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Old 10-19-2020, 02:09 PM   #1
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Clear bra quotes

I am getting the clear bra work quoted.

So far two quotes back. This is one of them:

XPEL Ultimate PPF (Performance Package): $2,795
Coverage: Front Bumper, Full Hood, Full Fenders, Headlights, Mirrors, Rocker Panels, A-Pillars, Behind Rear Wheels

XPEL Ultimate PPF (Full Front): $1,995
Coverage: Front Bumper, Full Hood, Full Fenders, Headlights, Mirrors


XPEL Ultimate PPF (Partial Plus): $1,495
Coverage: Front Bumper, Full Hood, Partial Fenders, Headlights, Mirrors

If you prefer some individual/popular add-on options:
XPEL Ultimate PPF (Rocker Panels Only): $495
XPEL Ultimate PPF (B-Pillars): $200 (All 4)
XPEL Ultimate PPF (Behind Rear Wheels Only): $200 (Both Sides)


I am amazed by how expensive it is. The other quote for the work in bold was $1900, so not far off. For the rocker panels and rear arches they wanted $500.

I'm thinking of the work in Bold plus rear arches at $200. Thoughts?

Partial fenders saves $500 so I am considering that as well.

Last edited by FC; 10-19-2020 at 02:22 PM.
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Old 10-19-2020, 02:12 PM   #2
Nick M3
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Are you mentally prepared to have it redone every few years?
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Old 10-19-2020, 02:22 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick M3 View Post
Are you mentally prepared to have it redone every few years?
Absolutely not. I was under the impression that the new stuff was good for closer to 10 years.
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Old 10-19-2020, 02:30 PM   #4
John V
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Did you look at my Boxster when you were in Maryland a couple years ago? The clearbra on that is about six years old and still looks fantastic. The only places were it's not great are at the openings in the front bumper. Some of the edges have pulled up a little bit and have gotten dirty. The solution is to just trim it back to remove the dirty edge. I did that install myself and I'm not an experienced installer by any means... the only reason those edges lifted is I suck at installing and didn't get the right stretch to the film around the openings. Tight radii are still a bitch when it comes to film adhesion. I did a light machine polish on the whole car a couple months ago when I did the Gyeon ceramic application and I was amazed at how well the film took a shine. It's not discolored or cloudy in the slightest.

The stuff I used was the first iteration of the "self-healing" film and it's done a great job. I also have it on the Mazdaspeed (though that was a professional installation). It's five years old and looks great.

The Boxster is garaged when at home. The Mazdaspeed lives outside. For a car that stays garaged, you should certainly be able to get, well, more than six years out of an install. The pre-~2011, 2012 stuff? Not nearly as long-lived. edit: Obviously if the car takes any big stone hits that completely break through the film, you're going to see it.

The only "add-ons" I wish I had done were the rear wheel arches, the edge that is exposed to road debris being thrown up by the tire. I regret not doing that on the Boxster.
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:18 PM   #5
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My boxster clear bra is over 7 years old and continues to look fantastic. Car was almost never parked outside.
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:27 PM   #6
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I guess they are a lot better than they used to be. The last time I did one, it looked horrible ~ 2 years in.
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:28 PM   #7
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I'd be more worried on a white car. but I suspect that an orange car will take a slight discoloring well.

I'm tempted to give it a go on my own since I am pretty good at that sort of thing, but I just don't have the time to agonize over it.

My new commute is 45+ miles a day of highway. I'm afraid the M3 would get its ass kicked pretty quickly in that environment, so I feel I need to do this.
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:49 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John V View Post
The only "add-ons" I wish I had done were the rear wheel arches, the edge that is exposed to road debris being thrown up by the tire. I regret not doing that on the Boxster.
They seem to bundle the rockers with the arches, but maybe it's worth it.

https://www.qcarcare.com/clear-bra (scroll down a bit)
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:49 PM   #9
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Quote:
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I guess they are a lot better than they used to be. The last time I did one, it looked horrible ~ 2 years in.
Unquestionably. I'm remembering Bren's white M3, in which the film turned almost completely yellow. That was really, really early in the days of PPF. There was a step change improvement not long after that that made the yellowing go away, and then another one in the 2010-2012 timeframe when the self-healing films came on the market. I'm sure there have been more improvements since then.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FC View Post
I'm tempted to give it a go on my own since I am pretty good at that sort of thing,
Resist that urge and pay someone to do it. more than likely you'll need to order two or three pre-cut kits if you try to do it yourself and you'll burn an entire day. A good installer will bang it out in no time and it'll look better (fewer stretch marks, better edge adhesion, etc).
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Old 10-19-2020, 03:53 PM   #10
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We had the front on our Yukon done a couple of weeks after we bought it.
Lasted 12 to 14 years as I recall.

It was Xpel as well - I don't recall the specific film the guy used.
I would do it again - absolutely. Pricey as it is/was.

I have the front foot of the F250's hood as well covered.
If the front of the E9 was a candidate for this treatment, I would do that as well.

Also - the previous owner of my 997 had the entire front trunk hood and the fenders (all the way to the door/windscreen) covered a couple of years before I bought the car.
Still looks great (with 140k on that car now).
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