What do people think of Clear Bra Paint Protection?

steveg78 · 03-23-2010, 01:29 PM

Got my clear bra put on this past Saturday. In doing my pre-installation cleaning, I already found a couple tiny nicks at the lower most part of the bumper. With just over 1200mi on her I was glad that I was getting the clear bra. Looks good and hardly visible. When I first showed up to pick it up I couldn't even spot the seam on the hood until the guy pointed it out. It was bikini cut on the hood.

Robert_Nash · 03-23-2010, 01:41 PM

I realize I am very late to this party but I thought I'd offer my opinion anyway.

I do not use and likely never will use a "clear bra" product. I believe they are fine for basic paint protection such as from bugs and some very minor road derbies but I believe their effectiveness is very limited as compared to their cost.

When I want REAL protection for the front end of my vehicle I use a high-quality vinyl bra - over the 30 plus years I've been driving high-performance vehicles I've literally saved myself many hundreds of dollars of damage to my vehicles that a clear bra would simply not have provided effective protection against.

That said, I've nothing against clear bras and I realize that for those who drive their vehicles every day, they probably make more sense than a vinyl bra (they certainly require less "work" overall). That said, I find their usefulness a bit lacking for me.

Zsteve · 03-23-2010, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveg78

Got my clear bra put on this past Saturday. In doing my pre-installation cleaning, I already found a couple tiny nicks at the lower most part of the bumper. With just over 1200mi on her I was glad that I was getting the clear bra. Looks good and hardly visible. When I first showed up to pick it up I couldn't even spot the seam on the hood until the guy pointed it out. It was bikini cut on the hood.

can you get a good up close pic of the line?

40th370z · 03-23-2010, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveg78

Got my clear bra put on this past Saturday. In doing my pre-installation cleaning, I already found a couple tiny nicks at the lower most part of the bumper. With just over 1200mi on her I was glad that I was getting the clear bra. Looks good and hardly visible. When I first showed up to pick it up I couldn't even spot the seam on the hood until the guy pointed it out. It was bikini cut on the hood.

I was wondering which I would get the straight cut or bikini,some say the straight cut is more visible with a dark paint,think I'm going to get a bikini clearbra

Has anyone had their doors done, and do you think it is worth the cost ,I'm sure most of us walk the entire length of a parking lot to keep our cars as far away from door dings but ,but it never fails there are days where you cant park far enough away without someone parking next to you an swinging their door open into the side of your car.

steveg78 · 03-23-2010, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zsteve

can you get a good up close pic of the line?

I will try to get a pic if the weather shapes up tomorrow. It's covered up right now. There are some pics of the seams I think of a blue 370z. I'll post mine so guys with PG can get an idea of what it looks like in that color. It is my understanding that the lighter the color, the harder to see. I would imagine silver and PW would be very hard to tell where the seam is.

J-BoneZ · 03-23-2010, 10:48 PM

Does anyone that has Ventureshield use their car as a daily driver? The closest installer in Tampa recommends either clear shield or 3M because he says it will hold up better. Where as ventureshield is not as strong, and it scratches easily. Is this true?

rsximus · 03-24-2010, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-BoneZ

Does anyone that has Ventureshield use their car as a daily driver? The closest installer in Tampa recommends either clear shield or 3M because he says it will hold up better. Where as ventureshield is not as strong, and it scratches easily. Is this true?

Just had my Ventureshield put on last Tuesday. It does scratch very easily and is very prone to staining.

I had a couple of bee/bird droppings on my car and it stained it, cannot get it off.

I think my installer did a pretty bad job too, since on my passenger headlight there is material hanging off the side and there are lots of air bubbles and what looks like finger prints underneath. I'll try and get pictures tomorrow.

HTP AutoWorks · 03-24-2010, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-BoneZ

Does anyone that has Ventureshield use their car as a daily driver? The closest installer in Tampa recommends either clear shield or 3M because he says it will hold up better. Where as ventureshield is not as strong, and it scratches easily. Is this true?

DO NOT GO WITH ClearShield. Any installer that would try and sell you that garbage does not know what he is doing. ClearShield is made by Bekeart... and is one of the worst films in the industry. 3M is ok if you can live with the orange peel in it. But Venture is the route to go... and get the Ultra which is their topcoated film. Much more resistent to scratching, stains, and so on.

HTP AutoWorks · 03-24-2010, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsximus

Just had my Ventureshield put on last Tuesday. It does scratch very easily and is very prone to staining.

I had a couple of bee/bird droppings on my car and it stained it, cannot get it off.

I think my installer did a pretty bad job too, since on my passenger headlight there is material hanging off the side and there are lots of air bubbles and what looks like finger prints underneath. I'll try and get pictures tomorrow.

Send me a PM with your phone number. I am a ventureShield installer and it sounds like you got the lower end film. I will be happy to help you with your issues with your clear bra. There are some easy fixes... yet it sounds like your installer did a really poor job. So I will speak with you about your options on that.

steveg78 · 03-24-2010, 01:55 PM

Here's pics of the 3M .5mil product that was installed on my Z last weekend. As you can tell, depending on the angle, it is sometimes very hard to find the seams. Check my album for more pics. Sorry if the image quality isn't top-notch, I used my blackberry during lunch.

Zultimate · 03-24-2010, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert_Nash

I realize I am very late to this party but I thought I'd offer my opinion anyway.

I do not use and likely never will use a "clear bra" product. I believe they are fine for basic paint protection such as from bugs and some very minor road derbies but I believe their effectiveness is very limited as compared to their cost.

When I want REAL protection for the front end of my vehicle I use a high-quality vinyl bra - over the 30 plus years I've been driving high-performance vehicles I've literally saved myself many hundreds of dollars of damage to my vehicles that a clear bra would simply not have provided effective protection against.

That said, I've nothing against clear bras and I realize that for those who drive their vehicles every day, they probably make more sense than a vinyl bra (they certainly require less "work" overall). That said, I find their usefulness a bit lacking for me.

Running a vinyl strap-on bra full time is NOT an option for me. Regardless, you can't insure 100% protection with anything. I like to know i at least have some protection every time i drive. In the last 4 years i've had 3 different cars with the 3M clear bra. I've yet to have anything penetrate the bra on any of my cars. My truck now has over 30k miles and the front end still looks new.

J-BoneZ · 03-24-2010, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HTP AutoWorks

DO NOT GO WITH ClearShield. Any installer that would try and sell you that garbage does not know what he is doing. ClearShield is made by Bekeart... and is one of the worst films in the industry. 3M is ok if you can live with the orange peel in it. But Venture is the route to go... and get the Ultra which is their topcoated film. Much more resistent to scratching, stains, and so on.

What is it that makes ClearShield so bad?

AutoPaintGuar · 03-25-2010, 07:50 AM

Hello Guys.
I read some of the threads and would like to chime in a little bit. I've been installing paint protection for 10 years now, and this is all I know and do. I currently stock 3M, Venture, Clearshield, Xpel, Avery and Llumar. I use them every day for different applications. For example, today I have a 2009 Alpha 8C to do. I am covering the full front end with Venture shield. I consider venture as a garage queen film. It is pretty to look at but don't touch or dare to drive in love bug season in FL. The clear coat is very weak, scratches easy, turns yellow etc. Did I mention i'm doing an 8C today? 2nd time since the first roll of 60" isn't good, (dimples in film.) So I bought 2 more rolls and trying it again. I'm not saying venture isn't good, but for Florida driving with love bugs and the heat on a daily driver I wouldn't recommend it at all. I only install this film on garage queens and I do a lot of them. Check out my site.

For every day use, I use 3M and Clearshield films. They both come with a 5 year warranty and THEY PAY THE INSTALLER FOR LABOR AND REPLACEMENT FILM, THEY EVEN PAY FOR THE INSTALLER TO REMOVE THE FILM IF GOES BAD. So if 3M does this kind of warranty on there Scotchgard film, why don't they do the same warranty on the Venture?

For every day drivers, I only recommend my customers the films that have the best warranty and that are easy for the customer to clean. 3M and Clearshield doesn't scratch and if treated and cleaned correctly 3M doesnt' turn yellow. Clearshield in 5 years of installing it, haven't seen one turn yellow yet. I have 3 personal white vehicles and 3M and Clearshield are miles past the others in terms of durability etc. I could go further into why clearshield doesn't turn yellow, but don't have time right now.

Attached are some pics. Yesterday I had a 3.5 year old tundra come in. He had damage on the bumper from a minor accident. Notice the film is clear as can be. 3rd picture is a C63 lorinser that also came in yesterday complaining of the venture having ripples in the film. Didn't have it when the car left. Dunno.

At any rate PPF is an excellant product and is def needed if you want the paint to maintain its beauty. The main thing is to find an installer that is very good. Installs shouldn't have any dust, lift lines, stretch marks, grab marks etc in the install. Based on your car and driving, different films may be required.

I can also help find someone an installer if needed.
Hope this helps.
Ryan Burroughs
Auto Paint Guard Inc. Tampa Florida Clear Bra 3M Paint Protection Film Car Bras

HTP AutoWorks · 03-25-2010, 05:02 PM

So I guess it makes sense that you would install 3M and ClearShield on your daily drivers since they also warranty the labor involved on removing and replacing the film. I am curious though on the yellowing you speak of. I have used VentureShield and their Ultra line for quiet sometime now. I have never had one come back from yellowing... or any reason for that matter. I do my fair share of "garage queens" and a lot of cars that are daily drivers and even some that hit the track often. Yet no warranty issues in well over 5 years. I'm pretty sure I get the same heat/humidity here in East Texas as you do in Florida. We also have love bugs here... and still no problems with that either. To be fair though I do give a bottle of sealant out with every install which prevents and bugs, bird droppings, or road tar from staining the film. If it is so "weak" and turns yellow then how is it one of the top two films on the market in regards to sales... even if installers know up front they are not going to be paid to remove and replace film??? I would think installers would shy away from it seeing how the installer is out a lot of time and money by dealing with constant warranty issues from yellowing and fading. I mean it is a lifetime warranty they are standing behind...

You are also the FIRST installer... of many I have met over the years that actually promotes ClearShield, otherwise known as Bekeart. Bekeart from my first hand experience is terrible... so much so that I wont tough the stuff anymore. It kind of explains why Bekeart only holds about 5% of the paint protection film market. If they are so good and dont yellow then why doesnt it sale more? People overall are fairly knowledgable about PPF especially in the larger cities... so I would think if the film was good it would sale itself. 3M I can understand because well... it's 3M. They are huge company that recently bought out ventureShield. (If you cant beat them buy them out, LOL.) But Bekeart is simply a terrible film... in many regards.

Anyway thats just my .02. I will continue to offer VentureShield Ultra sine my clients are VERY happy with the results. If a better film comes out... and Avery Dennison has a new film that uses the topcoat throughout it... I will go with it. I actually have some Avery on order and will test it for a while first before offering it... since I have to pay for my own removal and re-application if the film goes bad.

By the way, post some photos of the 8C when you get done. There arent too many of those running around and I am sure everyone in here would love to see the car... and photos of your work.

Zultimate · 03-25-2010, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AutoPaintGuar

Hello Guys.
I read some of the threads and would like to chime in a little bit. I've been installing paint protection for 10 years now, and this is all I know and do. I currently stock 3M, Venture, Clearshield, Xpel, Avery and Llumar. I use them every day for different applications. For example, today I have a 2009 Alpha 8C to do. I am covering the full front end with Venture shield. I consider venture as a garage queen film. It is pretty to look at but don't touch or dare to drive in love bug season in FL. The clear coat is very weak, scratches easy, turns yellow etc. Did I mention i'm doing an 8C today? 2nd time since the first roll of 60" isn't good, (dimples in film.) So I bought 2 more rolls and trying it again. I'm not saying venture isn't good, but for Florida driving with love bugs and the heat on a daily driver I wouldn't recommend it at all. I only install this film on garage queens and I do a lot of them. Check out my site.

For every day use, I use 3M and Clearshield films. They both come with a 5 year warranty and THEY PAY THE INSTALLER FOR LABOR AND REPLACEMENT FILM, THEY EVEN PAY FOR THE INSTALLER TO REMOVE THE FILM IF GOES BAD. So if 3M does this kind of warranty on there Scotchgard film, why don't they do the same warranty on the Venture?

For every day drivers, I only recommend my customers the films that have the best warranty and that are easy for the customer to clean. 3M and Clearshield doesn't scratch and if treated and cleaned correctly 3M doesnt' turn yellow. Clearshield in 5 years of installing it, haven't seen one turn yellow yet. I have 3 personal white vehicles and 3M and Clearshield are miles past the others in terms of durability etc. I could go further into why clearshield doesn't turn yellow, but don't have time right now.

Attached are some pics. Yesterday I had a 3.5 year old tundra come in. He had damage on the bumper from a minor accident. Notice the film is clear as can be. 3rd picture is a C63 lorinser that also came in yesterday complaining of the venture having ripples in the film. Didn't have it when the car left. Dunno.

At any rate PPF is an excellant product and is def needed if you want the paint to maintain its beauty. The main thing is to find an installer that is very good. Installs shouldn't have any dust, lift lines, stretch marks, grab marks etc in the install. Based on your car and driving, different films may be required.

I can also help find someone an installer if needed.
Hope this helps.
Ryan Burroughs
Auto Paint Guard Inc. Tampa Florida Clear Bra 3M Paint Protection Film Car Bras

After reading all this talk about different films i decided to call my installer. He's also been doing this for many years and very knowledgable on the subject. He's done 3 vehicles for me all in 3M. When i questioned him about installing the Venture on my new 370 (i have an appointment tomorrow) he said i'll install anything you want and then went into a list of pro/cons for each film. He also said the 3M film is absolutely the best choice for a daily driver because it just holds up better, lower maintenance etc. He said the Venture Ultra is fine for a weekend or occasional driver. One thing of note... he said the Venture is the only choice for a FULL hood wrap because the 3M only comes in 48" widths. At this point, i'm still undecided on which film to go with. Yes, my car is only an "occasional" driver but i've been very happy with the 3M product. Just not sure if i'll be happy with the way it looks on my black car. Decisions...decisions.

03-23-2010, 01:41 PM	#227 (permalink)
Robert_Nash Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Middle TN/Savannah GA Posts: 762 Drives: '14 Q60IPL/'14Armada Rep Power: 18	I realize I am very late to this party but I thought I'd offer my opinion anyway. I do not use and likely never will use a "clear bra" product. I believe they are fine for basic paint protection such as from bugs and some very minor road derbies but I believe their effectiveness is very limited as compared to their cost. When I want REAL protection for the front end of my vehicle I use a high-quality vinyl bra - over the 30 plus years I've been driving high-performance vehicles I've literally saved myself many hundreds of dollars of damage to my vehicles that a clear bra would simply not have provided effective protection against. That said, I've nothing against clear bras and I realize that for those who drive their vehicles every day, they probably make more sense than a vinyl bra (they certainly require less "work" overall). That said, I find their usefulness a bit lacking for me. __________________ Robert -My Basset Hound Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student and Barack Obama -

03-25-2010, 05:02 PM	#239 (permalink)
HTP AutoWorks Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: DFW Posts: 124 Drives: G35, Jeep SRT-8 Rep Power: 0	So I guess it makes sense that you would install 3M and ClearShield on your daily drivers since they also warranty the labor involved on removing and replacing the film. I am curious though on the yellowing you speak of. I have used VentureShield and their Ultra line for quiet sometime now. I have never had one come back from yellowing... or any reason for that matter. I do my fair share of "garage queens" and a lot of cars that are daily drivers and even some that hit the track often. Yet no warranty issues in well over 5 years. I'm pretty sure I get the same heat/humidity here in East Texas as you do in Florida. We also have love bugs here... and still no problems with that either. To be fair though I do give a bottle of sealant out with every install which prevents and bugs, bird droppings, or road tar from staining the film. If it is so "weak" and turns yellow then how is it one of the top two films on the market in regards to sales... even if installers know up front they are not going to be paid to remove and replace film??? I would think installers would shy away from it seeing how the installer is out a lot of time and money by dealing with constant warranty issues from yellowing and fading. I mean it is a lifetime warranty they are standing behind... You are also the FIRST installer... of many I have met over the years that actually promotes ClearShield, otherwise known as Bekeart. Bekeart from my first hand experience is terrible... so much so that I wont tough the stuff anymore. It kind of explains why Bekeart only holds about 5% of the paint protection film market. If they are so good and dont yellow then why doesnt it sale more? People overall are fairly knowledgable about PPF especially in the larger cities... so I would think if the film was good it would sale itself. 3M I can understand because well... it's 3M. They are huge company that recently bought out ventureShield. (If you cant beat them buy them out, LOL.) But Bekeart is simply a terrible film... in many regards. Anyway thats just my .02. I will continue to offer VentureShield Ultra sine my clients are VERY happy with the results. If a better film comes out... and Avery Dennison has a new film that uses the topcoat throughout it... I will go with it. I actually have some Avery on order and will test it for a while first before offering it... since I have to pay for my own removal and re-application if the film goes bad. By the way, post some photos of the 8C when you get done. There arent too many of those running around and I am sure everyone in here would love to see the car... and photos of your work. Last edited by HTP AutoWorks; 03-25-2010 at 05:04 PM.

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03-23-2010, 01:29 PM	#226 (permalink)
steveg78 Track Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: MD Posts: 569 Drives: 09 370Z PG M6 +Sport Rep Power: 17	Got my clear bra put on this past Saturday. In doing my pre-installation cleaning, I already found a couple tiny nicks at the lower most part of the bumper. With just over 1200mi on her I was glad that I was getting the clear bra. Looks good and hardly visible. When I first showed up to pick it up I couldn't even spot the seam on the hood until the guy pointed it out. It was bikini cut on the hood.

03-23-2010, 10:48 PM	#231 (permalink)
J-BoneZ Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Tampa, FL Age: 41 Posts: 69 Drives: '11 Z W/Sport Pkg Rep Power: 15	Does anyone that has Ventureshield use their car as a daily driver? The closest installer in Tampa recommends either clear shield or 3M because he says it will hold up better. Where as ventureshield is not as strong, and it scratches easily. Is this true?

03-24-2010, 01:55 PM	#235 (permalink)
steveg78 Track Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: MD Posts: 569 Drives: 09 370Z PG M6 +Sport Rep Power: 17	Here's pics of the 3M .5mil product that was installed on my Z last weekend. As you can tell, depending on the angle, it is sometimes very hard to find the seams. Check my album for more pics. Sorry if the image quality isn't top-notch, I used my blackberry during lunch.