Has anyone had any experiences, negative or postive, with the clear paint protection film that can be installed on the front of a car? I think 3M makes it, although there may be more than one manufacturer.

I'm looking for rock protection alternatives to the leather "bra" type things that go over the hoods. Not that I have anything against bras, I just think they hide the natural beauty which lies underneath! I'm talking cars here...

 

Excellent product. I have used it on my last three vehicles. It protects the front end and side mirrors You can also protect the front lights as well. The warranty on the product is 5 years. The cost to do the Civic was $450 with a $50 gas card as a rebate. The cost may seem high to some but the product works

When picking an installer ask what dealerships he does work for. The high end stores as BMW, Mercedes, etc usually have some one to recommend.

Hope this helps

 

I agree, the bra is too ugly and the hood deflector ruins the clean sleek lines of the HCH.

I had the 3M protection film installed by a qualified installer the day after I took delivery. The basic minimum you should do is the lower third of the hood and fenders above the lights. Installation took about an hour and a half and costs $250 up here in Toronto. Any qualified 3M installer will have the Civic template in stock.

You can get the full front bumper treatment for about $600 but it's not worth it in my opinion. It's best to protect the hood and fenders, you can always have the bumper repainted as it won't rust.

Cheers!

 

One thing for sure is it doesn't take long to ding up the front bumper on a curb or something.(don't ask me how I know ) Curb judging/visibility is very poor. So, given that a respray/repair could be in order at some point, I'm not sure that adding to the cost of the bumper is worth it with the 3M. Food for thought.

 

small pebbles and rocks will still chip away at the protective covering...its just gonna happen. i have a bunch of microscopic chips on the front near the license plate area...only the bra will completely protect that.

 

I was just thinking of posting about this topic... When I was washing my car this weekend I noticed a whole bunch of pits in the paint and on the wheel well in the front right quarter. I think it's because I live near a construction zone and drive by it every day on the way to work. It's quite sad to see this happening to my pretty car!

I had never heard of the clear protectant. Maybe that's a good idea. The bra is another idea. But should I get the paint repaired first? How? and how much would that cost? What's the best way of preventing this kind of damage in the future?

 

I have had it on two cars. It's been on my Maxima for over 5 years and the front look like new. 4 of those years were in snow country where the roads would get sanded. It absolutely saved the front of my car compared to my RAV4 which did not have the film.

I will put this on every new car I own.

 

I haven't done it, but am certainly considering the "see-thru bra" .
Other than the price, I've heard nothing but good things about the 3M product.

Any recommendations in the North Texas area?

 

I see this is a really old thread... but I definetly like my clear bra.

I will admit that I had alot of hassle when I first had them put it on the car, there were bubbles and flaws in the product itself and if I had not been so careful when i was looking over the car, I may have missed it. Of course they fixed all the problems, but only after I convinced them that the bubbles and the weird marks in the plastic were not normal. Something I only knew to look out for because my friend had a similar problem when it was put on his TL.

I like that I can put scratch-X, wax etc on the clear bra and treat it as if it were clear coat. However, be careful that you dont use anything slightly pointed on it, it will leave marks. ie. Use the Jelly-blade for water removal instead of the harder California blade.

Also, when waxing, if you enjoy paste-wax like I do, make a note that it will get caught on the clear bra, resulting in some serious detail work to get it out. I tend to use a soft bristle toothbrush.

The clear bra is a wonderful product and well worth the money if you are worried about rock chips. Mine saved me from a huge scratch across my paint only days after I bought the car. Granted there is a hefty mark on the bra, but that mark is barely perceptible compared to what would have happened to the paint.

I have had no problem with the bra itself, no peeling, changing colors, bubbles or anything like that.

The bra does not distort the colors and is barely noticeable itself:

 

I'm getting my car done on Friday, I'll let you know how it goes.