Paint Protection (Clear Bra)

i'm gonna take the plunge! http://www.invinca-shield.com/index.asp .....they have a 25% off sale thru january......i will consider this a christmas gift to myself.... and after viewing the video.....i am positive i can do this myself... the kit is computer cut with smaller pieces which would make it easier to apply......so i'm pretty confidant! <_<

 

I'm at 50k miles on my '04 and wish I did it... The front of my hood has tons of little chips from offending road debris. Waxing makes it look worse, as my blue exterior has white pock marks on it. Really only visible up close, but I know they are there...

 

I watched the fitting procedure when my car was fitted at home.
Yes, the pieces are all pre-cut, but the bumper in particular was VERY difficult and time-consuming to fit. It required stretching and heat-moulding in some areas to fit correctly. They also required careful trimming, and it is definetly a two-person job!
The bonnet was fairly straightforward, but unless you are REALLY confident, and have the correct tools, get it fitted professionally!

Good luck....you will need it!

 

I'm planning to get the paint sealed -- I think it made a difference on my last car. I'm also planning to get a a front end protectant ("Ventureshield" -- anyone hear of it) that will cover about 10-11 includes of the front of the car and cost $225 installed. I'm doing both because the dealer told me that the paint sealant doesn't protect from flying rocks, etc., but does protect against bird poop.

 

Had the clear bra (3M) applied in May04 about a month after I had my car. Its saved an untold number of chips, dents and debris marks. Its held up just great.

 

I want the "clear bra". I am looking for a place to get it in the Nashville, TN area. Any ideas?

I got the dealer offered paint sealant. The car took on a deeper red appearance. 2 seperate things;

1. When the sun doesn't shine on the car, it is just another Prius. When the sun does shine on the car and the car is washed, amongst strangers, men stare, and women come over to ask 3 questions. (how fast, can it accelerate, how much).

2. Rock, I think it was a peice of asphalt as big as a golf ball, made airborne by traffic that I was following on the interstate, hit right in the middle of the hood, and bounced up over the car, missing the rest of the car. Now in the middle of the hood there is a small spot, paint chipped right down to the metal, and 3 other small spots where paint is deeply marred down to lesser level. No dents.

Seperate subject, I also had the dealer do the undercoating and interior upholstry protection. Car seems a little quieter with the undercoating. When the interior upholstry was applied, it curled my Prius floormats. I was concerned, however; after a week of drying, the floor mats returned to the normal flat configuration.

My car has the leather interior option. So far I have been careful not to test the interior upholstry protection on it, yet.

 

It is the best care freelong term protection you can buy, and easilly worth the money. I did it myself (with a lot of help from my wife). It took 6 hours and it could look better. Learn from my experience and spend a little more to have it professionally installed.

 

I also did my own clear bra using a kit I bought on Ebay. If you asked me about two hours into doing my bumper, I'd have told you to get it professionally installed and not to be a fool like me. Yet, after completing the job, there are only a couple of boo-boos and they're not really noticable. I saved $400 over the lowest bid to have it professionally installed. Best of all, I learned a lot about installing the 3M film and I think I could do it again in about half the time and with fewer mistakes. Here are some tips from my experience:

1. Prepare everything ahead. Get the solutions, the squeegee, even a plastic drop cloth to cover the garage floor where the install will take place.

2. I got deionized water for my solutions. I figured I wanted the purest water available so I wouldn't have to deal with minerals or other impurities.

3. The drop cloth is useful to keep dirt from getting everywhere. You WILL drop a piece of film, so prepare by making the drop area as clean as possible.

4. Make sure the clothes you wear aren't shedding fibers. My sweats were, and I had to constantly rinse fibers off my work area!

5. Keep your hands clean and wet them frequently with slip solution (soap and water mixture). As long as the film is wet, it isn't going to stick. As soon as it dries out, it sticks like... well... glue.

6. Don't be afraid to peel up your work and do it over until you get it the way you want.

7. When doing the bumper, first line up on the circular cutout for the tow hook cover (slightly on the driver's side). Anchor this point, then stretch it to wrap around the bumper area. Then anchor the little tabs next to the headlights. Squeegee the film up and down from the center part of the bumper.

9. Do this on a white car. Mistakes show up less on a white car!

 

Got the VentureShield film installed yesterday on the hood, fenders, and mirrors for $175 total cost, thought it was well worth it and looks good.

 

Wow, that's a GREAT price. The lowest I could get here in the S.F. Bay Area was for $550 plus tax. That included the bumper in addition to your pieces, but wow what a difference!

I forgot to say I paid $175 for my 3M paint protection film kit, so my film alone cost as much as your whole install. Good shopping!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill60546 @ Jan 1 2006, 10:15 AM) [snapback]182456[/snapback]</div>

I just made an appointment to get the 3m clear bra installed on my 3day old Ag7, at Protection Plus, in Shrewsbury Massachusetts. They have mucho experience, and I saw a very hot BMW (silver) that they had just finished, and it looked awesome. I also ordered the $9.95 kit from Ebay so I can do some of the easier spots myself (trunk lip, behind wheels, under door handles, door edges, etc.) B)