wacevedo Report post Posted April 9, 2013 Has anybody installed these? I'd like to see some pics? Any concerns about effect on paint job? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acdii Report post Posted April 9, 2013 If done right, they last a very long time, and are not supposed to harm the paint when removed. Best to let a pro install them though, the adhesive is very sticky and one wrong move, or slip and let it touch the ground and you get dirt stuck to it, throw it away. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KLH Report post Posted October 19, 2013 I just talked to a vendor in this. It costs about $600 and protects (a quarter of) the front hood, side mirrors, and headlamps. It does NOT protect the grills. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
djminfll Report post Posted October 19, 2013 I had one of these on an old car a number of years ago, and it did a superb job of protecting the front of the car. The paint on the rest of the car looked fine. However, when I removed the bra a few years later, the area under the bra was about two shades darker than the rest of the car - It took me days of compounding the rest of the car to get it back to the original color, which would not have been necessary without the bra, so I wouldn't get another one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HenryVIII Report post Posted October 22, 2013 I just got one installed. I'll be doing a lot of highway commuting in the months to come so I figured it would be prudent planning to help preserve the front bumper. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acdii Report post Posted October 23, 2013 I had one of these on an old car a number of years ago, and it did a superb job of protecting the front of the car. The paint on the rest of the car looked fine. However, when I removed the bra a few years later, the area under the bra was about two shades darker than the rest of the car - It took me days of compounding the rest of the car to get it back to the original color, which would not have been necessary without the bra, so I wouldn't get another one.That only happens on cars that are not clear coated. If for some reason the clear coat changes color, well, that is a much harder thing to blend. Usually it gets hazy with fine scratches, and a normal buffing can clean it up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
latonamus Report post Posted August 5, 2014 I have this on my car. Had it professionally installed. Cost $600. Well worth it if you ask me. The only way you can see some of the lines is if your like 1-2 feet from it. The kit i got covers side mirrors, fenders, hood headlights, and front bumper down to the edge of the very bottom, except like an inch of the valance Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mwr Report post Posted August 5, 2014 Is there any consensus about how to get the best quality job done? There seem to be choices for (1) the product (film), (2) the method of customizing the film to your model car, and (3) the quality of the actual application. Did I miss anything? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acdii Report post Posted August 7, 2014 Can't go wrong using 3M film, its the application that is the most critical. If the installer doesn't know what they are doing, doesn't clean the paint well, or doesn't use the correct "soap" when setting the film, it can look like crap. Another option is to get a car wrap done. There are plastics that can match the paint exact now, pretty neat too. However those who wrap their cars in Chrome and drive them on the roads need to be shot. It's bad enough getting sun reflections off the back of car windows, getting reflections off the entire car can be blinding. If there are any laws against doing such things, this should be one of them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hybridbear Report post Posted August 8, 2014 Can't go wrong using 3M film, its the application that is the most critical. If the installer doesn't know what they are doing, doesn't clean the paint well, or doesn't use the correct "soap" when setting the film, it can look like crap. Another option is to get a car wrap done. There are plastics that can match the paint exact now, pretty neat too. However those who wrap their cars in Chrome and drive them on the roads need to be shot. It's bad enough getting sun reflections off the back of car windows, getting reflections off the entire car can be blinding. If there are any laws against doing such things, this should be one of them. Like Justin Bieber's Fisker Karma? LOL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites