

Anyone else used this? What do you think about the look and application difficulty?

 

I think this stuff is great. Buddy at work has it on his Expedition. Too late for my '97 Max though. I would really consider it for a new car. You do see the edge like you said, but no big deal. Bra's suck.

 

ahaaa.. just what i was looking for.. thanx for the info.. there's no expiration for this deal right?

 

so does the thing give the car the show car glass-like look? or does it have the orange peel effect???

 

The first one

 

hehe perty soon you can 3M your whole car

 

i'm waiting for em' to ship the stuff to my bodyshop... i heard the stuff turns yellow aftertime is this true?

 

hey will the rear piece stop the damage done to the bumper when u slowly back into a parked car during parallel parking? my bumper's all chopped up because of that. if not this kit is useless to me.

 

from what I heard when I got my Max done was that 3M warranties it for 5 years from discoloration. or is it 3 years? i forgot!

A-

 

what if i have some paint chips on my bumper? or it doesnt matter

 

thanx for the replies.... but i wish they made the protector on the hood a bit bigger... tehre's a local shop around me that sells the headlight kit for 60+ bux, i think that's a bit steep, do any of you think the same?

 

Here's an idea Braniac - learn how to parallel park wihtout hitting
the cars in front of or behind you. It might also be a good idea to
get used to the process without scraping your rims against the curb.

What do you think is happening to the other people's cars when you
use them as battering rams for your parking pleasure? I suppose you
don't leave a note for the people when you use their car for a
backstop either. And let me guess, when you're swinging into a space
and happen to rape the bumper or quarter panel of another car you
just backout and find another spot so they don't know it was you???

No amount of film is going to help you in this case. Sell your car
and take a taxi, bike or walk.

 

Dude, why the hostility? The guy wants to know how to protect his car from scratches, etc. He probably lives in a neighborhood where the parking is tight (i.e. NewYork City/Queens/Brooklyn) and people don't care how they hell they park.

take it easy on the guy. He's just looking for ideas.....

 

For those who wants the result of the paint protection film installation to look MINT(I hope you DIDN't use 25% alcohol mixture):
There is a bunch of 3M Scotchcal paint protection film sellers. Unfortunately, most people do not know how to chose one. What people should look for is the price for the amount of coverage, how thoroughly will an area be cover (does a full bumper get wrap to the wheel well?), how many pieces to cover a big area(minimum number of seams from pieces meeting), and most importantly, how competent is the installer (don't even bother doing the hard pieces yourself, you'll just be throwing away money since extensive training is a MUST!). Majority of installers will not be able to install a ONE piece to fully cover the front bumper from wheel well to wheel well. Look for those who can do it competently with MINIMUM amount of silvering, haze, bubbles, and imperfections; remember that you are paying for protection not perfection, and installers are only human. An experience installer is the #1 indication that you are getting what you pay for, since they don’t come cheap, and cheap installers doesn’t come good. Anybody can sell the film (the cheaper the film, the smaller the pieces?!), but it's hard to find a competent installer who is passionate in applying the film; it's LITERALLY an art to them not just a job. And they are their own hardest critics. Good Luck on your quest to stop the paint chip maker from decreasing the value of your vehicle. All paint protection product question welcome!

 

I hvae 14K miles on my Xpel 3M kit and it is still 100% glossy. Heres a pic






FYI my paint is still perfect on my max. I have 2 very small chips on my fender from a sand truck last winter and that's it