What about putting extra layers of Zaino on the front bumper to help stop rock chips? Would the extra layers give a thicker protection and limit rock chips?

 

I doubt it. Waxes, polishes are only layers molecules thick. They will help with fly bugs but not hard objects.

 

The best protection from rock chips is the 3M product called Scotchcal. Dynashield ,StonGard , Xpel , Invincashield are some of the major manufacturers of kits of the new Z.

Finding a good installer is the first step so try searching these sites to find someone in your area. If you cannot find an installer near you, order the Invinca-shield kit. It can be ordered with an installation video and everything you need for the install except water, and was designed to be most easily installed.

If you need help beyond that, my website is Speed Film Network , I can get you any kit on the market at less than retail.

 

I don't think those are worth the money(clear bras). A good one seems to be more than $500. You could get your bumper repainted for $500 a couple years from now and it would be fresh.

 

Sure you can repaint for the cost of one of these kits, and get a new chip on the way home from the body shop. Will the paint match? Probably not as well as the factory paint. Will having your car repainted hurt the resale value? I don't know about the new Z, but having a Porsche or BMW repainted will certainly hurt the resale value, even if Dr. Ferdinand painted it himself.

I used to sell cars some years back and any car we saw as a trade in that was repainted was devalued quite a bit, no matter how good the repaint was because, if it was repainted, there must have been a reason. That reason in the minds of a prospective buyer was that the car had been in an accident, not because of a few rock chips on the front.

These products won't stop a brick or a bullet from getting to your car, its not a deflector shield and a photon torpedo will damage the paint no matter what you do. The alternative is the vinyl bra and all of its hassles, drive so slow you will get rear ended or at least the finger, live with the chips, or as you point out, a repaint.

My car has had a StonGard kit on it for nearly 3 years and 46,000 miles, with extra coverage on the rocker panels and the top of the rear bumper. I have chips on the hood and fenders above where the film covers. At that time, 3M only made the material in 24 inch widths. It can now be ordered in 48 in wide rolls which would have covered these areas. My next car will have the entire hood covered as well as much of the fenders as I can.

Yes, I do sell this product so take what I say with that out in the open. The one thing that is very apparent is nearly everyone of my repeat customers has requested and happily paid for more coverage on the next car they bring me.

 

Well, what's the price installed?

 

Cost for the install is going to vary depending on which kit is choosen, and where or who is doing the install. Sixteen ounces of Budwieser will cost anywhere from a dollar to $5.50 depending on if you buy it at 7/11 or at professional sports arena.

I know thats beside the point but I can tell you I charge about $75.00 an hour plus the cost of materials. The Z is at least a 4 hour job so $250 will buy my services for the 350, if I don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning the car. That works out to about $750 to $800 depending on the kit.

I have very little overhead and can do my installs on site at the customers location, out of the trunk of my car. For someone with a first class shop, they will have to factor in fixed costs of keeping the doors open. One guy may pay $500 a month to rent a bay at an auto boutique somewhere and the next installer may have a state of the art setup complete with micron filter air vents and thousands of watts of lighting, a shop that is more like an operating room than an oil change pit.

If you want to do the install yourself and save the most money, I suggest theInvinca-shield 350 Z kit. It comes with an installation video and everything you need except water to do the job, and costs a little over $400. You can contact me if you have any questions during the install even if you buy the kit elsewhere, I don't mind helping out and I think you will find that is the attitude of most of the posters on this website that also do the same type of work. I know Mike at Dynashield and Jeremy ( I think ) have posted helpful tips on some of the threads.

Whenever I have any work done, I judge what my time is worth to me vs. having someone else do it. Last year, my wife and I painted our house because it was cheaper to do ourselves. If the septic tank needs work though, I'm not going to think about rolling up my own sleeves.