I checked out the leading brands of clear bras on the market and I like the stongard brand due to its larger pieces and less creases and cuts in the film. Their product is designed to be installed professionally (harder to install), their competitors kits have more pieces and can be installed by the end-user. Check them out at www.stongard.com . Pay close attention to the stongard vs. other link and the warranty info.

If you like them and live in Washington state please let me know or email their sales department to have them pattern your Z for me and the rest of us.
The pattern process takes a day (8 hours) and gets your Z a discounted install price. Just think of what your doing for the rest of us.

Please reference that you saw my post on my350z.com or 350zforum.com so I can get my kit as well. The day after the pattern is made the kit can be shipped out to end-users and installers.

kerryb@stongard.com can be contacted to set up a pattern appointment via email or 800.350.4897.

Thanks,

 

Whoever goes for this should get it for free, I got that deal down here by another company. Being a new car they are itching to get their hands on a car to measure. Just think it will save you a few hundred bucks and to them it costs nothing but material and they will make money from using your car.

 

they said they'd give a $150-175 discount on installed kit. check out the link to their page, i believe they have a superior product.

 

Just about everyone uses the same 3M film, and as a company I think they should see the big picture and give the install for free, the discount is basically just their profit on the film or their labor, considering they they stand to make money they should provide it for free as an incentive for someone to leave them their car for 8 hours instead of going to someone that already has the kits and will only take an hour or so. Just my 2 cents, not flaming.

 

so what company did yours westpak?

 

The guys that did mine were from Bekaert Specialty Films (BSF), they have all kinds of different films for residential, commercial and auto, and they do all of the patterns for the window and clear bras, the distributors for their installations is solar gard (solargard.com), there were some flaws (small bubbles, and such)which they said should go away as it is exposed to heat, I don't know if I am being over critical, they told me to come back in a week and we'll see what it looks like then.

But for free I had nothing to lose, I can always take it off and try another one, that is why I think that anyone that helps a company should be compensated not just a discount, specially on something like this where the actual expense (film) is a minor part of the entire cost (markup + labor), if it was a turbo installation where the material would be a large part of the cost I would understand just a discount.

 

FYI, most use the same film sourced by 3M. Oh, that was said allready. Well anyway....

 

for the record im not affiliated with stongard, I just read all the web pages i could find about these and i liked their stongard vs. section that convinced me they were better, less pieces means less peeling edges, they don't expose the edges of the metal, they wrap around leading edges, they have a better warranty, and encourage professional installation. i just need them to get a pattern and wanted to encourage someone from washington to swing by and get a discount or don't even get it installed they just need to measure and i can't swing by washington state from south jersey

 

How long do these protections last?

 

No problem as I stated before it is not directed at you, but more of info for someone who might take it into consideration to go. As for wrapping the edges it will be hard on the front of the hood as there is a sealing strip attached to the front edge of the hood, also as the film settles and shrinks back into place the installtions that wrapped around the edges might come up but the ones that go close to the edges wont.

 

They are supposed to last for a long time as they do not fade or rip, the only reason to replace is if you don't like it anymore, or a hard hit from a rock makes a blemish on the film you can't live without. To me it looks a lot better than a bra and no hastle putting on and taking off.

 

From their phn # it looks like they are on the Eastside. Maybe Bellevue?

Anyway, how long would it take to measure the car?

 

kerry from sales said 8 hours to measure and optionally install, and your pattern would be available to all 350 owners the next day! Are you in the vicinity?

thanks,

 

Stonegard has a lifetime warranty if installed by an authorized place, plus if anything happens to protected paint or headlights they will pay for it up to $2000. Sounds pretty good....I just have a feeling that the kit plus professional installation is gonna run me over 600 bucks.

 

Our 350Z kit has NO relief cuts and NO extra pieces. Its completely absurd that they would not let you have the kit that they leave on your car when they use it as a design vehicle for their product that they intend to market for their own profit. Also, alot of custom cut guys and a couple kit companies like to wrap the edges since it makes it easier and faster to install than installing perfectly aligned edges, the problem we've seen with this is that the 3M film has memory, and in some instances tends to want to unwrap after a while when made to wrap all the way around a sharp edge. It would be just as easy to design a kit, and even easier to install a kit, that simply wraps the edges, but we would rather make a kit that was completely reliable and would stay adhered for the life of the vehicle, than to take chances with wrapping the edges. As it is, our kits are made to cover out to the radius of the surface edges(to about 1/16") this has proven to be the best balance of protection and reliability of fit. Take a look at this picture of a Porsche with our kit installed. On a good install, this is all of the edges that should be exposed with our kits, look close, its hard to see.....

 

Yup. Seems to be a lot of absurdity in the 3M arena in these forums lately.

 

This is very true. I would never buy a kit with "rolled" edges and do agree that you should get free product and install for being a guinee pig.

However, the prices being offered right now are ridiculous and equate to dealer price gouging. Everyone, if you can just wait a month or so these kits will be WAY cheaper.

 

Thats the problem, if you wait a month, you will have chips

 

Some one has taken notice!

Fair Price

edit: see end of thread

 

I spoke with chad from stongard regarding their competitors giving away the pattern kit. Can't budge, the pattern kit will be $400.00 installed, and will take about 8 hours. I think its worth it, although, I can't take my 350 to washington. He did promise a special rate on a group buy, 15% off total installed for 10 cars. I'm sure we can get at least 10.

For the 2 washington local posts, Stongard is in Bellevue, please lemme know if you're interested, I really want one before I get a nick.

BTW, I told chad about all the pros and cons posted about the rolled edge, price, warranty, etc. and he's firm that their product is superior in width, coloring, cracking, warranty, etc. Very knowledgeable.