The value of Clear Coat and the 3M invisable bra????

[Don513]

Hi All:

My dealer offered the clear coat and 3M Invisable Bra for my new car. Now I know they are trying to make more money off of me. Just curious what your experiences have been with these products. I had clear coat on one of my cars year ago and it really seemed to help the paint, but that was quite a while ago. I had never heard of the 3M product to protect against pebble chips etc. Looking forward to hearing from you.

D

[maxnix]

3M bra and illumination with side mirror nacelle armoring definitely worth it.

After one chip it is too late. If you lose a headlight, it is too expensive.

[Don513]

Thanks . . .good info! D

[Clear Choice]

The 3M keeps the best appearance long term against the other films. It is more difficult to apply but I feel it is worth it for the consumer satisfaction. As far as the expense; the material cost much more than tint and takes 3x as long to apply. If you look at the price vs. the peace of mind the ppf offers divided by how long you will own your car- what is the actual monthly cost. How much time will it save you being on your knees , cursing with touch-up paint in hand?I was a consumer before I became an installer. Glen

[Don513]

Great information! Thanks!

D

[audtatious]

Do not drive the car until they put the invisible bra on. You will be sorry.

Git'R dun

[hemizygote]

Any pictures of G's with the bra on? I know it will be hard to see, but some camera angles should show it.

[Kendahl]

A clear bra is a good investment. Don't just take the dealer's price. It may be marked up excessively. Shop around and pick the installer who does the best work. I think that's more important than the bra film itself.

[g35kevin]

Hi, Kevin's here. Bought a brand new G37S on Halloween night on Oct. 31. Picked it up at Nationwide Infinit on Monday Nov. 5. As I was merging on the interstate, two dump trucks came by. Ran over a big rock and then a small rock flew on my hood and then onto my window. Man was I pissed. Lucky it was a small damage and could be buffed out. Stoped to look at the car later and found another chip at driver right rear fender well. It wasn't my day. Anyways got the 3M Scotchguard clear bra. I love it. Paid $850 for installation. He did the front entire bumper, mirror, front windshield pillars, rear side bumper panel. He did some extra work for me. When is gets sunny out here I will take pictures and show you. I knew I want to get the clear bra, it's worth it. After having it for a few weeks I drove on the interstate and there were some rocks that hit the front bumper and no scratch man.

[chasemyaccord]

Anyone else have prices for the clear bra? I'm planning on getting it done, but have no idea how much I should expect to be paying. More importantly, where did you get it done? I've heard some dealerships do a crappy job, which is why I opted out of getting it done there.

[nicog35]

Read the review at:

http://www.automotivearticles....shtml

It looks like the same stuff I used on my Iphone (http://www.shieldzone.com/).

I saw the clear bra on a black g35x at the car dealer and I could see the line on the hood where the bra ends. When I first saw it, I thought it was some temporary film. I didn't really like it. But it is better than the old style bras.

If you look at that webpage, look at the first picture of the S2000, you can see that line.

[g35kevin]

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/po...aller/

Go to this website and you can locate a 3M Scotchguard clear bra installer around your area. I paid $850 for my installation. Yeah you'll see the film line but hey I rather see that line and know that my car is protected from rock chips. I'll post a picture of my car with the clear bra on soon. Check it out and let me know if you find it useful.

[Clear Choice]

Different dealers use different films. They should have paperwork to back it up . Just dont go by what they tell you. 3M gives its certified installers an ID card and warranty cards for FREE. The dlr may not intentionally lie to you, just may not really know if the installer is not in-house. I have had a number of customers see another film in a dlr ( not like it ), and then go to one of my dealers and go for the job there or come directly to me. Make sure you see the right product.

[Clear Choice]

Also, the pattern is key. Often times you cannot tell by looking at an outline exactly how much of the fascia will be covered. Some pattern companies cover much more than others. More material means more time. i just try to offer more info for consumers to be able to to choose and make an educated choice. There are some truly skilled installers out there and some hacks as well. The film, pattern and installer make the complete job.

[joe603]

Another option is to have the front bumper repainted. I just had mine done...it's supposed to be much more durable than the OEM paint and thus will reduce chips/scratches.

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Any pictures of G's with the bra on? I know it will be hard to see, but some camera angles should show it.

These are pics of a Starshield installation on my 2003 G Coupe. I bought this car in May with 7,900 miles - basically still in new condition. I cannot be certain when the original owner put the clear bra on - but based on the condition of the car I would imagine he did it in 2003. This means the bra was on for at least 4 years.

Installation was top notch - some of the edges are starting to lift but very minor and in non visible places on the car. All of the front bumper and lower fascia are covered, entire hood, front 1/4 fenders, headlights and mirrors.

[G_whizz]

A very sound investment

[Clear Choice]

Not challenging....just asking. Every painter I know in the industry has told me the opposite and that the best paint is factory. Repaints have to deal with curing time and it does not help if they put it on thicker. plz let us know if this works for you w/out putting a clear bra over the paint. I service a number of body shops and the biggest question is always how to avoid the new paint being damaged before it is cured enough to apply the ppf, if the customer will be driving the vehicle.

[ArEs23x]

A very sound investment

Dont have one but it really looks like a sweet deal!

[SirLoin]

After reading this thread, I decided to go with the clear bra on my Ivory Pearl G37. It was a month old with 800 miles on it. Unless you know what to look for it's hardly noticeable. The dealer, Kearney Mesa Infiniti in San Diego, charged me $650.00. I was quoted $750.00 and $900.00 by two different local installers. I also had the dealer tint the windows, it was $450.00. I was told the elevated cost was because they have to remove the door panels to properly apply the film. I felt better that the guys that did my last car (Alvin O's) were the dealers choice, as they use Bekaert Film's Solar Guard - a quality product. Now my car is finished until an aftermarket grille is available. I'll post some pictures, if I can figure out how.

[Tam Elbrun]

After doing a little online research and checking with some installers in the Raleigh, NC area I got the clear mask / bra / paint protection film applied to my '08 G35x (white 4 door sedan). My observations of the experience follow: There are a number of paint protection films out there, but some of the most popular products are made by just a few companies, 3M (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... -PPF/Home/) and CP Films (http://www.cpfilms.com/products.html) possibly being the largest. In my area 3M sells a product under the Scotchguard name. CP Films has a product called Llumar. Sellers of each say theirs is the best. My conclusion is that they are comparable products. The two installers I checked were Formula One and 3M Window Tinting (http://www.raleighwindowtinting.com/). I used the latter (3M Window Tinting) because their installer Todd Shields was highly knowledgeable, was willing to provide references, AND had a slot available today. The bumper, part of the hood, part of the mirrors, lights, and front fenders were done. It is all but invisible. So far I am very pleased. I am going on a 900 mile trip next week and am glad I was able to get it done before going on the road. The total was $740.00. Apparently cost of the job is based on difficulty. At 3M the scale is 1 - 5; with 5 being the most difficult. The 07 / 08 G35 models are rated 4; not counting the headlights. They seem to make it a 5. Installation took 3.5 hours. Should anything post worthy occur going forward I'll drop a line. One final note. The installer told me not to run the bi-Xenon headlights for 24 hours to allow the film on the headlights to cure. I almost didn't get home before it was dark.

[Clear Choice]

You made the right choice with the 3M . Not one installer I know uses the llumar for at least 4 yrs. I did not even think they still made it, definitely no longer players in the big game....... they make great window tint though.

[Southern Gentleman]

I just had the 3M clear bra applied to my new Platnium Graphite G37. The installer covered the front bumper top and bottom, fenders to just past the lights, 24" of the hood, windshield pillars, mirrors front and top, and the inside door handles. The cost was $730 which was much less than what the dealers around here (Birmingham, Ala. ) wanted. He did an excellent job and I feel much better traveling the roads. I wanted the inside handles done because I've already scratched my side trying to adjust the seat.

I highly recommend the 3M product. Just make sure that you have it done by a certified 3M installer.

Southern Gentleman