Clear bra on Pearl White
 

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.

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

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

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

Xpel
 

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.

http://www.the370z.com/detailing-was...tz-finest.html


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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.

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.

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

Oh yeah my mirrors are covered too.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.
Attachment 104945

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.
Attachment 104946

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.
Attachment 104947

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..

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

http://www.the370z.com/attachments/n...rorsbumper.jpg


:icon17: .. :ugh:



xpel ultimate is wat i use on my Z.

just make sure stay a distance from the trucks...

I will suggest the following:

1) bumper
2) full hood
3) A pillars
4) side mirror

I'll never just do a portion of my car. Next time, it's clear bra on the entire car.

I did front bumper and 1/3 hood and rocks seem to skip the first 1/3 and hit the 2/3 and then they also hit the doors, etc.

Will be pricey, but worth it to keep scratches off of my paint. Will make washing easier too. :icon17:

I did not drive my car period until the appointment.

i even clearbra my RC cars.. :ugh:

I had to drive back from North Vegas when I bought it. Talk about nervous!

on a serious note, for cross country, definitely try the painter's tape blue. (no joke) it really works well.

I have clear bra on mine, 24K miles. Not dull, no bubbles, looks brand new. I will say this though, be careful paste waxing your car though, sometimes the paste gets in the crease and overtime could cause it to show more. My car is black though. Black cars show EVERYTHING so if it work on black it will DEF work on white, IMO

(you paste UP TO the crease...just avoiding that guy who thinks i'm saying you wax the bra lolol)

For everyone considering using blue painters tape, we actually sell a product called TracWrap. Its 9 mil thick, where as blue painters tape is usually 1-2 mil thick. I don't know if you'd be able to get your hands on it before your installation, but its a great temporary product.

TracWrap is a temporary, clear film that protects your vehicles paint while driving to a car show, at a track event, in tow, and more. Using an air channel adhesive the user can install this product wet, dry, in the wind, and on the spot. Its a great alternative to blue painters tape, and much thicker, plus not to mention less visible. TracWrap is made with a special adhesive so you can pull it off without leaving bits of plastic or glue behind.

For more information about TracWrap click: Temporary protective film you can install like a professional...TRACWRAP by XPEL protective film
To purchase TracWrap please click: Buy: Tracwrap | Products

Attachment 104956

Got the Ventureshield installed yesterday, looks good so far just need to give it a few days for any bubbles to go away.

I asked the installer how long before I can polish/wax and they said to wait at least a week. But I totally forgot to ask how long until I can wash the car and now they are closed for the weekend.

Anyone know when it's OK to wash the car?

Thanks

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I was told not to wash the car for a week and to leave it in the sun. I don't remember seeing it have any bubbles. I would not wash it if you still see bubbles just not to add any moisture

Bubbles? I never had any bubbles. The installer squeegeed them all out before he called the job done..

Why would the bubbles go away? The material is impervious. Where would they go?

I don't know, they said it was like window tint where sometimes there are bubbles that go away... They told me I can bring it back in a few days if there are still any issues...

There were no bubbles on mine.

Do not wash for a week.

Bubbles
 

I had a few bubbles, they all went away after awhile. I was told it was normal. Leave it out in the sun and don't wash it for a week or so.
I recall I waited a month before I washed mine.....and I don't know about waxing it ever. I know nothing about this Ventureshield though.
You don't wax Xpel. All I put on it on ocassion is 'Reload' that was developed to put on top of the C-Quartz Finest I have on all the paint not filmed with the Xpel. I Reload the whole car.

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i usually give it a week before i apply any wax including wax in quick detailer sprays.

minor solution bubbles left in the clearbra is fairly common. they will eventually evaporate through the material. even if they are close to the edges, DONT try to force them out. that will permanently wrinkle the bra. just keep the car out in the sun and just let patience do the work. It could take up to 2-3wks for bad bubbles.

i install clearbras on my cars and it's just the way it is. dont force anything.

Lol the beauty of Lexan.

Hi all, new member here. We just bought a new '15 white roadster T/S for the wife and are going to have the clear bra material put on the hood, bumper and fenders. The installer is two hours away and there is a prediction of rain on the day of the installation. Can we drive it home in the rain or should we change days when better weather is predicted? Thanks in advance.

Check with your installer.

http://www.the370z.com/exterior-inte...installed.html

Thank you, sir.

Yup...
 

Yup....I was told 24 hours before getting it wet. Wet meaning water only, washing it was a week minimum.

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Thanks for the info, we've rescheduled for a "dry" day install.

I didn't want one before but after the second rock chip, I want one now.

We got the clear bra installed on the bumper, full front fenders, mirrors, rockers and full hood. They did an excellent job using the Xpel material and my wife is very satisfied with the job. We were told to keep the car dry for 72 hours and then we should be good to go.

In retrospect I wish I would have done the same to my other car, it seems to be a chip magnet.

Thats
 

That's pretty much what they all say when they didn't do it.
It's expensive initially, but worth it. At least IMO.
Everyone's happy at not having done it 'til the first rock chip arrives.

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Couldnt agree more, swallow the initial investment. Smile every time you look at your bumper and dont see rock chips.