Clear Bra Cost

I had a Clear Bra installed on my previous Honda Fit, the dealership did it, and actually it wasn't too bad cost wise.
When I purchased the Toyota Prius? I looked into clear bra again.

Much depends on how much you want covered...lower bumper, sides etc, etc....
But I was surprised at the increase in cost, as for descent frontal coverage I was looking at $600-$1000 and this was aftermarket independents.

So long story short, this time around I passed on adding clear bra. Worst case thinking I would maybe come to regret it, and perhaps have to look at having the front bumper and/or the hood repainted.
3 years later? There are a few chips I think I can and will touch up on the hood, that I think perhaps a clear bra would of prevented. BUT overall? I think it looks fine.

I'm really not sure the advantage is worth the cost.

If you decide to do it? I would investigate brand names and quality...it does vary, and of course try to find an installer with a reputation for doing good work.

My Honda had 3M and I would also say, it was effective at preventing chips.
So with the two experiences, I'm really torn.
If you can get a good clear bra, at a good price? That might be the deciding factor to me.

 

I got XPel Ultimate this time.
My protection film was $1200 installed for the full hood, full front bumper, full front lip, both complete fenders, full headlights, both side mirror backs and the rear bumper for cargo protection. It has a lifetime warranty and has already prevented some nicks to my paint, hood, and headlights. Bugs and bird droppings clean off super easy and it shines like freshly waxed paint.

My 2010 also had the same treatment (done by the same guy too). The hood, front bumper and fenders are perfect after 5.5 years. There are a couple of places that the film has gotten slightly scuffed, but the paint underneath is perfect. Also, this stuff will cause rocks to bounce off a little which can prevent small dents.

To me it is worth it.

 

+1 Xpel Ultimate

BTW that quote is within 10% of the quote for the same coverage I was quoted. Although my quote deleted the rear bumper coverage and included the headlights, fog lights, and all four door cups and door edges. The stuff is great, and nearly invisible.

 

Definitely not cheap but well worth it, especially if you do alot of freeway driving.

I would say it's at least $750 with full hood, partial fenders, side mirrors, door cups and door edges.

 

You should consider doing it yourself. Wrapping cars (which is what clear protection is) is easy. There are many videos on YouTube about how to do it. And the materials are pretty heavily marked up by installers.

The secret is to make sure the car is VERY clean ($400 dollar exterior detail job clean), do the job in a clean area, buy the film with air channels, work from the center, use a heat gun and only "set" the film once its right. It's child play. A good installer can probably do the front of a Prius in about 2 hours. It will probably take you 4 hours. You don't even need a pony tail to do a pro job.

You can get optically clear 6 mil Hexis film from US cutter. A 21 yard, 60 inch roll is only about $400. That's probably enough to do 5 or 6 Prius'. It's top quality stuff, too.

 

2000 for Xpel, 10 year warranty. I got the full front covered (full hood, fenders, head lights, fog lights, mirrors, bumper) also the four doors. I was quoted another 2300 for the rest of the car (rocker panels, roof, all of the back). I do a lot of high way driving, so I plan to get the rest covered in a few weeks.

 

One man's molehill is another man's Everest...
Sorry to disagree, but most folks:

Do not have this 'clean area' needed
Can't get the surfaces clean enough
Don't have a suitable heat gun
Don't have a clue as to how to cut film to size before applying
Don't know how to properly trim the film to finish it off
Don't have the time (or patience) needed to learn the techniques involved

Sure, an amateur can give it a go. Who knows, they might even get a passable result (if viewed in poor lighting) after several attempts and many hours of effort. But it's nearly certain they won't achieve results that would be mistaken for a professional install.
It's true the film is heavily marked-up by most installers. There are even YouTube video extolling the marketing benefits and upsell-potential of some films, so as always it is buyer-beware.
However the installation facility and tools aren't free - for example, the Xpel film is precision-cut using a computer -controlled laser cutter, on-site, using car-specific templates provided by the film manufacturer. Good luck getting even close to that level of fit and precision when you DIY.
And that $400 exterior detail, that's going to take some time and materials and technique...
I've seen plenty of DIY window and film wraps, and they looked anywhere from pathetic to... so-so. But nothing even close to a proper pro install.
Of course your experience may be different. But in my experience installing this stuff is not trivial and definitely beyond many owners skill-set, time-budget, and logistics.

 

I can not agree more than Scruderia Priusi?s note.
I went through the worse case scenario with my front clear bra attemp and end up with frustration !
The 4G Prius has the most complicated 3-d contours to work on wrapping the bumper film.

 

I had VentureShield film installed on my 2006 and the first trip the 2010 made was to the shop to the film installed.

When doing the hood get the entire panel covered with the edge of the film wrapped over the edge of the hood. Women will scratch up the door cups in time. The film on the left rocker panel saved the panel when I was sideswiped and the film on the right mirror housing saved that piece.

Get as much of the car covered as you can afford. Moderate temperatures make the job easier.

Xpel & 3M have a number of films available. Ask the shop for a recommendation & check out their work. The more you expect out of the film the more it will cost.

 

Guess who fitted a clear bra this weekend? hehe..

Hood came out good ( been practicing for the last year or two on and off ) The hood film covers past the hump area and folds under the edges, that part was a PITA. As I was more accustomed to edge to edge cuts and not this type of cut.

The bumper, let me just say this .. One word. Never mind, it was terrible. Will be re-doing this again in the near future.

One word of advice, since the film itself is so dam expensive when one is a self learning , I figured I would buy a generic pre cut kit, trouble was the film was not as pliable as the branded 3M or Suntek films. Big mistake on my part, saved a lot of money but wasted a lot of time. The hood came out acceptable, little to no dust or bubbles, but the bumper one word.. FRANKENSTEIN LOL

Oh, and a rock hit the front area of the hood today, no marks, just a ding in the panel now, so yes, it does prevent rock chips, but if your middle name is unlucky, you get a boulder hitting your hood one day after install.

 

$6.99 for 1 can of Plasti Dip and 1 hour.....DONE!

 

To DBLXX,
How long do you think this clear coat of Plati-Dip will last ?
What is the gloss level of the finish ?

 

That looks really nice! I think your top cutoff line is spot-on. Your masking is very good from this distance, too - I'd guess this isn't your first, or even third, mask-and-paint job on a car. Well-done!

How many coats did you apply? Thick or thin? Did you strip the wax first, or do any other particular surface prep?

I too will be interested in how it holds up after several years of highway use.
Given plasti-dip's flexibility, this could be genius defense against rock chipping, if it holds up finish/color/adhesion-wise. I admit I'm not too sure about removing/reworking it if/when repairing collision damage.

 

I tried myself on my 2001 Mazda Protege years ago. It was a huge PITA. I screwed it up, and ended up throwing away the film.

At a cost of thousands of dollars, this seems outlandishly expensive. I live in Connecticut, where there's salt used on the roads in the winter, and drive about 22k miles per year. At the end of 9 years with the protege and 6 years with the 2010 GEN III, sure, there were nicks and dings - but nothing that was a significant problem - and certainly nothing that affected the value of a 6 or 9 year old car by the amount of film cost.

To each their own, and if you're so inclined to desire that your 4 year old car continues to look brand new - this might be a good idea. If you view your vehicle as a practical tool with a finite life and cost profile, this might be a bit of a financial boondoggle...

 

The film application is time consuming but not difficult. You need a heat gun and patience. And watch the youtube videos for installing car wraps. Start from the middle outwards. Whatever film you buy, always get the kind with air channels. But I agree with the last poster -- mostly will not pencil out over the life of the car in terms of cost.

 

According to Plasti-Dip = 1 year. So....every year I will have to peel, tape and spray.

Not a big deal and MUCH cheaper than the $1500 they wanted for the Xpel. AND....I have done 3 other cars in Expel and I hate when the dirt builds up on the edges and seams.

No gloss level....completely matte. BUT - they sell a gloss topper spray - I kind-a like the matte look on the nose and honestly....further than 30 feet and you can't even see it.

 

Actually - first time masking anything - but I have OCD and really good tools. It was EASY!

I sprayed 4 very thick coats - they thin out as it dries.

I wiped the front with alcohol....that's it.

I have 4,000 miles on the dip - I'll take a photo of it tonight and post up here so you can see how it's working. I blast the front of the car with a car wash high pressure gun - doesn't bother the DIP at all.

So far - VERY happy !

 

Hopefully it will peel off easily (when you want it to !), esp. if you'll be re-coating it annually.

Xpel Ultimate is an excellent film, but that sure seems like an exorbitant price quote - even for the entire car! I hear ya on the dirt build-up on the edges of the film; I've seen it get bad in a year or less, but have also seen it last 5+ years before the edge-line becomes obvious, too. I think there are lots of variables that can affect this.

Seriously, it looks like a fine job you did - attention to detail pays great dividends! In fact, now I'm considering doing the same thing to the front end of my wife's Matrix, after we get it repainted. Her 2004 was purchased new and has only 59K on it (!), never had any paint protection other than an annual wax and has been parked outdoors curbside since we bought it; the paint is definitely tired and faded at this point. We're planning to keep it pretty much forever, so we're going to have a couple minor dents repaired along with a dime-sized ding/chip fixed on the hood, new door gaskets installed, then re-painted in original Cosmic Blue. After the new paint fully cures, this looks like a great way to protect it without breaking the bank (no way I'm paying for Xpel on a 12-year-old car!).

This Plasti-Dip coating is clearly (heh) miles easier to do than DIY film on the complex curves n' creases on our Prii - I'm eager to see how it comes out on the "Misstrix".