So I just had one put on Friday and I have to say I'm not very pleased with the results. After reading some of the old posts though, I'm thinking I might have gone into it expecting something perfect and I guess that's a pretty naive expectation when having a clear bra put on. Well anyway, I'm bringing it back to the place to have it looked at on Monday but before I go I want to make sure that I'm not just being a pain in the ***.

Couple questions...

1) For those of you who have Llumar... is the bumper kit 1 piece?

2) Is the kit supposed to go all the way to the edges or is expected to come just short in most areas, and then about an inch short of the edge along the the wheel wells?

3) Are gaps expected to be bigger in some areas. For instance the bra comes very close to the edges of one clear corner, but on the other side there is a much larger gap around that clear corner.

4) Is the bra supposed to wrap underneath the bumper or pretty much stop right as the bumper begins to curve under?

Outside of these concerns the workmanship looks good. Well outside of about 3 very fine X-acto blade cuts they made when trimming spots -- and that they will be fixing.

I guess I just need to know if my concerns are standard with clear bra installations or if mine can be done better. Thanks in advance

 

First off there is no such thing as a 'perfect' clear bra.

the manufacturer of the material - Llumar in your case has nothing to do with the pattern. I did my wifes sedan and got the edges pretty uniform all around, but expect some variation as you have to stretch to fit the stuff. From what I was told the Coupes are a lot harder to do. (the dealer did my car before I picked it up)

If the thing needed trimming, one of two things happened - the installer 'missed', or the shape of the kit was not as accurate as it could have been. Could it have been done better, sure I guess but what is the point? If you are picky enough even the best installed clear bra in the world could be done better... Heck even the factory paint on the thing could be done better - how many times did you send the car back for a re-paint before you deemed it perfect? None I am guessing. And I am sure I could find a 'flaw' if I got close enough.

The point of the clear bra is to protect the paint, all while being barely visible most of the time from 5-10 feet away. Most friends of mine never realized I did my wifes car until I pointed it out to them.

I say wait for it to settle down and enjoy your car knowing it is protected Just remember to keep a good coat of wax on it at all times as it is not clear coated - like 3M - and will dull quickly with neglect.

my .02$

 

I seriously am considereing getting the normal bra... I mostly use my car in the city so I would be needing the bra in special ocasions....

does the normal one protect it as good as the clear bra?

 

Ask your installer what brand he used for the template cutout. For instance, www.xpel.com is one of them. The xpel bumper is 1 piece, but other kits designed for DIYers use mutiple pieces for the bumper, like www.invinca-shield.com.

The clear bra is supposed to cover any leading edge (that faces forward) so some kits stop where the wheel arch goes flat.

 

I install PPF and agree with Wildwildwest. There are no perfect kits out there, and some are better than others. It also depends on how the kit is layed down on the car and how it is stretched.

You could see 5 different installers with the same car, same kit, all have different finished products. Its all in the technique and experience with that particular car

If you cant see it installed from 5 feet away, than its done right. Its protecting your original paint, and you dont have a silly looking black vinyl diaper on your car.

If you have PPF questions, shoot me an email.

Christopher
Pristine Autowerks

 

an old fashioned bra is a dinosaur, it has no reason for existence, and does more harm than good. Don't fool your self into thinking - I never drive more than 30mph, so I don't need a clear bra...

Just ask a friend of mine who took delivery of a car and then drove half way across the country - with the old fashioned bra - got home and found damage to the paint anyway...


In the end it is your money, you can spend it how every you like. I personally went with the once of prevention, but there are lots who go with the pound of cure. One guy I work with thinks I was nuts because I had the dealer do mine before I even picked the car up. When I asked him what he was going to do about his, he said he was probably going to get in a wreck - have the car repainted on the insurance co - then sell and get a new one. Hell of a plan...

 

i hate clear bra. i know ppl wont notice it till you tell them, but i would know, and i hate that i could see the lines when i look. i think because its more visible with IP, or light colors, dirt clearly outlines the edges of it.

anyway, have 20K miles w/o it, and lucky to have just only a few nicks here and there, but otherwise still almost perfect

 

[QUOTE=G3NIU5]i hate clear bra. ....... dirt clearly outlines the edges of it.
[QUOTE]


To each their own. If you keep you car clean you wont see dirt. Personally I know the clear bra will pay for its self when I sell the car or trade it in - I know I will get more $ for the car, and it will be easier to get rid of because it will look good!

 

Agree with you guys there is no perfect clear bra. When you get up close with mine there are a few little wrinkles in a couple of places. the installer said it was the most difficult car he's done. However when you step back like 6-10 feet you can't tell it's there and that's probably about as good as it's going to get.
I think it's well worth the investment, peace of mind and improved resale.

 

I have the clear bra on the leading edge of my hood and front fenders. There are a couple of small bubbles where it ends on the hood, the installer said they could fix it up okay, I just have not had a chance to return.IMO I do find the bugs etc don't seem to stick to it like they do on the unprotected paint.
I would definitely do it again. Highly recommend it.

 

Same deal with me. I've got to get it back to have a few little touch up areas. I'm not sure my guy is the greatest installer but unfortunately they're the only ones I could find in Nova Scotia.

 

Unfortunately, quality of installation plays the major role in how this will come out. The standard in the industry is to look from 4-5 feet from the car. We've raised the bar slightly to 3-4 inches for the front bumper from custom application and wrapped edges. Here are some pics

 

Notice on this E55, the bumper is custom while the fenders aren't and how the seam shows on the bottom portion of the fenders while there aren't any seams at all on the front bumper

 

Here are up close pics (taken 4 inches away) of the E46 M3 and Z4. Pre-cut kits work well and still take experienced installers to apply, especially when it comes to one pc apps

 

Here are some up-close pics (again taken about 3-4 inches away) of a 996 Turbo w/ custom app on the front bumper