Recap: 3M Auto Boot Camp 2013

Last week, I was invited out to 3M’s headquarters in St. Paul MN for their third annual 3M Auto Boot Camp. This two-day event introduced us to the various 3M Automotive products available to consumers.

When you say 3M. most people think about Scotch Tape and Post-it Notes. But in reality, 3M is a massive multinational corporation that employs 84,000 people worldwide and produces more than 55,000 products, including adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car-care products, electronic circuits and optical films.

We were here to learn more about their car-care products, and to get some first-hand experience with them. Hence the “boot camp” nomenclature. During our visit, we got to work with Bondo, remove paint scratches, restore hazed headlights, repair torn leather seats, fix a cracked windshield, apply sound deadening material, perform a “tune up” on a Jeep, and work with a revolutionary new paint protection film for your car.

After breakfast, we split into four groups and rotated through the different tech sessions set up for us. These sessions allowed us to get some first-hand experience with various car care products that can help drivers extend the life of their vehicles, without the need for expensive repairs or services. Prior to this experience, I would have just taken my car to a “professional” to sort these things out. But not anymore!

Putting the Brakes on High Maintenance Fees

Maximum vehicle performance means more than just a pristine exterior and an engine that hums at 70mph. It starts under the hood with regular maintenance checks and tune-ups that combat the everyday wear from regularly stopping and restarting an engine. So if you want to maximize fuel efficiency and reduce long-term expenses, it’s essential that you properly maintain your vehicle.

The 3M Fuel System Tune Up Kit combines three quality 3M automotive maintenance products into a single fuel system tune-up program that restores power and performance, cleans your car’s air intake and fuel systems, saves you money with better gas mileage, and is as quick and easy as do an oil change. The kit includes throttle plate and carb cleaner, intake system cleaner, and a fuel system cleaner. Easy to use nozzles and spray hose attachments make this a one-man job that nearly anyone can handle.

Easy Repairs using Bondo Body Fillers

Our next session had us doing some bodywork, something that I’d never done before. What many people don’t realize is that body repair is very similar to doing home repairs like spackling and repairing drywall. Their unique 4-step body repair process (prepare, repair, fill, finish) is designed to eliminate the fear factor of auto body work, so you can do repairs like a pro from the comfort of your garage.

We worked on a car door that had a dent, filling in the dent with Bondo body filler and then sanding it down in preparation for primer, paint, and polish. If you’ve ever worked with filler, you know that the sanding process is tedious, tiring, and MESSY. But using the new 3M Clean Sand System (which comes out this August), the job was much easier. The system employs a handheld vacuum that sucks up dust while you work, leaving you with less dust, less cleanup, a cleaner workspace, and a better painting experience.

How to Keep Your Car a Road Warrior – Without the Scars

People are keeping their cars longer these days – The average age of vehicles on the road today is 11 years old! As cars get older, aesthetic issues like hazy headlights and scratched/scuffed paint are unavoidable, and professional repairs or replacements can be very costly. What you might not realize is that you can tackle many of these issues from the comfort of your own garage, taking no more than an afternoon to produce visible improvements.

I was most excited to try out the 3M Headlight Restoration Kit, as my folks have a car with some REALLY hazy headlights. A detailer had sanded off the foggy UV coating years ago, but the Florida sun took it’s toll on the headlights, and they look pretty bad now. There are many products on the market that claim to work, but after restoring a foggy headlight first-hand and achieving remarkable results, I can see why this is the #1 selling headlight restoration product on Amazon, with over 1000 reviews!

There are two kits to choose from, a drill version and a no-tools version. I’d suggest getting the drill version if possible, as it’ll make your job that much easier. It’s a 4-step process that involves sanding down the lens with a 500 grit sanding disc, refining the scratches with an 800 grit sanding disc, further refining the scratches with a 3000 grit sanding disc and water, and then polishing the lens using a foam buffing pad and rubbing compound. As you can see, the transformation is pretty amazing!

The 3M Scratch Removal System works in much the same way as the headlight restoration kit does, using a 3-step process to sand down the scratch, remove the haze with rubbing compound, and polish everything clean with their scratch remover. As with the headlight kit, you can choose either a drill version or a no-tools version. The system works to remove light to medium scratches, scuffs, and paint transfer. But if you’ve got a deep scratch that you can feel with your nail, this won’t really do the trick.

3M Auto Care Innovation Center

3M showed us a number of products in this session, all aimed at making our cars look (and sound) that much better. The 3M Auto Essentials line of products keep your car looking showroom fresh, while Bondo Restore Black brings that black luster back to faded/oxidized black rubber and moldings. What about that small tear in your interior? Leather & Vinyl Repair does a great job of hiding those imperfections. Windshield Repair helps restore windshield damage to a “like new” quality – Perfect for minor chips, scratches, and spiderweb cracks.

3M’s High Strength Lens Repair Film is a semi-permanent solution for broken tail lights, signal lights, and other automotive lenses. It creates a weatherproof and airtight seal, and it’s flexible nature is perfect for curved tail lights. The Wheel Restoration System removes light curb rash, scratches, and oxidation, making your neglected rims look like new again. And their Sound Reduction Mat is a self-adhesive, comfortable mat that suppresses road noise, sound system vibrations, rattles, and more.

Unmasking the Ultimate Paint Defender

On the second day of our visit, we were introduced to the 3M Paint Defender System, a game-changer in the automotive paint protection field as far as I’m concerned. 3M is already the market leader in professionally applied protection films, but now they’ve introduced a new product that’s accessible to the everyday person, at a very reasonable price point.

The new 3M Paint Defender System harnesses the power of 3M technology by spraying on as a liquid before transforming into a clear, durable film. The added barrier serves as a lasting line of defense against everyday hazards on the road, such as road chips, that threaten vehicle appearance.

When they first explained how the system worked, I was rather dubious about it. But after spending a few hours in the lab, I was sold.. So much so, that I’ll be applying this to Project WRX in a few weeks.

The Paint Defender System addresses four points that are important to consumers. It’s invisible, offering 100% clarity and a seamless finish. It’s easy to apply, using a unique aerosol delivery system that allows both the novice and experienced customers to feel comfortable while applying it. It’s extremely durable, providing your car’s paint with protection from rocks and other elements. The film is so strong that we couldn’t even rip it with a key! And lastly, the film is removable. And I’m not talking take out a heat gun and start peeling it back, the film comes off without any special tools or anything.

The three application steps include:

1. Mask the vehicle with the 3M Paint Defender Application Kit to frame the desired area to protect
2. Wax the masked area prior to spraying so it’s easier to remove the film when desired
3. Spray film over the masked area using the 3M Paint Defender Spray Trigger

This photo gallery should help give you a better idea of the whole process:

The number of spray cans required depends on the surface to be protected. I was told that a can is good for about half a hood, or a bumper. I plan on picking up a few extra cans of the spray film, since I want to do my entire hood and bumper. The film should last for at least a year, at which point it can start yellowing, a sign that it’s time to remove it and apply a new coat.

The 3M Paint Defender System is now available at AutoZone and Amazon, for a retail price of $44.99.

If you have any questions about any of the products mentioned in this story, leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to go into further detail.