Being in NY city and parallel parking alot, I decided to get my bumpers coated with the 3M material, before the bumpers start lookiing like hell (which happened*with my '94 Probe GT.) Other drivers and garages always seem to damage plastic bumpers. That was my main concern, not rock chips necessarily.

Xpel has a custom cut kit for the RX8 - one for the front nose and one for the fenders/hood/sideview mirrors.

I also head them do the thicker 12mm thickness 3M on the rear bumper, (front was standard 9mm) wrapping around fully to the seam where it meets the rear quarter panel.

They also threw in door edge guards strips for the front doors.

I have to say the installation looks great. The only place it is at all visible is the line across the hood and front fenders (which should be visible in one of the pics)

The rest of the places just looks great even from a few inches away. I will report back, but I'm not sure how long it will take to get any evidence of it saving me from a bumper tap.

I may have gone a little overboard getting everything done, since it was close to $800, (a very good price compared with other companies I talked with) and it did take 2 men several hours to do the work. The material is pretty expensive, and was developed to protect helicopter rotor blades that were being ripped up in Dessert Storm.

This is the shop that did the work here in NY, but x-pel seems to have installers across the country. WWW.xpel.com is just one company that sells the 3M material, but they are the only ones I found that have an RX8 template already.

Monster Coatings
contact Lazlo
Garfield, NJ
973-983-7662

feel free to say Richard with the RX8 sent you.

this is the hood and fender kit loosly placed on. Once it has been placed and stretched, it is unnoticable, except at an edge- which is clearly visible here. The front nose looks great and has no seams that show.

4

5

the finished car

close ups

6

Looks good... how much did it all set you back (labor and parts?)

I asked them to wrap the 3M all the way around the bumper, so there end the the material comes where a natural seam in the car lies. It really looks great. There is a line that is visible across the bumper top, but not very noticable, and of ciurse much better than most of the cars I see in the city that have all the paint flaking off the bumpers from careless parkers.

Here is the only place you can really see anything. Notice the faint line across the hood and fenders, when looking towards the front of the car ---NOTE I posted these pics from my mac, which dsiplays brighter than seeing it on a PC- it is more noticable in real life than in this pic)

9

here is the first pic posted larger, so you can see the front nose kit. As I posted parts and labor were a bit under $800. They have a cover for the headlights too, but I passed on that one, since I was getting low on $$$.

one more...

thanks for the pics..

question --

the front bumper piece is one whole flat piece??

is the stuff *that* flexible, that it can stretch and wrap that deeply into the where the foglights sit?

or are there cuts there so that it can go inward??

I just want to know if they're using little pieces here and there or if it is really one solid piece that is super flexible...

Originally posted by Squidward
thanks for the pics..

question --

the front bumper piece is one whole flat piece??

is the stuff *that* flexible, that it can stretch and wrap that deeply into the where the foglights sit?

or are there cuts there so that it can go inward??

I just want to know if they're using little pieces here and there or if it is really one solid piece that is super flexible...

I had this done on my Yellow one a few weeks ago. The front bumper is one BIG piece, with no relief cuts, the hood is a piece, the top of each fender is a piece, and the back of each mirror is a piece. Pics on my yellow can be seen HERE (http://community.webshots.com/user/traypryor)

here is a pic of the outline of the mask from xpel's site

this is an outline of the hood and fender mask, also from xpel's site. BTW I have no affiliation with them or any car related company.

Thank you emailists,

Great info, pics and I will call them as delivery of my RX8 approaches (Oct/Nov).

I too ordered the Titanium 6MT GT Black/Chaparral with strakes and mud guards, fore & aft.

Since you are in NYC, perhaps we should meet this Winter in the city and cruise about town.

Do you think the big apple could stand to see 2 Tits about town :)

Claude H.

BTW: as the weeks go by, perhaps you could update this post with long term impressions of the 3M durability???

I had the 3M XPEL kit applied to my 8 at the end of July (posted details and costs here at that time). Since then, I did a 4000 mi road trip to California and back, so I've got about 5000 miles on the car with the clear bra in place. It has held up very well, made cleaning bugs off the nose easy without worrying about scratching paint, etc. I also see one spot on a fender where the 3M Scotchcal film is stretched a bit from a rock hit (like a slightly raised spot), but there's no underlying damage to the paint. Perfect job!

The only downside is that when the car is dusty or dirty, the edge of the film across the hood is more visible. I had someone at Laguna Seca ask me how I got that scratch all the way across my hood, and I had to get them to show me what they meant - fortunately, it was the rear edge of the 3M film, not my car having been keyed!! :eek:

Regards,
Gordon

Thanks Gordon,

I have been concerned about how well this product would hold up over time. I realize that 5K miles ain't exactly an endurance test but it seems to be a good indicator.

Claude H.

I think it will pay to get some quotes from different installers. I went to the Xpel web site and pulled up a list of different installers in my area. For the 4 kits available I received quotes from $600-$1000 for parts and labor. It also seems that the dealers who cut the 3M material from bulk that they buy using the Xpel software are cheaper. I was also informed by the guy who was closer to a grand (who buys his material from Xpel already die cut) that when he receives the material it also contains the material around the cut-out, which he could use these pieces in other area's (door handles, back of fenders, etc). Still I had a hard time with a 30% bump for that. I will go with a $685 quote and install next week. My first trip to Palm Springs this weekend left about 4 small pocks on the front bumper.

WOW .. I've never even heard of this process before... hmmm.. must do some research on this.. any suggested reading ???

I have my sights set on getting an aftermarket frnt bumper/spoiler. Is it possible to do a custom job? Alocal installer told me he would only work with pre-cut patterns.

My Yellow is already at 25+ chips with 3200mi. I won't even mess with it until I get a new bumper.

I would look at the XPEL.com website and talk to different installers. I would assume that there is more that just the one in a place as large as Houston. I had 4 factory certified reps just in my area alone. Some of them worked with the die cut outs from the factory and others used buld 3m material that they die cut at their place of business and bring out. I would think that they could use bulk material and cut to match your situation. I will say though that all the installers that I got quotes from were familiar with the intracacy of our front ends. It rates 5 out of 5 for difficulty to put on. got to go, my BLACK RX8 has to be cleaned again. :D

For the price, couldn't you just paint the car?

I just had RoadGuard just put on my silver GT. It has a 5 year guarantee and looks great on silver....you can barely see it. The dealership had a red GT in the showroom with the Roadguard on. I thought it muted the color of the red just a bit. My only concern is that the template used leaves a couple of areas on the front bumper exposed. The template looks exactly like the one shown in this thread. Specifically I'm referring to the area right by the fog lights.

For the price, couldn't you just paint the car?

$1,000 gets a lousy paint job

At least with a clear bra, your car has a chance of looking good in the mean time.

Originally posted by Harold T
I will go with a $685 quote and install next week.

I see that your RX-8 is black - I am thinking of getting the 3M/Xpel treatment for my Nordic Green (when it arrives!!!), but I'm wondering about the visibility of the line on a *dark* car. Have you seen other dark paint cars with Xpel? Can you post some pictures once you have it?

Quote: "12mm thickness 3M on the rear bumper"

I'm not at all familiar with clear bras. Is it really that thick? That's close to a half inch thick.

Originally posted by rodmeister
Quote: "12mm thickness 3M on the rear bumper"

I'm not at all familiar with clear bras. Is it really that thick? That's close to a half inch thick.

I believe what he meant is 1.2mm

Also might be 12 mil (0.012 inches)...

Also might be 12 mil (0.012 inches)...

That's what they [ClearBra] told me on the phone.

How does one clean this when one gets a black streak or moark from someone's "touch parking" against your bumpers.

Also any opinions on just getting front and rear bumper coverage and NOT getting the hood, rearview mirros covered?

For me that would possibly give me the protection I am looking for when parking in NYC without the added expense of the addional hood, etc coverage and avoid the very subtle line accross the hood.

Thanks,

Claude H.

I'm having my car done this week in Houston. It can be either 0.008" or 0.012" thick. I believe that the material that is on the front of the rear fender is virtually identical to the 0.12" Clear Bra. The rep here recommended that I go with 0.008 to improve the appearance.

As far as the price goes, they quoted me $325 to do just the front bumper and mirrors, no hood. But, he strongly recommended that I also do the front section of the hood and fenders like the titanium on this post. In my first 250 miles, I think he is right because the bug splatters are up to about the first 1' of the hood. He is only charging $375 for the whole thing. A couple of things we haven't worked out yet are how he will handle the front spoiler. I would like to have it done also and the pattern doesn't exist yet. I would like the spoiler and the mirrors to be 0.012 for improved protection.

I recommend doing this. When the Fiero GT came out (for you guys old enough to remember), it had a front nose similar to the 8. In the first 500 miles, I already had a bunch of small chips in the paint and put one of the black bra's on it.

emailists,

How's the xpel holding up against those touch type car parkers in NYC?

Any additional comments on your part?

Thanks,

Claude H.

I had my second attempt at installing a clear bra on the front bumper of my red RX-8 today. The material is the 3M that many others on the site have referred to by several names (X-pel, Invisi-shield, etc). The installer of my bra is one of the best in the Houston area and often has problem cars referred to him by 3M. The problem with the front bumper on the 8 is that there are many areas where several curves come together, particularly at the inside lower corner of the headlights. On darker colors, the red, black and possibly green, you can clearly see all the stretch marks in the material from working it into position. I watched both attempts by my installer. On the second attempt today both he and I agreed the appearance was not satisfactory. He said he loves doing yellows and silvers because you just don't see the small imperfections. He uses the standard X-Pel pattern and there is nothing wrong with the pattern it's just the amount of curves on the car.
He is going to try again by dividing the bumper into 3 segments to relieve the really difficult transitions. We'll try again in a couple of weeks after he does some testing. I still believe that the material offers a great solution to rock chips, but think that the owners of red and black should be warned that the appearance of a single piece bumper application may not yield the appearance that you desire.:confused:

I'am going to have mine done early next month. I used xPel themselves. They're located in San Antoino, TX. Talk to a guy named Mike Mayall. He's expensive as hell, but I belive is the VP and does the training as well. Did did a knockout job on my G35.

good info
My 8 is red

Blake, have you gotten the xpel put on your car yet? Maybe we can get them to cut us a deal on both of our cars. I'm looking to get it done in the next few days. I'll call David Royos (listed under installers) today to see what kind of deal he can do.

Please do let us know how the 3-piece approach works out, and thanks for the head-up.

Is there a spray-on solution?

love your hug avatar

I'm wondering about the long term durability of this plastic treatment. Usually, such transparent plastic tends to get some haze (I'm thinking of plexiglass and the like even though I realize this is a very different material). Is there any danger that overtime, the plastic film gets unsightly, due to swirls and wear? That would look pretty bad.

Also, in case it needs replacement (due to damage, for instance), can you easily remove it without damaging the paint underneath?

I have added XPEL to my Black RX8 about a month ago and so far am really happy with the results. I talked to the manufacture about the yellowing issue and they assured me that the 3M film will not yellow and that it should remain as is for at least 7-8 years.
On Black I have a hard time hiding the line that runs across the hood unless the car is absolutly clean. Once I get some dust, the line begins to appear, although it is faint. I have never had a comment regarding what the line was. I also get a small amount of orange peel effect, although this too is faint and only shows from certain angles.
This being said, the alternatives to not putting this on are limited at best and this seems the best of all evils. I had them do the hood, front grate area, headlights, rear view mirrors and air dam up front. The kit did not contain the air dam piece but my installer fashioned a piece to work. Total cost $685.

I am thinking of doing this when I get my 8, however I want to do the front and back bumpers up to the seams in the cars skin. I wonder how much I risk by not doing the hood? any thouights, opinions?

Thanks,

Claude H.

I think the risks are not as great as the front cowling area, but over a period of years I think the extra $150 or so to do the hood is worth it.

get the hood done
the hood is the only place I've got chips

I'm getting mine done next saturday. I called around here and they wanted $350-$450 labor to put all 3 kits on. I talked to a guy in Austin who is going to put the same kits on for $85 (yes, same guarantee).

Just wanted to give a big THANKS to David Duncan at UltraShield in Orlando, FL (http://www.xpel.com/) 407-275-0558. He worked for 8 hours to install the 3M Clear Bra on my RX-8. He did a SUPER job. Mine was the first RX-8 he had done and it was a challenge! You can't even tell it's there. I only got the piece to cover the front bumper, not the hood and fenders (I didn't want the line across the hood). I'm also having the rear view mirrors, door edges, and headlights/fog lights done, but that will have to wait for another day. I'm attaching a few pics to show what it looks like when it's being applied. This first photo shows the passenger side of the bumper before the film has been stretched and smoothed out:

This next photo shows the drivers side after the film has been fit into all the nooks and crannies!

Finally, to see what the film looks like at an edge, here is a photo of the film going around the drivers side turn signal. I sure wish I had done this to my Vette when I got it 4 yrs ago!

wow
that looks perfect

wats this thing for?

This film is a permanent "bra" for lack of a better word. It protects the paint from bugs, rocks, debris, etc. The paint won't chip or get scratched. The film was originally designed to protect leading wing edges and propeller blades for the aerospace industry. It can be removed if desired, but it is meant to be permanent. I plan on going on some lengthy road trips in and didn't want to bother with the problems of a traditional bra, but also didn't want to take the risk of damaging my new bright blue paint. Another problem we face here in Florida is the semi-annual swarm of love bugs. If you don't get them off your paint right away, their acidic juices will eat through your paint. This film protects from that as well. Its easy to maintain....just wash and wax the car as usual, even over the film.

Originally posted by o_town_racer
Its easy to maintain....just wash and wax the car as usual, even over the film.

O_Town...

Any issues with polish/wax at the seams? I know Zaino polishes up nicely without the buildup that many "natural" waxes leave behind. GOT ZAINO? :)

And how much was the total cost for the bumper only? (8 hours... damn, dunno if I could go that long without my baby on the road).

Did your installer have the precut kit or did he make it on the spot with his own plotter/program?

Congrats on the clear bra... looks great!, wish my gf would wear a clear bra!

Prices vary greatly. I talked to 3 different people about putting the 3 kits on (check out www.xpel.com for the kit prices) and the labor was $350, $450, & $85.

I promised not to mention how much the job cost. He gave me a discount since it was his first time doing an RX-8. Let's just say it was less than $500. He has only put on the bumper piece so far, but I'm also getting the rear view mirrors, door edge guards, and headlight/fog light protection. I don't think there will be any problem with the wax I use (Ibiz liquid carnuba wax). There isn't any problem at the edges of the protective film by the rear doors (put on at the factory). David has all his equipment with him. He downloads the pattern from Xpel and has a plotter/cutter in his van that cuts the 3M material to spec.

Hi o_town_racer,

By 'permanent' you mean it can never be removed once installed?

If it can be removed does it ruin the paint while removing?

Do you also have to take care of the bra regularly to clean up bugs + debri? Aren't those acids harmful for the bra aswell?

The clear bra can be removed without damaging anything. However, I don't believe that the same film can be put back one once it is removed.

thanks for the link spdspappy

No problem! You can also find installers in your area. Keep in mind that it may be worth driving an hour to find someone cheaper (same guarantee).

Right....if you apply approx. 150 degrees of heat, the adhesive lets go and you can peel the film off. Once removed it is useless and you would need a new installation. Also yes, you still have to clean bugs, dirt, etc. off the film. Over time the film may become damaged, but the underlying paint won't. You can wash it and wax it. The only thing you can't do is buff scratches out.

Originally posted by o_town_racer
if you apply approx. 150 degrees of heat, the adhesive lets go and you can peel the film off.
Do you mean 150 Celsius or 150 Fahrenheit? I'm just asking because if it's Fahrenheit, I can see a car panel heat up in hot weather to 150 °F easily, especially if the car is black or nordic green.
Actually, the plastic probably won't heat up that much, but how about the hood?

Does insurance cover replacement if you get in an accident?

From what I've read about the material, it's 150 degrees F. You still have to pry up an edge of the film to peel it off. It's not going to come off by itself. It also comes with a 4 year warranty. Removing it will not harm your paint. In my book, it's cheap protection and eliminates the possibility of damage from a traditional bra.

IMO it also looks better than a bra

only if you get special item insurance to cover the clear bra
same insurance you can add for upgraded rims or stereo

I'm having my RX-8 done in two stages. Last Tuesday I had the hood, front fenders, rear view mirrors, headlights & fog lights done with the x-pel product. ($ 225.00)

Next week I am having the front bumper done. ($ 175.00)

pics please

I had my Black RX-8 done with the Expel kit on Monday. The hood and front fender pieces behind the headlights came out good. The kit protects at least the first 14" of the hood.

The front bumper, otoh, looks just fine from 6 feet away but under direct light the black paint underneath highlights the stretch marks, swirl marks on the 3M material made by the installer's smoothing(?) tool, and some small bubbles here and there, particularly where the bottom part of the nose creases deeply into the lower edge of the oil cooler openings.

My installer is coming back to massage these areas, but he also says that the stretch marks, etc. will not show so much after the material has been on the car and subject to weathering, sunshine, etc. He also says the 3M stuff can be polished with plastic polish or regular car wax to minimize swirl marks. It's a given that the 3M stuff is softer than the clear coat on the paint.

Up close, tho, the clear bra makes my pristine black front bumper appear as if it weathered about 30,000 miles overnight. I'm out to lunch as to whether I'll have him remove it altogether, or get him to commit in writing to re-doing it if it doesn't improve after a month or two of exposure.

By the way, he used excess material to fashion pieces that covered the front aero spoiler quite nicely.

In summary, I add my caution to those already on the Forum about doing the clear bra treatment to black cars.

can you post pics
I havent seen a clear bra on a appreance package before

Originally posted by mikeb
can you post pics
I havent seen a clear bra on a appreance package before

Will try to get some posted this wknd.

Anyone know which color shows the least of the bra line across the hood? Would a lighter color car blend in better than a black?

Originally posted by Ned M
Will try to get some posted this wknd.
i'm anxious to see these as well. i was bent on doing this to my (black) 8 b4 reading this thread. hearing your remarks regarding the clear bra on the black paint...i'm glad i've held off.

I've had the Expel kit on the car about 1 1/2 weeks now and it's settling pretty well. The hood and fenders look good, and the bumper is getting better, altho there are a few small spots where a bubble or stretch mark hasn't settled. At the local Harley store found some plastic polish that really helps the clear bra's appearance in daylight on the black car. Novus 1 is the polish, which as far as I can tell is non-silicone but adds a nice, deep shine to the clear bra. Novus 2 is a very mild scratch remover which I used on parts of the 3M material to minimize a minor scratching left by the installer's squeegee. I also had him come back and work on the bubble spots again yesterday, as well as re-do the 3M in my door handle cups. Much better. Here are a few pics. At some angles the clear bra almost disappears entirely; at others you can see the edge line. Only the perfectionist in me at 2 feet with a flourescent shop light still sees the few imperfections down low on the bumper. 99 percent of people will never even notice it. Here goes:

Another: The white spot on the air dam near the date stamp is a light reflection; not any damage or imperfection in the clear bra.

Another;

Another:

Finally:

Originally posted by ELX13
i'm anxious to see these as well. i was bent on doing this to my (black) 8 b4 reading this thread. hearing your remarks regarding the clear bra on the black paint...i'm glad i've held off.

See my thread w/pics in this forum (Expel Clear Bra on Black RX-8) started tonight. This one was getting rather long. If you're really picky about the appearance of your car, you may wish to start with just the hood and front fenders; then decide on going ahead w/the bumper.

wow i didn't know the the clear cover was that prominent...

Can one opt to apply the clear bra on just the bumper area and NOT on the fender and bonnet portion?

The line of the clear bra on the fender and bonnet kind of distracting, afraid that if one were to remove it after say a year-2year down the road, it will leave 2 diff tone on the paint work. And if it's just on the bumper, it would not be as visible.

of course you could just do the front bumper but personally my hood has been getting chips

How much did that run?

Originally posted by synthtk
How much did that run?

$695 for bumper, hood, frt fenders, side mirrors, door handle cups, and 2 visits to my home by the installer to do the job; a ~ 140 mile round trip for him from Dayton to Cincinnati.

Originally posted by XDEEDUBBX
wow i didn't know the the clear cover was that prominent...

Its noticeable up close, but so are white stone chips in black paint.

Originally posted by synthtk
How much did that run?

Depends on the installer... the kits are at http://www.xpel.com
Here's a labor only rundown of the installers I talked to:
SA#1: $350
SA#2: $450
Austin: $85

I'm making the trip to Austin this morning...

Originally posted by spdspappy
Depends on the installer... the kits are at http://www.xpel.com
Here's a labor only rundown of the installers I talked to:
SA#1: $350
SA#2: $450
Austin: $85

I'm making the trip to Austin this morning...

I'd be interested to know what your total cost is. The entire xpel kit retails for about $470 (on their site, anyway) and it takes about 4 hours to put on. Good luck.

Actually, it's $517.85 for all 3 kits (bumper, hood, lights). It was $85 for the install (will give pics when bubbles/lines are gone in a few days) plus tax for a total out-the-door price of $652.38

I have some pics of the process that other people didn't really have if NE1 is interested...

Just had it done this morning... Here are some pics of other stages/things...

Headlights kit

Another...

Finished product...

great pics
damn he did half the hood

Thanks, the film goes all the way up to the start of the rotor symbol on the hood.

Here's one more...

Anyone have the clear bra system installed on their RX-8?

There was some talk on the Clear Bra here:
link (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14138)

Originally posted by PHA RX-8
Anyone have the clear bra system installed on their RX-8?

Lots of us - do a forum search for 'clear bra', and you'll find several threads where we've posted pricing info, and details of fit and install quality.

Regards,
Gordon

Basically clear bra is the same as paint protection film. The film is manufactured by 3M, Avery, Venturetape, and now, Llumar. The actual bra comes as pre-cuts pieces by xpel.com, stongard.com, invinca-shield.com, armorglove.com, etc. Or it can be done custom by an installer with a LOT of experience. First, the bulk film gets position, stretch, and then squeegie onto the 'nose' section of the car. Next, the installer will trim off the excess and shape the film right on the vehicle. Obviously, without M-O-R-E than adequate experience, it'll be quite risky to use a razor blade on the car.

There's a real nice shine on the film. Thus, it'll blend in with the other painted areas from a distance of 3ft+. The film needs to be cleaned and then treated(instead of waxing) with 303 aerospace protectant once a month to prevent near permanent staining/yellowing. The discoloration(not noticeable on dark color cars) is caused by prolong contact with petroleum based chemicals, such as tire shine dressing, road grease, oil, ect.

To see an actual vehicle with the bra on, ask a prospective installer which dealership he has a car with the film in the showroom. A real good installer should have a dark color(requires more experience) 'demo' vehicle at a high-end dealership's showroom(BMW,MB,Lexus, etc).

Hope those 411 helps :)

Thomas
SE-EX.com

The film needs to be cleaned and then treated(instead of waxing) with 303 aerospace protectant once a month to prevent near permanent staining/yellowing.

Thanks for the post. Where would one purchase this protectant?

The first time I had the kit installed, the piece on the bumper was coming up on the top part of the bumper (see picture). The installer ripped off the first set of kits (there were also lines in the hood kit) and put on another set (no problems w/ the headlight kit). Now, it looks like the film is coming up again. I was just wondering if any of you have had problems like this.

303products.com

I just checked the custom (not a kit) ClearBra installation on my car. They cut the film right down the middle of where it has separated in your picture. It seems like a reasonable approach and I'd not noticed this before. So you could do this too. Another option would be to use a trick the ClearBra installer told me about. Heat the film with a hair dryer (this will make the film more flexible, be careful not to melt it!) and then push it back onto the body. What you don't want to have happen is water and dust to get on the back of the film. It'll never re-adhere then.

If this doesn't work, take it back to the installer, they'll fix it for you.

My installer had problems with the kit in that spot and down low where the bodywork folds into the foglight/oil cooler openings. In your headlight spot he used a little heat to stretch the material and also trimmed the curved area in a little bit deeper. Looks fine now.

I tried the hair dryer technique on the first one (didn't work). I may try cutting it. I'll probably just call the installer and see what he has to say...

how did he fix the lifting by the light?

the first time he replaced the piece (there were other errors). I haven't had him fix it a 2nd time yet.

hope the PM i sent you will help you in the future. btw, he replaced the whole bumper because of that lifting?

Thomas
www.SE-EX.com

I did get your PM. As I stated in my previous post, there were other errors.

let me know if you need further assistance ;)