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Invinca-Shield self install experience

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by twindad, Apr 26, 2004.

  1. twindad

    twindad New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2004
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    Location:
    Lake Forest, CA
    I ordered the invinca shield kit for my car & installed it myself - or at least tried to. Others can share their experiences here and maybe add tips & tricks for other do-it yourselfers.
    First, I put the stuff on a week too late. The freeway I take to work was being repaved in sections, and there was gravel all over the place. I must have added 50 chips & dings in that one week. :cussing:
    I purchased the deluxe kit, plus the pieces for the mirrors. I read all I could read online & watched the provided video several times.
    I started with the mirrors. The x-pel website (a competing product) has some detailed photos of a mirror install, which really helped me understand that this product needs to be stretched to fit properly. You just can't make a flat piece of plastic lay on a curved surface without stretching. After a 45 minute wrestle, I got it on to my satisfaction. The key is knowing how much to stretch and when/how to use the alcohol/water mix to make it stick. The other mirror took about 30 minutes and was a little easier since I was 'experienced'.
    I decided next to do the side panels. The car is much less curved there and they went on quite easy, maybe 15 minutes each. I moved onto the hood. It is tricky to work with due to the size, but again, there is not a great deal of curve to the hood and the large size makes it easier to distribute the stretch over a wider area. I didn't get it to fit exactly right around the toyota emblem, but there was no wrinkles or bubbles, so I was pleased.
    Next came the big pieces for the bumper. This is where things went wrong. Wrapping the big curve in the bumper proved too much for me. I wrestled with that thing for well over an hour. I finally got to the point where I realized I was not going to get it right. I did the best I could, but I ended up with some folds at the corners. I came back with a razor blade and cut them off. The rest of the small pieces for the grille and bottom bumper went on OK.
    I am contemplating getting the bumper redone by a professional. I will leave it as is for a while and see how much it bothers me. So for those of you contemplating doing it yourself, I would say don't be afraid to do the basic 3 part kit. Take it slow and easy and it should come out fine. Good luck on the bumper though. It is tough. That said, I think it could be possible for an amateur to do the bumper correctly if Invinca had some very detailed installation instructions for each piece of the kit. If I knew which edge to start with, how much to stretch, etc. I could have done better.
     
    #1 twindad, Apr 26, 2004
  2. eak354

    eak354 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2003
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    Location:
    HI
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    ok i decided to install the bumper invinca shield. that went smoothly, straight and even surface. so i decided to do the mirrors... :cussing: after struggling with the curved surface i just couldnt get it on right. indeed it is easier said than done, especially on curved surfaces. now i'm having second thoughts of installing it and end up wasting it... back to the drawing board... :? i'll try the fenders some time, seem pretty flat, hence easier than mirrors.
     
    #2 eak354, Apr 28, 2004
  3. Bikeman

    Bikeman Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2004
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    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Well, I got my Invinca-Shield kit myself. I also watched the video, the X-pel information, read all the instructions. I tentatively started with the side panels, then the mirrors, and finally the hood. Hoooooey, I'm good at this stuff! Could do this for a living. Those other fellers on Prius Chat just aren't handy like me! Then I hit the bumpers. And hit a wall. Dang, those things are tough! I got the upper part of the passenger side done, but had to do some relief cuts, which don't look that great. Scratched my head for a while, finally called Invinca-Shield. Talked to a guy, I think his name was Mark??? Explained the problem and he admitted that they are getting a lot of complaints about the bumper kits and just maybe they are a touch tough for a retail sort of critter. They are going back to the drawing board and hope to have a new kit out next week, which they are going to send out gratis. Hopefully that goes on lots easier than what I and others have experienced. Maybe I have found a new career??
     
    #3 Bikeman, May 4, 2004
  4. southernprius

    southernprius New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2004
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    Invinca-Shield in North Wilkesboro, NC are looking to modify the pattern for the 2004 Prius. They are however finding it difficult to locate someone nearby with the car. They need to see the car in person to lay a pattern over the car for markup.

    If anyone is in the nearby area, please contact Mac at email address [email protected]. Mac and I have discussed meeting in Knoxville, a 2 hr drive for me and 3 hr drive for him. But I suggested posting here to attempt to find someone closer.

    If anyone is able to meet with Mac to let him review the patterns, please email him. Or forward this message on to others who might.

    Thanks
    Southern Prius
    04 seaside pearl
     
    #4 southernprius, May 10, 2004
  5. timster

    timster Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2004
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    FYI, here's my experience:

    I started with the easier pieces and learned how to work with the film. Once I got to the top bumper pieces I also thought I was ready for the challenge...

    Well I wasted over 2 hours trying and trying to get the first piece to fit correctly without any folds or relief cuts.

    In my opinion, it is flat-out impossible to install these pieces without making a fold or cut in the film! The material simply can't be stretched enough to remove the creases/fingers that form at the top corner (and the bottom corner) of the bumper.

    I finally ended up with a single relief cut on the top and bottom of the bumper on each side. It looks pretty tacky, and I'm not very happy.

    Note that the other pieces went on relatively easily.

    I hope they get the bumper pieces fixed soon!

    -Tim
    PS. The temp was 75 degrees F when I was installing the film.
     
    #5 timster, May 13, 2004
  6. slowpoke

    slowpoke New Member

    Joined:
    May 8, 2004
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    man, this makes me wanna pay someone to do it right the first time.
     
    #6 slowpoke, May 13, 2004
  7. eak354

    eak354 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2003
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    Location:
    HI
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    i've decided to go to an authorized installer (listed on invinca website). i've inquired and they're charging $45/hour. :? i guess better than me ruining it and having to buy it all over again. thing is, they're fully booked till july!
     
    #7 eak354, May 14, 2004
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