azizam77

Hey all...just got an 04 cs z...IN orange county..and I was wondering if anyone here knew of a place to get a clear bra put on....or if you think its needed at all?


share your thoughts....I'm curious to know what you all think/or where you refer to!

papo470

a must!! it'll be the most important investment on your car. you should at least do the hood and the front bumper, it will keep your paint looking brand new forever, unless, you want stone chips.

do a search here, there is somebody out on the west coast that installs it. make sure you get somebody good AND that will come back if you need to, in case any problems.

good luck,

Gerardo

azizam77

Thanks man! its what I'm seeing...I've talked to Envisage labs in Torrance CA they quoted me about 600$ for the bumper and hood....is that reasonable?


Also , any word on reputation?



aziz

papo470

no, $600 for the front bumper and hood is too expensive. it should be around $400. i did the bumper, hood, the side of the car, from the front mud guards up to the rear wheels, side mirrors, and behind the rear wheels..for about $750.

northern CA.
contact: Jeremy
invisiguard@sbcglobal.net
(707) 546-4047

southern CA.
contact: Daniel
danielcook@envisagelab.com
(866) 335-3456

..make sure he's willing to fix any problems that may occur in the future, or, correct anything you're not happy with.

Scott Webb

Check out Star Shield Armor paint and headlight protection kits. They're one of the industry leaders and headquartered in SoCal. I've had their kits on a variety of cars (including race cars) with excellent results.

Phone Lines
TOLL-FREE : 866.NO.CHIPS
PHONE : 626.813.0299
FAX : 626.813.0399

Los Angeles HQ
Star Shield Armor
4981 Irwindale Ave.
Suite 100
Irwindale, CA. 91706

Red6

iTrader: (2)

Star Shield is awsome. Its a great inverstment they did my front buper hood and parts of the body kit too.

Lots of trips to vegas and no chips on the hood front bumper or my front lip. Im really happy with it.

Talk to Hernane hes the nicest guy and will set you up.

Scott Webb

Just had a Star Shield Armor Paint and Headlight kit installed today on our project Z Roadster. I've attached a few photos to give you an idea of the product and process. Definitely have it professionally installed, although the headlights could be done by a skilled consumer.

The process starts with a thorough cleaning and stripping of wax, etc. The pieces of 3M film are large, and are applied using two different formulations of water, soap and alcohol - depending upon the desired effect at the time.

Scott Webb

The Star Shield Armor paint protection kit is quite comprehensive, covering:

- front portion of the hood
- complete bumper cover
- front-facing parts of front fenders
- front faces of rear view mirrors
- door edges
- A-pillars
- leading edge of roof

After being careful to remove all bubbles from the film with the squeegee, a heat gun is used to ensure proper coverage over and around contours, and for best adhesion at the edges.

Scott Webb

The headlight film is much thicker than the paint protection film because it is designed to protect the lenses from impacts that would otherwise shatter or crack them. It is applied dry with a squeegee and patience.

Scott Webb

Once it's all installed, you have to look hard to see it. You can really only tell it's there when an edge catches the light. The still-wet film is visible below in the difference of the reflection. After it's had time to cure, the film is just as shiny as the unprotected paint.

SizongZ

iTrader: (1)

This is my question with the film. From what I understand the film is UV protective correct? So doesn't that mean, especially on the hood, that after some time the part that isn't covered with the film will naturally fade faster then parts that are covered. Then it will end up having a two-tone look to it?
And every clear bra that I saw doesn't go all the way to the edges and leaves a little strip uncovered on the edge. Wouldn't the same thing happen here?
I'm just curious cause this is the main reason why I haven't bothered getting the clear bra. Because from what I can see I will end up having to point the bumper and hood regardless of having the clear bra on or not.
Plus on dark cars like my brickyard those lines are horrible.

Scott Webb

Good question regarding the paint fading. I don't have a technical answer for you on that one and I haven't had paint film on a car for more than about 1.5-2 years. Given today's clear coat and paint sealant/wax technology, I'd be surprised if fading is a common problem within 10 years or so. Even if the paint were to fade ever so slightly over 10 years, you'd still have a chip-less paint surface for those 10 years - which you wouldn't get if you leave paint unprotected.

To me, one big rock chip ruins the look until its fixed, and you could chase rock chips for years.

The Star Shield kits that I've had (Z, Miata, Lexus IS, Mazda6) go right up to the edge. There is debate among kit suppliers about whether or not to wrap around the edge. From a longevity point of view, it's more likely to pull up if it's wrapped 180-degrees around an edge. I guess the way I look at it is that it's better to have almost all of the surface protected instead of none.

As for the edge/line, it's nearly invisible on all the cars I've seen. Perhaps you could try a small sample piece of film on your car to see what it looks like before plunking down cash for an entire kit.

SizongZ

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Scott I like your answers. But every car that I've seen with the clear bra I can tell right off the bat and that's one reason I don't like it. To me it's like that little filmy thing you see on electronic screens.... I always want to just peel them off.
Another thing is, unless you keep it in a garage all the time... the paint is going to fade little by little. Also depending where you live. Like now I live by the beach and constantly worried about the salt air.
Well it's a little late for me to worry about the film now anyways since I have a hundered chips in my bumper anyways.... but I'm going to get it repainted here soon anyhow.
Oh well.... just have to see what happens. I'm just having a problem justifying spending money on this.

Scott Webb

I know exactly what you mean about those temporary films on electronics. It bugs me when I see that someone hasn't removed it! Funny enough, I actually cut out a piece of the 3M paint protection film for the screen on my cell phone. VERY different looking from the film that came on it.

On my Miata race car I have a flourescent dashed line around the entire kit. People come up to me all the time to ask why (i.e. they can't see the kit). Of course it does have other decals and such on it to distract.

On my street/project cars, most people only notice I have a kit if I point it out to them. And that's with a Star Shield Armor decal on the car!

You'll have to check out my Z some time and see what you think. Hopefully our paths will cross one day soon.

SizongZ

iTrader: (1)

Coo coo... just to let you know though I pay a lot of attention to the small things and that's why I always see the clear bra.
But I'm just going to wait and see if I'm going to try it or not.
I just talked to a friend who has the clear bra on his car from about 3 years I think. He said he already had to get it redone cause the rocks eventually wore away part of the film... and the scratches showed alot. Just like you would get if you scratched that packaging plastic on Cd's.
Anyhow just going to see what happens.

Jeff@Performance

Amazing what you learn on this web-site. I was looking for someone to do my project car, and I find out their in my back yard!! Thanks Scott.