TOYOTA Prius 2004-08 Full Kit Invisible Clear Bra

[Rokeby]

Although it looks likes something fishy is going on, I, at least for now, will
withhold judgement pending what happens in this thread.

In another thread a new poster appearded and announced that they were a
clear bra installer. I asked the following questions:

"As to clear bras, there seem to be a number of manufacturers, vastly
differing prices, and perhaps differing film thickness.

'Is there a correlation between cost, and film thickness?

'Can you provide a table showing manufacturers, cost and thickness?
(Maybe the cost should just be materials as installation cost can vary
greatly.)

'Would you care to make a recommendation as to which you'd install on
your car?'

I got no answers.

In this thread, PROFINISH says this:

Originally Posted by PROFINISH

For correct information regarding the Paint Protection Film product,
shoot me a pm or email to mike@pro-finish.com.

The majority of comments made in this post regarding PPF are incorrect.
I've got 13 years of design and installation experience to my benefit in this
area. I'd be glad to help set the record straight.

What's going on here. Why all the secrecy? What's with the PM and email?

PROFINISH, why can you not "tell all," openly, here in a public forum. We're
not talking Weapons of Mass Distraction here, it's just some plastic film.

Why not start by answering here in this thread my questions above so all
the good folks can see the information, debate the pros and cons, and make
an informed decision?

[PROFINISH]

There's no secrecy here. It's much easier for me to answer an email than it is to respond to a pm. As for your previous question related to film thicknesses and pricing, I'd be happy to publicly give you my knowledge and experience on the subject.

[PROFINISH]

Your questions...

"As to clear bras, there seem to be a number of manufacturers, vastly
differing prices, and perhaps differing film thickness.

'Is there a correlation between cost, and film thickness?

'Can you provide a table showing manufacturers, cost and thickness?
(Maybe the cost should just be materials as installation cost can vary
greatly.)

'Would you care to make a recommendation as to which you'd install on
your car?'

My answers...

Yes, there are many different film manufacturers out there. Venture Tape, Maddico, 3M, Llumar , Gila, Aerospace etc.

As well, there are clear-coated, non clear-coated and pressure sensitive films... 2-yr, 3-yr and lifetime warranties are commonly available.

For the most part, they are all 8 mil (.008) and pricing is really not related to the thickness, unless you move up to the 40 mil headlight film, which will be much more expensive and difficult to install.

For garage queens like a black Carrera GT, I would use the hard coated Venture Tape 8 mil film. It's easy to apply, no orange peel, crystal clear over paint (especially blacks and blues) and virtually invisible. The drawback of this film is that it is very high maintenance (Plexus daily and heat gun to remove surface scratches) and the gloss retention tends to break down after a few months and tends to turn the film "greyish" after about a year. But hey, if you can afford a half-mil for a GT, you can easily afford to replace it or keep it in the garage. Bulk film costs are 20% cheaper than 3M.

For your daily driver/commuter, I would recommend the 3rd Gen 3M Film for it's durability and longevity. It has virtually no maintenance, you can run it through the car wash, leave it out in the sun, will not yellow, crack, peel or delaminate. I've personally seen the product last in excess of 10 years. The downside is that it's difficult to install and it's very pricey to purchase. 3M is the most expensive film on the market, but... you get what you pay for.

My recommendation...

Exotic Sports Cars and Luxury Sedans... Llumar Hard Coat

Daily Drivers... 3rd Gen. 3M

[Rokeby]

Originally Posted by PROFINISH

... My answers...

Yes, there are many different film manufacturers out there. Venture Tape,
Maddico, 3M, Llumar , Gila, Aerospace etc...

My recommendation...

Exotic Sports Cars and Luxury Sedans... Llumar Hard Coat

Daily Drivers... 3rd Gen. 3M

PROFINISH,

My sincerest thanks for your post. I'm turning my Suspicion-Meter back to 0.

I've been saving my pennies to get some film protection. Of course every
manufacturer claims theirs is the best. I think I'll be going with the 3M.

Is there any special pre-installation prep work that the owner can/should do;
clay bar, special cleaning, etc? What about existing paint chips?

Do you have any suggestions on what to look for in an installer?

Other than smoothness, no wrinkles, are there subtle signs that an install
didn't go well and may cause problems in the future?

Again, thanks for the come-back. I hope other folks chime in here too.

[PROFINISH]

Originally Posted by Rokeby

PROFINISH,

My sincerest thanks for your post. I'm turning my Suspicion-Meter back to 0.

I've been saving my pennies to get some film protection. Of course every
manufacturer claims theirs is the best. I think I'll be going with the 3M.

Is there any special pre-installation prep work that the owner can/should do;
clay bar, special cleaning, etc? What about existing paint chips?

Do you have any suggestions on what to look for in an installer?

Other than smoothness, no wrinkles, are there subtle signs that an install
didn't go well and may cause problems in the future?

Again, thanks for the come-back. I hope other folks chime in here too.

Well it's about time time someone finally listens... you won't be disappointed... and I expect a flippin' birthday and Xmas card from all of you!...

3M is the way to go in your case. Preparation is the key to any install. Claybar, is an added benefit ensuring a smooth installation surface. Especially on new vehicles with "invisible" rail dust... +1 !!!

Existing paint chips?... don't trip on them. Unless you want to do it right and refinish the whole panel, any touch-up you do will only look like shit and will show up under the film as a big unsightly "Blob"... NO!

Here's the fun part... what to look for in an installer. To be honest, I wouldn't let anyone touch my vehicle unless they had at least 5 years experience and can do the install without a razor knife. Anyone can use a razor blade... and you as a customer will never know until the film shrinks or you are 'anal' enough to look closely at the finish after the install. DO NOT LET ANY INSTALLER TOUCH YOUR VEHICLE IF THEY USE A RAZOR KNIFE. You have been warned!

If the vehicle looks good and all the solution is 'squeegeed' out... there's really nothing that will affect the final outcome. MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO AIR BUBBLES... WATER BUBBLES ARE FINE, THEY WILL DISSAPATE. AIR WILL NOT. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT.

Y'all let me know if I've been of any help to y'all.

[Rokeby]

PROFINISH,

I have a few more questions

Originally Posted by PROFINISH

... DO NOT LET ANY INSTALLER TOUCH YOUR
VEHICLE IF THEY USE A RAZOR KNIFE. You have been warned! ...

What exactly is the problem with using a razor knife? Does the installer use
the point to prick air/water bubbles? What other tool would be used?

Does an installer use a precut kit or work from bulk stock? Is one
preferrable to the other?

Speaking of the 40 mil headlight cover film, does this stop "fogging" of the
headlight lens? Does it have a UV filter built in? I've had two cars where the
lens got so bad the whole lens needed very expensive replacement.

You mention shrinking of the film. Is this just a short term phenomenon
while the film hardens up after installation? Or, does it occur over the life of
the film? Can the film pull back far enough that it leaves a thin strip of
unprotected paint around the edge of a large panel like the hood? If it does,
does the edge of the film pucker up or lift up allowing dirt to get under the
very edge? If it does, then what do you do?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I almost forgot;

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear PROFINISH ...

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas,
and a Happy New Year!

[PROFINISH]

The problem with an inexperienced installer is that they rely on the razor knife to make the kit fit instead of knowing the film properties and how and where to stretch for kit for alignment. Basically, you end up with 'cut' lines in your paint everywhere on your vehicle and if the film ever shrinks, it's gonna look like crap.

Precut kits fit very well. It all depends on which software package is used (i.e., Xpel, Invisible Patterns etc.) and the level of experience in the installer. Bulk installs are usually done on the higher end exotics. With bulk installs, you are more likely to get 'cut' marks in your paint job as they have to trim the kit to fit.

Yes, the headlight film will hide the 'fogging' of the headlight lens. A little trick us installer know of.

Usually, if the film does shrink, it will only pull back about a 1/16" ... not really enough to notice, but enough to see razor marks in you paint!

[Chachabah16]

What is the coverage area for these kits? Can I buy a kit that covers the entire car, less the roof? I am interested in protecting the doors, in particular...

c ~

[PROFINISH]

Now that would be a first... a full car wrap on a Prius . I did a full car wrap on a Mini Cooper S a few months back for a magazine... I gave them a pretty good deal at $2500 for the 2-day install. Not so sure you could afford it, no disrespect.

[ZC1]

Originally Posted by PROFINISH

.....I gave them a pretty good deal at $2500 for the 2-day install. Not so sure you could afford it, no disrespect.

'Cause I think the Prius would be much more than $2500, supplies included.

ZC1