Last Year’s Tint-Off™ Winner Shares His Secrets
When it comes to PPF, Nick Abaro has worldwide bragging rights. The lead installer from Elk Grove, Calif.-based Genesis Window Tinting took home the gold last year at the PPF division of the International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™, winning the $5,000 grand prize. He stays at the top of his game by following these five rules:
1. “You have to clean the car correctly. If you don’t clean the car, it’s not going to come out correctly . A lot of the guys in the competition rushed through it and didn’t place because they had contamination under the film.”
2. “Know your film. Every film has stuff that makes it tough to work with. As long as you know how to fix those problems, that’s what makes you a good installer.”
3. “Line-ups. You gotta have good line-ups. Take your time to line everything up very well and make sure it fits the car seamlessly.”
4. “I use the same tools every time— especially the 30-degree Olfa blades. They allow me to make better cuts than the black blades, which a lot of people use. It’s a personal preference.”
5. “Know the ratio of your installation solution. Your alcohol-to-soap-to-water ratio is super important. Different cars have different paint. That’s something you want to know to make your installation easy. If you’re set on one type of mixture all the time, it can mess you up later on.”
Abaro hopes to return to the International Window Film Conference and Tint-Off™ this year in San Antonio, Texas, to defend his title as world champion. For information, visit www.wfctevent.com.
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