Astral

thanks for the info, i didn't know about the repaint!

glassetcher

Yeah, I didn't either. But, I feel my installer was on the up-and-up and tend to believe his story for now. I would like to hear others experiences with re-applying clear-bra to a repainted surface.

Zoom, Zoom!

truemagellen

another member on here bought the 3m kit on ebay for $170 and with the help of another member installed it for free (I think the one member gave the other member some beer and a heat gun for payment)

these prices are outrageous but standard

glassetcher

These members may be extremely talented or experienced, but after seeing what my installer went thru, I would not try this installation myself!

Zoom, Zoom!

truemagellen

not that experienced, maybe talented

well u can ask them yourself I'll email the guy this thread I just saw him today at a local MN rx8club meet

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

Yes, I have installed two kits the one Truemagellan mentioned and one on my car.

The first one I installed was on my car and was purchased precut from an ebay seller Xtremecity. His kit is not 3M and is thinner than the 3M but it only cost me $40 (Hood, fenders, mirrors, and air dam) and was much easier to install. Definitely not totally clear like the 3M but is not very noticable on the silver.

The real 3M kit is amazing but a much, much harder to install. It takes patience as Alcimedes would attest to as we worked on his car together.

The biggest tip for those that are thinking of doing it yourself is to install it on a very hot day so when heated to bend around corners it stays warm and doesn't do the hot cold hot cold cycle getting it too hot tends to Krinkle it like heat shrink.

Lots of soapy water is used and squeegied out from under it, no such thing as too much soapy water. A good squeegy helps to. Don't use a poor quality squeegy.

I will say I do like my kit even though it isn't as shiny as the paint a bit satiny but still looks good on silver. For the price and ease of install it can't be beat. For 3M kits it takes as much patience as installing tint might be better off letting a pro handle it.

Darkrose

I was thinking about getting the 3M clear bra for my Shinka. Can anyone comment on how this looks on darker color cars?

I also heard that dirt can build up at the seam of the bra, but I figured if you zaino'd it right away that would prevent any dirt buildup.

Thanks

Astral

Zaino helps, but just regular washes get the dirt out and some careful brushing once in a while you can keep it less noticeable.

I've seen the bra on a black car and it was pretty invisible, just the seam. So I think it would not alter the visible color at all, even on the darker Shinka.

wndotinter

of all the paint protection film kits i've installed the ones that show up the most are on black and white paint jobs. black is worse than white IMO.

Jeager76

Here is a good site to find dealers and order the kit yourself. I dont know how the prices compare but this is a good look...they even have an RX-8 on the homepage.

http://www.invisiblemask.com/overview.html

Jeager76

Found a quote in the D.C. Area for $650 with lifetime warranty.
It covers, hood, bumpers, side mirror, fenders, fogs and headlight.

Thats pretty good yes?

Darkrose

^^Does that include the appearance package too? I wonder how many hours they take to install it.

Astral

the general consensus is that the front bumper installation is rather difficult with the rx-8, primarily due to all the curving sharp angles. you have to have some good skills, plus an area where the wind won't be blowing any dust under it (i.e. a clean garage).

mlaird

You guys who have the clear bra -- did the installer put the plastic film inside the big Mazda logo on the front bumper too? Or did they skip that and just install the plastic around the logo?

I recently had our local Mazda dealer install this kind of clear bra, and their installer did not protect the area inside the Mazda logo. That seems like a problem to me, since it is right in the prime area for getting sand and stones tossed at it. But the installer claims that the area inside the logo is too small for the film to adhere properly.

Suggestions and experiences?

Thanks,

Michael

glassetcher

Mine is installed inside the logo also. When the installer put the main clear-bra on, for some reason the cutouts he got from the mfgr. didn't include the pieces for the logo. He called later and had them sent to him, and he forwarded to me. I installed with no problem. See if your dealer will give you a piece of the film large enough to make your own pieces ( a couple, in case you make a mistake). A good dealer should have no problem in doing that in light of the price I'm sure you paid for the installation in the first place!

Zoom, Zoom!

NgoRX8

iTrader: (1)

Anyone know how much it would cost to clear bra an aftermarket front bumper by itself? I seriously will need it soon.

Astral

my installer protected the area inside the logo. he almost forgot, i had to remind him.

glassetcher

My guess would be in the $250 to 300 range. When I had mine done last year it included the bumper, hood, head and fog lights, and mirrors for $500. The front bumper is by far the hardest part of the job.

Zoom, Zoom!

NgoRX8

iTrader: (1)

thanks glassetcher

my front is much less round and curvy than stock so it wouldn't be so bad for them.

glassetcher

You may find the the installer will charge a little more because, since you don't have a stock configuration, the supplier of the film may not be able to supply him with pre-cut pieces, and he will have to hand cut it all. Just be sure that he doesn't cut the film to size ON the car, as he could damage the paint underneath. I've heard of some that can do it, but they are VERY experienced, and I would still be holding my breath all the way!

Zoom, Zoom!

NgoRX8

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the heads up.

8at18

where did you have the 3m stuff done and for just the front air dam and hood what did it cost. thanks