Clear bra on Pearl White

natv

I've seen various recommendations here to get a clear bra (i.e 3m Ventureshield) as soon as possible after buying your car.

I called a place that does it (they are about a 30 min drive from me so I have't seen this on any cars yet) and asked them how it would look on a pearl white, the guy did say that it shows more on pearl white than other colors.


Anyone here have a clear bra on a pearl white? I'm concerned not only about the lines showing but also I've read it makes the car look dull.

Zero dark

I got my front bumper done with 3m. You dont see it unless u get portion of hood done vs the whole hood. Its pricey but my bumper is worth it for piece if mind. I got a rock chip before clear bra under 1k miles

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cooltoy

I have Xpel film, full hood and fenders, no lines to be visible.

From research I have done Xpel is the way to go.

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Zipper 104

Xpel here as well.
Have to look hard to find lines.....dull? Nope.
I suggest you go full hood or you will see a line, although I think PW shows lines the least.

XPel and C-Quartz Finest


104

alcheng

3M Ventureshield here, partial hood and full bumper.

no line shown unless you look closely.

recommend to wax the shield to prevent it from turning yellow.

lgarcia

3M on mine for over a year in the Florida sun/weather... no issues, no discoloration, you cannot see that it is there unless you go looking for it. I wax it when I wax the car, I find it very easy to clean.

jshare1

XPEL Ultimate FTW, and I highly discourage any bikini cut. Owned my Z about a week and had it installed and will never skip doing this on future purchases. Worth every penny, bugs wipe right off. I drive a lot back home to NY from MD and 6k in have no rock chips or signs of highway wear.
Like the other post Id agree, get a nice paint correction performed first then sealed with something such as C-Quartz and you will not notice the film unless youre right against the panel.
Something I would suggest that my installer voluntarily did was the leading edges on the mirrors but also about an 8inch strip on the roof, the only line visible on the entire install but apparently worth it with how low our cars are

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cooltoy

Oh yeah my mirrors are covered too.

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MacCool

3M Scotchguard clear bra on my Pearl White Z about 18 months ago. It was a kit, hood is lower third, mirrors are done as well as rocker panels and door kick panels. It's fantastic. No, it doesn't show on white anymore than any other color as long as you take care to remove the wax buildup along the seam on the hood - a simple wipe with a microfiber towel will do it. Protects against rock chips, I suppose, but I am particularly fond of the ability to simply wipe the bugs off, and the fact that it prevents etching of the clear coat from the bug guts. Definitely worth the $600.

natv

Thanks guys, XPEL does look much better with it's self-healing ability and its warranty.

I can see this getting very expensive, the local authorized installer is closed today but they have pricing on their web site (for the kits only, labor is additional) and wow this can add up to to a lot, especially if I do the full hood.

Without labor, a partial Hood, Fender and Mirror Kit is $269.95, but the kit with the Full hood, full fender and mirror is close to $1000, and then I'd still need the bumper kit which is $439.00.

So basically would be looking at $1439 for full hood/fenders/bumper + whatever installation costs \O/

Or with the bikini hood/fenders and bumper, $720 + installation.


ouch

jshare1

thats the major factor to overcome is the initial price point, many people argue against clear bras and rather get a re-spray every few years. IMO no matter the price XPEL Ultimate is worth every penny. As to those prices I cannot remember how much I actually paid but I personally would suggest finding a shop that uses full sheets vs precut.
Once again I firmly stand behind full vs bikini, its just me, if you keep the line clean I guess its not as noticeable but still not a fan.

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MacCool

Mine was $620 installed for the bumper , front part of the fenders, front part of the hood, mirrors, door sills, and rocker panels.. This was from the local mega-body shop. The installer did an excellent job. I chose the coverage based on the rock chips and bug staining that I saw on my previous Z without clear bra. The coverage on this one so far, 6500 miles, has been perfect, with not a single rock chip or bug etching on any painted surface.

Clear bra is a great idea, but it's not worth $1439 + installation. I wouldn't pay even half that. But, if you look around I suspect you won't have to.

XPEL

Hello Natv,

The prices on the website are retail pricing for the kits, installers usually have a plotter and the kits are cut on a roll of film from our DAP system. That way they fit the car precisely and there is NO cutting the film on your vehicle

As far as pricing goes, this is a generic pricing guide...as prices can vary depending on your area.

For a list of all the installers in your area, you can always check our XPEL Dealer Locator

For a partial front end. This includes 18-24” up the hood and fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights. This ranges from $795 - $1,000.
Option1_BikinHoodFendersMirrorsBumper.jpg

For a full front it can range between from $1,795 - $2,100. This includes the entire hood and front fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights.
Option2_FullHoodFendersMirrorsBumper.jpg

For the full car it can range between from $1,795 - $2,100. This includes the entire hood and front fenders, front bumper, mirrors, doors, body, rear bumper, roof(if applicable) and sometimes headlights.
Option3_CompleteCar.jpg

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natv

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm going to go with 3M Ventureshield as I can't afford to spend nearly double on XPEL, even if it is a bit better.
From other forums I've seen good things about 3M Ventureshield as well (posts from people with Porsches, Corvettes, etc)


Now I'm paranoid driving until I get it installed on Thursday. Am I better off taking roads versus the highway to get to work? I'm staying away from trucks currently on the highway.

I don't drive that much slower on the non-highways and if anything there might be more road debris than on the highway..

kenchan

a cheaper homedepot mod is to get painter's blue to do this.




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xpel ultimate is wat i use on my Z.