monstertaco

Just bought my Z in Super Black and thinking about getting a 3M clear bra installed. What I understand this can be done for about 500-600 dollars. My questions are...

Does the material peel or fade after awhile?

How much does it cost to detail the chips out if I didn't get a bra?

I was thinking about getting the clear bra on just the bumber. Is this a good half-way solution? How much does it cost to do just the bumber?


Thanks!

Wicked4u2c

iTrader: (6)

I had a clear bra got it for free from a meet at Performance Nissan about a year ago it was only on my car for um.... 1 day when I RIPPED IT OFF! Me personally, I don't like the way it looks maybe because I try and keep my car as shinny as possible and when you see this bra you can really tell something is there. This might not be for every color, but from my experience I hated it, and you can defenetly tell their is a LINE running across. Id say for $600.00 save your money. I got my front end repainted and shaved the front emblem off and added a front lip all for $200.00 installed. Matches perfect, just like if you were to paint any front bumper (body kit). I don't know what the going rate on those clear bra's are but if they are $600.00 I can repaint my front bumper every year for 3 years and make it look clean again. Like I said, in BLACK IMO looks very noticeable like something is there, maybe other colors like silver which I have seen in person are almost invisible so that is cool.

t32gzz

iTrader: (1)

I totally disagree, as the clear bra was the best purchase I ever made, after 3 paint jobs on my front bumper. The sooner you get it, the less chips you will have to cover. I got mine done right after the third paint job so there would be no chips at all.

As far as yellowing or clouding, it could happen, but I have had mine a year and it still looks like the day I got it. I only did my bumper, the hood is too obvious of a line. It is not as much the bra as it is the installer. Get one recommended by X-pel and you'll be fine.

Wicked4u2c

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, if you finished reading my post you would of notice I stated...

"maybe other colors like silver which I have seen in person are almost invisible so that is cool"

Your car is SILVER, so of course its going to look fine. If you don't know this black is the most difficult color to take care of. Everyone knows that when you have a Black car everything is noticeble, so when you put a clear bra you can rest assure it is VERY NOTICEABLE. I didn't like that, but with other colors including yours (silver) its like its not even there and sure if I had a silver car I too would put a clearbra. But because I have Black that is a BIG NO NO. Black is the hardest to maintain but the best looking when it is clean

Premier Mobile

Wicked4u2c - My assumption here is that your installer used 3M when you had this done a yr ago. Whether or not you had the first generation or 2nd gen 3m film, it's urethane has quite a significant amount of orange peel that will show on black. We've used 3M in the past and it isn't the greatest film on the market as far as fading and yellowing goes.

There are other film manufacturers that are much clearer and doesn't show up as much such as Venture........even on black it is barely noticeable.

As some people may contest with the clearbra's pricing as too expensive, the film and installation is not cheap. Today's new technology paint protection film is more expensive than films of the past, which is why there are prices that go past the $1000 for the exotics and high-end luxuries. There is one added benefit of getting a clearbra and it is to preserve the factory paint. As for repainting, it is really a personal preference.

Also, film quality is only as good as film installation results. If you get an install w/ bubbles, wrinkles, stretch marks, dirt / debris, then the film's presence is significantly pronounced. Below are some pics on darker colored vehicles:

Here's a custom E46 bumper on a E36 chassis:

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GS400

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..

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is300

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LS430

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SC430

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G35 Sedan

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G35C

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monstertaco - 3M will show up more on darker colored vehicles, so I wouldn't recommend it. Here's a breakdown of all films and our own & colleagues' experiences in the same industry:

3M - upgraded its film about a yr ago due to fading and yellowing issues. We've used it for 3 yrs and nearly half of our customers came back w/ warranty claims of fading w/in 2 yrs. Warranty is only 5 yrs.

Avery - film is clearer than 3M, but their urethane has yet to be upgraded........fades in less than a yr

Clearshield - urethane is very similar to 3M's 1st gen film, significant orange peel, and tends to fade at the same rate of the old 3M. If this along w/ 3M's old film ever needs to be replaced or removed, it is likely 95% of the adhesives will stay on the paint when film is being removed. This will increase the likelihood of scratching the clearcoat when taking the leftover adhesives off.

Llumar - film is clearer than the films above, comes w/ a lifetime warranty, but CP is not known for their service. CP is the largest film manufacturer in the world, but they are one of the worst in warranty processing, which could hamper the process if anything does come up.

Venture - we've been using this film for the past 3 yrs now and have not had any fading or yellowing claims. All of the vehicles above are wrapped w/ Venture by us and comes w/ a lifetime warranty. The film's technology does not require the usage of a clearcoat, but is just as resistant to our natural environment as 3M. As many of you may already know the clearcoat on paint surfaces can scratch fairly easy, which is what could happen on 3m. We have removed Venture after a yr of application bc the customer gets a nasty scrape and would like the film replaced, and only about 30% of the adhesive remains.

Does the material peel or fade after awhile?
If the film is installed properly, there shouldn't be any peeling issues at all. Even on rainy days, we're still wrapping cars and even though the manufacturer clearly states to not wash the vehicle; hence, to keep the edges from getting wet, we properly dry the film whenever it is necessary to prevent any peeling or lifting on the edges. Once the film is properly secured, lifting shouldn't happen at all bc the adhesives hold about 50lbs of pressure per sq inch.

How much does it cost to detail the chips out if I didn't get a bra?
It will depend where you take the car. We generally charge per panel, but will depend on the amt of chips on that specific area. If it's minor chipping here and there (a dozen or so), we would normally chg $45.

I was thinking about getting the clear bra on just the bumber. Is this a good half-way solution? How much does it cost to do just the bumber?
If anything, the bumper will take up most of the chips. Doing just the bumper will range anywhere from $275-$350 depending on where you take it. Expect the better installation facilities to charge more.

Hope this helps! Happy New Year everybody.

z32 fairlady

One of the best investments ever made for the car. Especialy on the highway runs. It's amazing how much **** the front end on this car picks up. Here is some pics of my car. I tried to get some close ups of the cut off line itself. I've had it ont he car since February of this year car was purchased on January 22 this year.
Shop around 1st I got the complete front end hood, bumper (1 piece), fenders, and mirrors for 450 installed.

2003z

iTrader: (7)

we've got the llumar on a black magnum, and it is virtually invisible. just the cut lines is all you can see, if you look.

Premier Mobile, do you have any problems with venture and excessive shrinkage? We tried it on a G35 we owned and it shrunk up so much my installer insisted on redoing it with 3m.

Premier Mobile

Nope, never had a problem w/ Venture for the 3 yrs we've used it. We have noticed, however, the shrinkage you were mentioning we did see from one of our local competitors using 3M and it turns out he was installing it in 90 degree weather under direct sunlight while the paint's surface is still hot.

We also keep 3m in stock for the dealerships that prefer to use it, but our main line is Venture. We prefer to use Venture first bc of its warranty (lifetime), clarity, textile strength, and durability. Between Venture and Llumar, they are the clearest films on the mkt. We chose not to use Llumar because we know their reputation with warranty issues is rated poor from window films. CP Industries is not known for their service for warranty claims, so we stray away from this company whenever possible.

ares

iTrader: (2)

I saw it on a 3M distributors S2k at the tint shop. he said it was 3 years old. errrr, it looked aweful to be blunt. it protected the paint I guess, but that doesnt mean it didnt show marks itself. looked to me like it was good for about 2-3years; 5-600$. I estimated about 2-300$ for a repaint on a bumper; you could repaint every year and be the same price.

kinda goes bad when you figure it does protect the hood as well; so now your painting 2 things.

none the less, I can see it, despite what photos indicate; my eye is drawn to it. never been fooled. not that it looks horribly, or super noticable, but without is better than with.

I just kind of grouped it with those clear plastic furniture covers. less obtrusive than them, but same idea.

bilinghm

iTrader: (3)

I had the second generation 3M film put on just the bumper of my silverstone car. The installation is very good and the protection is outstanding. Consider that the factory puts a small piece of film just ahead of the rear wheel openings on every 350. Nissan believes in it, so it must be pretty effective stuff.

I understand the key to long term good looks is maintanence. Clean it frequently with Plexus aircraft window polish and it should look great for as long as you own the car.

xswl0931

I have 3M put on my black G35 coupe about a year ago. My friends didn't even notice it until I told them I had it on and even then had to point out where it was.

Wicked4u2c

iTrader: (6)

Premier Mobile you could be right? Maybe I got one of the bad ones, I guess I haven't been impressed yet (black color car). Until I see one in person with the same color car and see the quality than I will consider it. And pictures don't do justice, pictures hide 90% of blemishes if not more. I can take a picture of my dusty car right now and it would look so shinny, so really posting pics of a clearbra is almost pointless, because unless you have high megapixel and zoomed in you wont see any detail.