I am giving serious consideration to putting a 3M clear bra on my RX-8 when it finally arrives. I have a few questions regarding this product:

1. How much will it cost?
2. Is the sheet pre-cut for a particular vehicle or does the installer cut it himself?
3. If the sheets are precut, how many weeks/months would one have to wait until they will have a RX-8 offering?
4. Any dealer recommendations in the GTA?

Thanks in advance to all contributors.

 

There is a post in the Lounge section about 3m's clear bra. There are a couple of good links. I'll be getting it for mine as soon as I find a local dealer.

 

check this thread out from the GTA Sentra Forum

http://www.gtasentra.net/board/index...;threadid=1643

 

ZoomZoom,

While it is hard to say the cost of the kit. I would guess around $250-$500 for the product plus install for a pre-cut kit.

There are two choices when getting a kit. There is pre-cut and hand cut. Pre-cut is done by a computer and guaranteed to fit your vehicle with a precise fit in the right areas. Hand -cut is just that. They take bulk material and cut right on your car. Needless to say they can cut right into your paint so beware of what you are getting.

The car just got released in the U.S. or at least parts of it. I am thinking depending on the cooperation of the dealerships and customers you might see kits available within a coupel of weeks.

I hope this helps with your quest for protection.

 

Wait until is availabe at the dealer. They can put it on for you and it would be under warrenty.

 

FYI,

Unless Mazda comes otu with their own line of clear film kits are buy the rights from someone. The dealer will be able to offer the warranty as their own. The manufacturers of the product are the ones that offer and extend the warranty through the dealers.

 

I asked around at car dealers and was told here in Edmonton that "Surfer Joe Autographics" did it for some of them. I had the entire front of my 3rd gen RX-7 done. It cost $400 (custom job - lots of material and covering the "sensuous lines" of the front of the car was a lot of work for them).

Whether there is a kit or not, I suggest you find someone who is good at it. Joe advised that one customer banged up the car afterward and when Joe tried to remove the vinyl some of the paint came with it. Not a problem in this case, as they were repainting anyway, but you get my drift. It had better be put on right the first time.

On my RX-7, I have appearantly hit two very large rocks, which actually tore the vinyl a bit. No damage to the paint!:D

They also have much thicker stuff, and I had it put on the headlamps of my Pathfinder (replacement value $350+). It is sold in kits, but Joe has it in bulk - 8" wide rolls. I also had it put on the sides of the PF to prevent door dings.

 

I just got this link from a friend who works for 3M: http://www.xpel.com/products/default.asp

I haven't checked it out in detail yet but wanted to post it just for reference... Doesn't look like they have pre-cut product for the RX8 yet but they do sell uncut paint protection film by the foot.

 

We are taking our 8 back to the dealer in seattle this weekend to have a similar product installed (StonGard) It is molded by computer and applied by hand and heat. I saw the finished product on a miata and it looked very nice, you can barely see the line at the edge of the product. They also apply a thicker product to the fog lights. The computer gets the cars shape from a laser scan of a car, so my car will have to be there for like 3 or 4 days cuz its gonna have to be the model, but with all the rocks and sand on the roads here, it is MORE than worth it. Oh yeah, and this is costing $800 for all suceptible surfaces of the car (front, lower sides, rear bottom sides, etc) they even put a protective wrap around the edges of the doors for those parking lot "bumps", and a layer behind the door handle for fingernail protection. The smaller kit costs less, but i'm rolling the $800 into the financing, so it is more than worth it for the whole thing. I'll get some pictures and post my results when i get it back.

 

CraziFuzzy,

I am sure you will enjoy the protection almost as much as the car. StonGard will treat you right.