I just had the 3M paint protection installed on the front of my car today and it is awesome! I did a thorough inspection and couldn't find any bubbles, creases, or flaws. The only bummer was that I had to touch up two chips in the bumper beforehand that I got last week. I also got the headlight protection. I have one question though. They said that they couldn't install the film over the fog lights because the lenses are glass and that they would melt on there. Has anyone else been told this?

 

i've installed 3M paint protection film on foglights.

 

Post pictures of the BRA please.

 

How much did your bra and install go for?

 

I'll take some pictures later today and post them. Wndotinter, how long has the film been on the foglights? Any issues with melting? I got the bumper, air dam, fenders, hood, mirrors, and headlights done for $850.

 

Here's some pics of the install.

 

sounds like what i would have charged. last fog lights i did were about a year ago. no problems. i did plenty before that on many different cars without an issues.

 

yea..not true about the film over fogs...i've had mine on for 3 months...no melting..

 

I got 3M thing done:
Front Bumper
Air dam
Fenders
Hood
Mirrors
Headlights
$510 +Tax.

Installer was doing some training program with xPel people, charged me $0 labor.

I am thinking of going back to get some additional 3M work done - any suggestions on which other exterior parts would be best served by this?

 

or better yet....put duct-tape over the mouths of some people so that stupid shiat doesn't come outta their mouths.

 

I have some on the lower area of the bumper behind my rear wheels. i saw one time that some rubber had stuck there so figured road debris would hit there too. i also put some on the rotor accent section of the hood...only after seeing 2 rock chips there. both were custom cut pieces. no one ever notices that they are there.

 

Considering what one might pay to have their chips,dings etc. repaired at the body shop, I think it's a good investment.

 

My '8 has a clear bra as well (but I do not have headlight or foglight protection).
It makes a difference when you have to clean bugs and crap off the paint but it won't stop everything. I still have a couple of spots where rocks have gotten past the film. Also you have to be careful when you wax the car so that you don't end up with a white line where the film ends.

 

I did the about 8x4" strips behind the wheels on rocker panels, and also right behind the trunk line on top of the rear bumper (to catch scratches from moving things in and out of the trunk).

 

I want to also get the side aero flares done as I've heard these can get chipped up. I have the front splash guards but I don't know how much good they will do.

 

How is the 3M film applied? Is it stretched over the front of the car, or is it a bunch of overlapping strips like the way window tint film is applied to a curved rear window?

 

Nope, YOU don't need to even consider taking your pants off to fart, since it's obvious that you can and do perform that bodily function quite well through your MOUTH!! :p

 

^^^^^^ Hahahaha ^^^^^^^

 

It's stretched around the contours of the bumper.

 

Does any know if they made a clear bra kit for the mazdaspeed style front bumper? My front bumper is taking a beating by rock chip and debris.

Thanks

 

the mazdaspeed bumper kit isn't available from what i know. it can still be done easily by someone who knows what they're doing though.

window film is not applied in strips anymore. any tinter still doing that has no experience at all or is doing a Porsche 944. One piece rear windows have been the norm for atleast 10+ years.

 

thank you for the info... it's been way over 10 years since i had the windows on my rx7 tinted and i wasn't really happy about the results... applied in strips, optical distortion, i didn't remove it right away because the car was so low and so short behind the driver, having someone behind you on a motorcycle at a stop light was really annoying... and that was before HIDs! does the new film have the same optical distortion that it used to?

so the clear bras preformed film specific to a model that they are being applied to? i suppose they must be thicker than the window films with better adhesive? how hard is it to remove the film, if you don't like it or just want to restore the car to factory condition, or if you have body damage and need to repaint?

 

I haven't tinted the 8 yet, but my Protege was tinted with current-gen metallized film 2 years ago and I had just slight refraction along the defroster lines. Completely transparent otherwise (i.e. no distortion otherwise). I am not sure what you originally meant by "optical distortion", though.

The newest generation carbon film should have even less refraction (plus never fades).

One piece application, as other said, is a given. If someone claims you need two pieces, run run run!

the film is the same no matter the car. most places use the latest-generation 3M ScotchGard paint protection film, which is about 8mil thick. the kits that are specific to models are simply precut templates.

the film can be completely removed and your paint back to original condition. however, to do that, you need to use some special spray to soften up the glue and a heat gun to aid the job... but it's not all that hard (i would just find out exactly what's needed), and once you remove it, there's no traces left, it's just like you have never put it on.

if you had body damage, you remove it, repait and reapply.

 

Thanks Astral, that info is greatly appreciated... things have really improved since the last time I considered tinted windows and I'm definitely interest in finding out more about a clear bra...

 

The clear bra (VentureShield in my case) is fantastic. I couldn't be happier with the purchase. See this thread for my experience - https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/no-clearbra-bumper-58675/

However, Astral, I have to take exception to one comment. You said if you have body damage, just remove the clear bra, rapaint, and reaply. My installer said that is a No-No!. A "read the small print" caution seldom pointed out by installers is that repainted surfaces can not be guaranteed. Only the original baked-on factory paint can always withstand the clear-bra installation process. Repainted areas may peal the paint off during the application, which may require numerous apply-pull back-reapply steps. He told me about a job he had with a customer who had had other cars done by him and that had just bought a used 'Vette that the seller told him had never been damaged or repainted. When the installer started to apply the clear-bra, the paint pealed right off! He had to call the customer and tell him his hood had apprently been repainted, and thus .... Boy was that customer pissed! Not at the clear-bra installer, but at the seller!!

I don't know if this unique to VentureShield, but I doubt it. I had my hood redone because of a small blemish, and I'll admit I was VERY nervous as they slowly puuuuuuuled the film off. I can see how paint that is not REALLY bonded to the surface would come right off.

Thus, I would be really wary about any claims that the clear bra could be applied to a repainted surface.

Other than that, I really love it!!

Zoom, Zoom!