It’s inevitable.
Anytime a vehicle is on the road driven at speed the constant bombardment by gravel, road dust and debris becomes the equivalent of sand blasting the paint away.
Goodbye, factory paint.
And, the only folks willingly subjecting a vehicle to media blasting are those attempting complete restoration. They pay to have a project car blasted with grit to give them a clean, bare metal surface.
But, in order to keep a vehicle looking its best from new and to prevent it from becoming a restoration project there are currently a number of urethane paint protection films on the market.
“Calgary is the paint protection film capital of the world,” says PJ Paulson of Protex Paint Protection. He’s currently working on the company’s business development plan in Western Canada. “There’s so much gravel on the roads here, and people want to protect their cars.”
At one time, protective paint film was simply used to guard the leading edge of the hood and front fenders. Now, with advancements in computer software and plotting systems, films can be instantly cut to fit bumpers, fenders, mirrors, entire hoods, rocker panels and doors – all high-wear areas.
According to Paulson, since the mid-1990s the use of paint protection films on automobiles has been steadily increasing.
Protex film is applied to a vehicle.
Greg Williams,
These protective films date back to the Vietnam War, when the U.S. military was looking for a way to inexpensively maintain high-cost items such as helicopter rotor blades. Clear urethane films were developed, and when these were applied to the blade edges, the film bore the brunt of dust and stone abrasions. Instead of renewing the blades, the film could be easily removed and replaced.
The military continued to use the films not only on rotor blades, but also on anything requiring protection. Soon, the auto racing industry took notice. Once in the hands of auto enthusiasts, it wasn’t long before the films were being applied to passenger vehicles.
Now, just about any city in Canada will boast several shops specializing in the application of paint protection films. A simple Google search reveals several in Calgary alone.
But according to Paulson, not all of them offer the benefits of the Protex thermoplastic polyurethane adhesive film.
“Our premium film is not susceptible to staining,” Paulson says from his Calgary office. “In fact, our premium film is chemical resistant, and gasoline and pure rubbing alcohol have no effect on it.
“It even has minor self-healing properties — swirls and minor blemishes will disappear when the car is left in the heat.”
Paulson says his company has applied film to more than just cars, including motorcycle gas tanks and stainless steel furniture.
The number one reason people are choosing to have protective film applied, Paulson says, is to help retain value.
“You take two cars, side by side, one with film and one without,” he says, “one car has zero rock chips or flaws, and the other one will have stone chips and even rust starting to show – people will pay more for the better looking car.”
Currently, Protex Paint Protection has 32 franchise locations across Canada, with two in Calgary – one in the north, and the other in the south. The south facility is operated by the Refine Automotive Salon, and offers mobile application services.
While Paulson is keen to hype the Protex film, he’s even more proud of the installers working with the Protex product.
“The product is important, but the actual installer is more important,” he says. “When customers are shopping around for a paint protection film, they need to remember this isn’t a product that comes out of a box – it’s not like a coffeemaker.
“If you want it to look really good, it’s all going to come down to the installer.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have an auto related item to share for the column or What’s Next? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca. Visit his website at gregwilliams.ca
