JTL__ACURA

for those that have the clear bra installed for a while:

1- any NEGATIVE effects or regrets of having the clear bra installed?

2-Should I wash the car before having it installed?

3-Is $650 a good price for the extended coverage clear bra?

thanks for all your help

kennyc

I really happy with the clearbra. It is the best investment I ever made - I had it for my Audi A4 and the TL.

The only thing that might be negative is the border of the bra will show up when you wax the car, as the wax residue will collect at the seam.


Wash is fine, just don't wax it. Your installer should definitely wash it before they start!

A lot cheaper than what I paid, most of the cost are labor, not material. So make sure your installer know his/her stuff.

One last thing, do not get the bra IF your car has a lot of chips already. It will actually look worse after you get it done. Do this when the car is brand new or after a repaint.

TLVR

Having the 3M clear bra is the best protection you can get your car. Had mine over a year and would have had many hood/grill chips by now if not for the bra. Yes, you should wash your car before giving it to the installer. He should wash it again very thoroughly before work starts, might even use a strong detergent car wash to strip the remaining wax off the car. Key is to only go with a very experienced installer. Check out his work and ask for references. There are ones who cut corners. Also make sure there is a warranty against peeling, bubbles etc for a certain amount of time-on the installation. I found an area which looked different against the light because the material was stretched a little too much. It does take some muscle in areas to apply and lots of reapplying of liquid to make it stick properly. Afterwards be careful when washing the car not to rub across the seam but to go with the seam. Wax can stick to the edges and the line becomes noticeable so remove carefully with a Q-tip. And you got a good price, normally runs about $100 more. You can use that to tip your installer when you are done. Enjoy!!!!

JTL__ACURA

thanks alot guys. will get it done after I wash it....

kennyc

Q-tip!! Why I did not think of that!!!

Thanks!

Amir06TL

Im gettin the full front clear bra protection kit put on thursday, also gettin my windows tinted and tails tinted, all for 800 bucks...sounds like 650 is little high man

-Amir

mark 3M bra man

Like with most of the products, price will vary by location. No bad, though.

The price is not as important as quality of installation. If you get a bad install, you are better without the clear bra. I have been in the business for almost 5 years and have seen a lot of nightmares, so make sure that the install will be spotless. I cannot stress it enought. For a pro, TL should be very easy to do (for an amature, it is very hard).

Good luck, Mark

ml3456

Has anyone used a good installer int the west suburbs of Chicago?

ML

JustinZ

is:

3M Scotchgard Paint Protection Film

the same stuff we're talking about?

Hawhyen51

1. No regrets!
2. Not necessary, the installer should use a cleaner to remove any wax or sealant prior to installation.
3. As Mark said, cost will vary geographically.

That's a good price for both. What does the kit consist of and who is the manufacturer? For example, Xpel has an extended coverage as well as the standard coverage. The extended version will cover between 20-24 over the hood and the bumper kit will wrap around. The standard version is shorter and will not. Also included is film for the exterior mirrors. Some will also throw in headlight protection. Xpel's cost for these are about $65. Check with your installer to see what you're getting.

There are several different manufacturers of PPF. Llumar PPF by CPFilm, Venture Sheild by Venture Tape and Scotchgard PPF by 3M. A lot of 3rd party vendors use the 3M product. Google "paint protection film" or "clearbra".

neuronbob

I have had my Xpel clear bra on for 1 1/2 years. There have been no negative effects to using it, and the paint is not harmed. The bra is not discolored. If you click on "2 year review" in my sig, you will see pictures of my car. You can just barely make out the bra. 2 and 3 have been adequately answered so I won't repeat good answers.

Just do it, you won't be sorry. $650 (after tax) is what I paid here in Cleveland.

jime

I got my Xpel clear bra on Dec. 19, 2004 when the car was one week old. I have now put over 30,000 miles on the car and have been very pleased with it.

A few months ago I ran into a wood “shower” on the freeway at about 60 miles an hour where someone in front of me hit a portion of a white board fence and the pieces were flying everywhere. Wouldn’t you know the biggest piece, about a foot long and 2 or 3 inches wide, hit the front end of my car. It broke the plastic cover I had on the front license tag, and a piece stuck between the top of the headlight and frame, but the car was fine. The Xpel bra did have a couple of small scuff marks on it, but they are very hard to see.

My only disappointment is that the bra has lost a lot of its gloss over the 2 years of use. I park the car outside, but put a coat Zaino on it every three or four months. The hood portion of the bra was invisible when first installed, but is now obvious at 20 to 30 feet away because it does not have near the gloss of the rest of the car. If anyone knows how to increase the gloss of the bra, I would really appreciate knowing abut it.

Thanks,

Hawhyen51

I remember that post. I would check with your installer about it. 3M has a clearcoat and that should keep it from losing it's lustre. You can check the Performance Properties towards the bottom of the page located here. According to the results of their test in outdoor weathering, claiming no significant change in gloss. I've had it on just a little longer than you and have had no probs with losing gloss. These are the physical properties of 3M PPF. Maybe Mark can chime in on this one.



Urethane Film: Clear, Non-Yellowing
Adhesive: High Performance Acrylic
Thickness
Clearcoat and Urethane Film: 0.0060 in. (0.153 mm)
Adhesive: 0.0020 in. (0.051 mm)
Liner: 0.0035 in. (0.089 mm)

mark 3M bra man

It sounds to me that you feel the product failed. Simple, go to a 3M certified installer, tell them about the problem and they should replace it for you under warranty.

My philosophy is: if the customer feels the product is not doing its job, failed, yellowed, or whatever, I will replace it under warranty no matter who did the install as long as it is a 3M film (Like in your case, even that I am not an x-pel dealer). Too bad you are in CA. It is up to the installer (at least many with qualifications as myself) to determine if the product should be replaced under warranty. In other words, keeping the customer happy and then taking it up with 3M. By the way, your warranty covers 100% parts and labor, non-prorated.

To help maintain it, you should treat it like the rest of the car (wash, wax, etc.), nothing more.

Let me know if I can help.

Regards, Mark.

4G63

$650 is a pretty good price, depending on which kit (extended or standard) you get. I'm not sure what his "name" is on these boards, but a guy locally to me had my wife and I put a complete kit on his car, which included the "extended" bumper, on his white TL. You can see pics in our gallery here

Hawhyen51

4G63, is headlight protection part of your package or is it extra? IMO, it's worth having them installed considering the cost of a headlight assembly.

Warren803

Hey mark. Since you install these, I have a question for you. At some edges of my clear bra, the bra is not stuck completely down. One corner edge in particular is not stuck down and has some air bubble under it. How can I stick it down and get the air bubbles out? Is it too late since my bra has been on for a few weeks now? Should I try to wet it down under the edges and stick it down?

4G63

Yes, headlights ARE part of my package and Yes, it is definately worth having the headlight protection put on!

4G63

Just chiming in since Mark may not be able to answer (not trying to butt in, just trying to help out!! ) quick enough. I would HIGHLY suggest getting the installer to come to your house and have them do it!! You paid good money having it put on. This can happen when there is still too much soap solution under the film to have it adhere properly

mark 3M bra man

Hard to tell without looking at it. There are couple diff. things/imperfections/mistakes that may look like what you are discribing. Go back to the installer and have them look at it. The sooner the better since it is harder to do anything productive the longer you wait. If the adhesive is still somewhat "fresh" they may still be able to do something with it.

If you like some more help, take a pic of the problem and e-mail them to me at mark@ultrashieldofstl.com and I can try to help better.

Regards, Mark.

juku

great thread, thanks for the info.

im looking to have this done soon. any suggestions or experiences with houston-area dealers?

x-pert tint has quoted $599 (no mirror protection)