Paint Protection Film aka "Clear Bra"

[The Critic]

Do any of you have paint protection film aka "clear bra" on your vehicle?

All of the car forums I have visited have said that it is highly recommended if you want your car's front-end to stay in pristine condition for a long time. Of course, the forums I visited were forums for higher-end cars, so some of their tastes may not be suitable for the "average joe."

The Altima in my signature is Winter Frost, which I think is a tri-coat white paint. A highly-regarded installer quoted me about $700 installed for a pre-cut Ventureshield kit with a lifetime parts and labor warranty. If I decide to have it done, it will be through them as I don't think anyone else comes close to their workmanship in my area.

The cost seems really high, but I have a gut feeling that it may be worth it since the paint on the newer cars is not very durable due to environment regulations.

Thoughts?

 

[MONKEYMAN]

Manly cars don't wear bras. They wear paint protective devices.

That seems like a lot of money to me. Is it worth it to you?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Since modern cars don't have real (read: "chrome") bumpers but need paint, it might well be a good investment. I had the Buick's front bumper repainted about two years ago for a little over $300, done by a good independent shop which also does custom work in the area. I haven't driven on gravel roads or anything, but when I clean the car each week I'm seeing a couple of tiny chips already.

 

[CivicFan]

Our Audi has a clear bra. I think it's a great way to prevent damage to the paint. The film on the hood has remained almost intact over the past 60k miles but the film on the side mirrors is heavily damaged. I don't want to think what would have happened to the paint if the film was not there.

The film is invisible unless you get very close to the surface to have a look. When you wax the car, the wax will stay near the edge of the film and you need to purposefully remove it - it's visible on a black car and may not be an issue on a white car.

All said and done, I think a clear bra is a must for cars driven at speeds of 55 MPH or higher.

 

[Pesca]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Do any of you have paint protection film aka "clear bra" on your vehicle?

The Altima in my signature is Winter Frost, which I think is a tri-coat white paint. A highly-regarded installer quoted me about $700 installed for a pre-cut Ventureshield kit with a lifetime parts and labor warranty. If I decide to have it done, it will be through them as I don't think anyone else comes close to their workmanship in my area.

The cost seems really high, but I have a gut feeling that it may be worth it since the paint on the newer cars is not very durable due to environment regulations.

Thoughts?


Your last statement is why I put one on my car and my wife's previous car.
Modern paint can easily chip and I dislike to a high level the deflector you install on a hood.

That is why I choose this solution: I have the protection but don't make my car ugly.
You need to be close to the car to see it.

Especially with the new white cars which are really really hard for the body shop to match if they have to repaint it, that is even a better investment.

That is why I will probably never again choose a white car: They look really nice with all these sun reflections but as soon as you need a paint job, you are screwed.

 

[benjamming]

Do y'all also leave the plastic on your furniture in the house?

 

[Pesca]

It is funny but it is not the same.

Where you get a lot of salt and gravel on the road, it helps not to have to change your hood every 3 years.

I am following a report of a test drive of Mercedes Smarts in the deep north of Canada and after only one week of driving, the front of their cars are scrap because of the gravel thrown on the road. They will have to replace every windshield at the end of the trip as they have about half dozen cracks on them.

And yes, now it exists a clear bra for windshield which helps cut UV (heat) without changing the visibility and protect from chips without wrong effects on the use of the wipers.

BTW, two weeks ago, my wife got her windshield repaired from a crack (thankfully free of charge from the assurance company).

So yes, it is useful here, even if that makes you laugh. But you could also laugh to the fact that we have an electric plug popping out of our cars: Do they already have electric cars up north? What is the range of the wire/car?.

 

[ls1mike]

We had it on my wife's TDi, it was nice, 700 bucks seems pricey.
I used to wax over it. Was easy to maintain. Not sure I would do it again.

 

[JHZR2]

It depends upon the aerodynamics of the car, and the type of roads and road dirt driven over.

My saab, which has a 0.27Cd, and is used entirely on the highway shows nothing but a few big pebble hits, which likely would have marred the film too.

My BMW, which has more upright surfaces, shows rock bits on the veritcal surfaces and leading edges of the horizontal ones, though mainly seeing
The hood of our previa is the worst for getting sand blasted.

 

[cchase]

Newer cars and newer paint jobs are a lot less durable from what I have observed. The front end of my GTO which has notoriously weak water-based paint looks sandblasted with 20k on it.

The real issue is what is the clear film going to look like in 5 years when it starts to get foggy (which some seem to do, especially if you take it to car washes with harsh chemicals) vs just getting the front end repainted.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Do it yourself, just the hood. The 3M kits are cheap.

 

[JHZR2]

I wouldnt do it myself... Not after trying headlight covers. I figured headlights were more sensitive than paint in our world, and so we put some on.

They were tough to get on smooth and airbubble-free. And they are MUCH smaller of surfaces than a hood.

Id trust it to the pros.

 

[ecotourist]

I've had clear film put on the hoods of my 2000 Toyota Solara, my 2000 BMW 528i and my 2007 Honda Accord. It works great. The more recent work is better because the new product is less visible.

It cost $300 to do about an 18 inch strip on the front edge of the hood and the backs of the mirrors on the Accord. It was about the same for the BMW.

I think it's a 3M product, custom cut, then shaped to fit. Don't think I'd try doing it myself.

For the most part you don't get stone chips when you have film installed. I must of had quite a big rock hit the hood of the Solara because a half inch diameter circle of paint was shattered behind the film. I cut out a circle, cleaned out the shattered paint and touched up the hole with matching paint. Doesn't look too bad.

Ecotourist

 

[JHZR2]

How bad is it to remove the film for either repairs or replacement? Does it come off clean?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: cchase
The real issue is what is the clear film going to look like in 5 years when it starts to get foggy (which some seem to do, especially if you take it to car washes with harsh chemicals) vs just getting the front end repainted.


I would just get it redone under the lifetime warranty.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
How bad is it to remove the film for either repairs or replacement? Does it come off clean?


Let's just say it's easier than putting it on.

 

[tonycarguy]

IMO not worth it for any car less than $50k. You can just pay someone to come by once every other year to touch up nicks here and there.

The $700 cost won't be recovered by higher resale. Think about, if you bought an 8 year old $7000 car that didn't have any nicks on the front, would you pay an extra $700 for it over one that had normal nicks? (all else being equal).. I wouldn't.

Just don't drive behind trucks on the freeway!

 

[JHZR2]

that is a very good point, but for me, I don't care about resale. I drive cars until Ive extracted full value. This means 200-250k minimum.

If insurance totals your car, you are at the mercy of KBB anyway, no chips in the hood won't get a bigger check cut.

 

[mechtech2]

So some people would rather drive around with some ugly covering, so the underneath that is not seen remains better looking?
Yeah, but....

 

[gizzsdad]

I've put it on my last three vehicles. It was on my '05 Maxima for over five years, no yellowing.

I finally found a neat trick to help with waxing. I get 1/4" wide automotive painters tape and cover the edges that are likely to show. Then I apply wax/sealant over the top and remove tape before buffing, keeping the product from building up on the edges.

I had my window tint and PPF applied by the same shop - I think it was $650 for the combo.