I would like to add a clear bra to avoid little chips on the front of my car. Can anyone recommend a good company in the Dallas area? I'm also interested in any gotchas you've experienced. Thanks in advance!

 

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go to www.xpel.com and search for an authorized installer. I'd also call xpel and talk to them about who they'd recommend in your area.

 

Anyone have any experience with the 3M Scotchguard Paint Protection clear bra? I too am considering getting one. Thanks!

 

I do not recommend 3M to any of my customers unless they are willing to dea lwith the orange peel that film has. There are much better films on the market than 3M.

 

Which brands would you recommend? Assuming there's more than one brand you like, what are the pros/cons of the several you like?

 

I have found ClearMask AR to be the best overall film on the market. It does not have any orange peel and is very durable. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. I think the next best film out there is VentureShield. It also has a great finish and is very durable. I think either of these would be great for black cars... which is the most difficult color to install on. The only advantage VentureShield has is I can get it in 58 inch widths so I can cut kits to fit entire panels (fenders, hood, doors, etc.) ClearMask AR is limited to 24 inch widths... which is fine for standard installations. AeroGuard (bought through ClearMask) is an outstanding film but difficult to install due to the strong adhesive that is used. Its actually a 3M aerospace grade film... I love using it on headlights. Perfectly clear and an outstanding finish.

Avery Denison is also a good film. Expel is ok. 3M is very durable, has a lot of orange peel, and is very difficult to install due to its adhesive.

 

ventureshield is also another very good brand

 

I had it done at Boardwalk Porsche, about $1k but they warranty the work.

 

Ventureshield is awesome. I have it on my white 997 c2. Beautiful. Can't tell. No nicks and scratches.

I paid $600 - sweet deal.

 

For the price that you pay for those clear bras, you can repaint the front of your car. Plus it looks tacky and can peel

 

I have to disagree. if someone wants to keep there car looking great and doesnt want rock chips, they will get their bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors, lights, rocker panels... and so on covred. I would like to see you get a paint job covering all of those areas for under $1500. A broken headlight alone will cost you more than what the kit will cost. Not to mention you wont ever have to be without your car for weeks while they are repainting the vehicle. And what if they cant match the paint properly??? Well your resale value is going to go down significantly becaues no on wants to buy a resprayed car.

Paint protection film these days is much better than it was 15 years ago. Just about every film on the market has a 5 year warranty or better to cover anything such as peeling, yellowing, fading, cracking... so if something does happen it will be replaced for free. I can show you cars that have been wrapped and you would never have any idea that there is any film on it at all... except you will notice that there are not any chips to be found.

So I guess if you do not want to take care of your vehicle and keep it looking new, then clear bras are not for you. But if you appreciate your vehicle and want to keep it as nice as possible, then it is definitely the way to go.

 

I completely agree. What people don't realize is that a car which has been repainted is never going to sell for the same amount as one with all original paint. Just think, if after a close examinatation of a pre-owned P car you realized that the whole front clip was repainted; would make the same offer as a car with OEM paint (or would you even purchase the car)? Just think, as soon as someone realizes that a car has been painted what is the first think that jumps into that person's mind? That the car has been in an accident (and you can never prove a negative). Can you say loss of value?

Matt

 

Awesome is relative. My purpose is not to start another "what is the best film" thread, but rather to inform people trying to choose a film for their car. This is pics of the top of the line Venturetape film after exactly 6 months after application in the NY climate. The film was waxed (the same wax we use on other brands of film) upon installation. Perhaps in a kinder climate it would not have discolored this quick. What I'm not saying is that other brands of film would not discolor; but I've seen many posts on different forums hyping Venturetape and raving about their lifetime warranty. This led to some consumers believing that the film will last a lifetime; which no film does. As far as the Venture warranty goes, the one time we called them to put in a claim (on a job which the dealership did) on a Scuderia, we were told in no uncertain terms that they would provide us with only with the material; the labor intensive part of removing and installing the film would have to come out of our pocket. The owner of the car was so pissed that he had us rip all of the Venturetape off and replace it with 3M.

Just my 2 cents of experience after being in the film game for almost 10 years.

Matt

 

dis-color vs. chips in paint...I would much rather deal with the bra and maybe extra expense than chipped paint.