To bra or not to bra?

[JohnCena]

Yes Yes And Did I Mention Yes

[phrenetiK]

I'm about to remove my bra off my white car. it looks gross about 1 day after a wash.

[JohnCena]

idk what bra you guys are using my 3M looks phenomenal no one can even tell !

[phrenetiK]

highly dependent on the color of your car...I have 3M installed by professionals and it wasn't cheap. the line where it goes 1/3rd up the hood some is the worst cause its so easy to see it.

[EINSER M]

Originally Posted by JohnCena

idk what bra you guys are using my 3M looks phenomenal no one can even tell !

maybe it wasnt the miller million dollar bra

[Rikx1M]

I drove 500 tension filled miles until all the parts of my Xpel PPF arrived....since then its got 3000 miles and no worries. PPF is clear as glass on my VO 1M and I cant recommend it enough...cleans easy no scratches or tears and we have driven up to 165mph and it didn't peel back or melt

Git er done!

[Dee Pee]

I've got ClearMask on my M Roadster that is 10 years old and still looks good. There's a bit of edge yellowing on the smaller pieces but it's hardly noticeable on a silver car. The 1M has it as well. Mine is AW and it is holding up very well.

[///M1]

The 3M clearbra on my Audi was the first, and will be the last one I do on a car. 4 yrs later it has yellowed badly, and unless you take the bumper off completely and do an inside-out full job, there will always be small uncovered sections that will eventually show the road rash (gonna be trying Dr. Colorchip on those and see if that thingie works as advertised). Would rather respray my bumper every few years for about the price of a clear bra that also looks unappealing IMO.

[YoungGuns]

TO BRA IT IS!!! I just need to find a reputable guy to get the installation done properly. What do you guys recommend in getting done? I'm thinking full hood (coz I'd hate to see that stupid 1/3 line) bumper, fender, maybe rocker panel?

How much did you guys spend on your jobs? I don't wanna go cheap or get raped lol

[Rikx1M]

Originally Posted by YoungGuns

TO BRA IT IS!!! I just need to find a reputable guy to get the installation done properly. What do you guys recommend in getting done? I'm thinking full hood (coz I'd hate to see that stupid 1/3 line) bumper, fender, maybe rocker panel?

How much did you guys spend on your jobs? I don't wanna go cheap or get raped lol

Here's what I did...Xpel ultimate (self-healing) on full hood and front bumper, Xpel Extreme for the entire two front fenders, "A" pillars, mirrors, behind the fenders and at the rear bumper luggage area, and Xpel standard for the side skirts.

I paid $800 for materials and shipping to APO....to me after seeing the work done and the zero chip/scratch results after 2500 miles...I'm happy I paid for quality versus a cheaper film.

[YoungGuns]

Originally Posted by Rikx1M

Here's what I did...Xpel ultimate (self-healing) on full hood and front bumper, Xpel Extreme for the entire two front fenders, "A" pillars, mirrors, behind the fenders and at the rear bumper luggage area, and Xpel standard for the side skirts.

I paid $800 for materials and shipping to APO....to me after seeing the work done and the zero chip/scratch results after 2500 miles...I'm happy I paid for quality versus a cheaper film.

Rix how far did ur film ride up to the A pillars? Doesn't that mean there would be a cut off seam that you'd be able to spot? Errr I'm assuming that's not $800 USD?

[ESC OFF]

+1 on XPEL ultimate, about 7500 miles on mine and it looks great, plus a bra is way less expensive than a proper re-spray.

[Rikx1M]

Originally Posted by YoungGuns

Rix how far did ur film ride up to the A pillars? Doesn't that mean there would be a cut off seam that you'd be able to spot? Errr I'm assuming that's not $800 USD?

see the images and see if you can detect where the cut is. Yes $800 for raw materials but if you price Xpel Ultimate and buy the precut templates for all these parts, it was over $1400 for me. I'm happy piecing a PPF together and saving some dinaro...the bottom line for me is that I don't mind the line/seam for the protection it provided, after all, to me it's about the look in 5 years from now, not so much what it looks like today. I get enough looks and admiring comments with all the seams visible or not.

[bdaddylo]

Originally Posted by phrenetiK

I'm about to remove my bra off my white car. it looks gross about 1 day after a wash.

If it was OEM as stated in your signature, then it is covered under your BMW warranty as is for all BMW accessories.

[firechicken99]

Originally Posted by Rikx1M

Here's what I did...Xpel ultimate (self-healing) on full hood and front bumper, Xpel Extreme for the entire two front fenders, "A" pillars, mirrors, behind the fenders and at the rear bumper luggage area, and Xpel standard for the side skirts.

I paid $800 for materials and shipping to APO....to me after seeing the work done and the zero chip/scratch results after 2500 miles...I'm happy I paid for quality versus a cheaper film.

what'd the labor run you?

[The Transporter]

Originally Posted by ianf

Also normal imperfections such as watermarks etc can't be fixed on the PFF, as cant use abrasive or chemicals on it, only sealants.

I was told this by my installer as well, but I (your luck may vary) have been able to remove those using the same fine polish I use on paint. The 3M stuff held up fine and the water spots and light scratches disappeared.

For reference, I used Griot's Garage Machine Polish 3 and their 6" random orbital with orange pad. I hope this helps someone--but please be careful and don't blame me if you screw up your ppf!

[Rikx1M]

Originally Posted by firechicken99

what'd the labor run you?

300€ or $380

[phrenetiK]

Originally Posted by bdaddylo

If it was OEM as stated in your signature, then it is covered under your BMW warranty as is for all BMW accessories.

2008 56k miles

[Rikx1M]

So after all my PPF measuring, dollar crunching, ordering, waiting for back order, shipping, receiving, and installing...a 3-month process, a week after I did all of this, I was washing my car. The hose was kinked so I twisted it and it flipped over and it slightly rubbed my door. A piece of sand or grit scratched my drivers door. I took it to a paint shop and they told me it went through the clearcoat into the actual paint and the door had to be repainted at a cost of $1000. Had I spent another $200 to do the doors, this won't forever be a black eye when I wash and wax the car, seeing the result of my momentary lapse of clarity...

I highly recommend PPF and Xpel ultimate rocks.

[fastauto]

Depends on your driving habits. If you plan on tracking the car then it's worth the investment.

[SalemChiro]

+1 for Xpel ultimate.

If you live in the north east, call Rick Nelson of Unique Car Care in Wakefield, MA. His installers are the best around and they go above and beyond any other shop to make it perfect. Their work speaks for itself...check it out on their Facebook page.

They wrapped my entire hood, entire front quarter panels, bumper, and a-pillars. If you are standing a foot away from my car you can't tell the hood and quarter panels have film on them...every edge is tucked and wrapped around the corner.

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by SalemChiro

If you live in the north east, call Rick Nelson of Unique Car Care in Wakefield, MA. His installers are the best around and they go above and beyond any other shop to make it perfect. Their work speaks for itself...check it out on their Facebook page.

They wrapped my entire hood, entire front quarter panels, bumper, and a-pillars. If you are standing a foot away from my car you can't tell the hood and quarter panels have film on them...every edge is tucked and wrapped around the corner.

Heard great things about them. Wish I had done the same. Daily drives on 93/128 -- I feel like I'm touching up new chips every weekend.