Clear Bra

there is an article @ http://www.autocareforum.com/paintprotectionfilm.html
That has a lot of information on the material used.

I ordered a kit and am installing it a little at a time as temperature allows. (They specify installation at above 60 degrees) I ordered the kit that covers the bumper and hood as well as the rear bumper area near the hatchback opening. The installation is quite forgiving, if you make a mistake you can rectify it quite easily.

Also take a look at the photo section of this forum for pctures of the film installed on a Prius.

 

N/A

 

Hmm... I'm considering this as well - seems like a reasonable method of protecting the paint.

 

I just today installed the 3M paint protection film on my Prius. I went with buying bulk material because the kits are so darned expensive and it didn't seem like it would be that difficult to cut the pieces from bulk. If you are interested, this place sells the material bulk:
www.vehicleprotectionfilms.com
I was able to do the hood, most of the front bumper, sideview mirrors and chip strips on all door edges for under $100 delivered. I bought 11 feet of the 2' wide material. If I was doing again, I'd get a little more so I could do the top of the front bumper and the lip of the back bumper under the hatch.

This is the first time I've done PPF and it was a moderate challenge. It came out pretty good on the bumper and sideview mirrors, some flaws on the hood. I might re-do the hood depending on how it looks after the water dries out from under the film. I'm sure my second try would come out much better.

There's definitely a learning curve with this stuff, but it isn't that difficult for someone that's moderately coordinated.

 

guys i as usual will be in the minority opinion. i am not a fan of car bras. i really dont like the look but thats just a personal feeling. what i really dont like is the retention of moisture under it. i dont like the slight vibration that is very hard on paint. if you keep up with them and keep airing it out etc it probably will help a little. most folks (which prius folks are definitely not!) dont examine it enough. results faded paint and rubbed paint. sorrry for being so verbose. i now rest my case

 

i think i like that better but seems a little pain in the neck for spasos like me.

 

Am definately getting the pre-cut application and will have them professionally installed. I just hate chips & dents; they create way too many problems. Please review both 3M and xpel sites, very helpful.

www.xpel.com
www.3m.com/paintprotectionfilm

 

Thanks for those links Bill60546, lots of good information on those pages!

xpel.com has a kit specifically for the 04 Prius; does anyone have experience with this kit? What other sites/kits have people used?

 

I looked at xpel but bought my kit from Invinca-Shield. I have not completely installed it yet due to the temperature requirent of above 60 degrees. It takes a little time but fits good and is almost invisible. Hopefully it will warm up soon and I will be able to finish the installatioin.

 

I've had the xpel kit installed for my Prius. I'm taking it back later this week to add some more protection for the headlights, fog lights, A-pillars and maybe the rear bumper protection.

I'll try and post pictures of the "clear" bra as soon as I get my camera back from the person borrowing it. You can notice it on a white car, but they say if you have another color it isn't so bad.

From far away, no one notices my "multi-phasic sheilding."

Xo Larimer,
'04 Super White BC

 

Just ordered the Pruis 4482 Deluxe Kit from Invinca-Shield. Have a call into a local shop to get an estimate on installation. May try the first piece myself to see how it goes. Or, may just let the shop do it, if it's around $100. I'll post my experiences.

Tom

 

Okay, I've installed a clear bra along with some additional pieces on the A pillars, HID Lights and the rear bumper. It's a very good clean install. Pics of the install (and the installer) are in the photos section.

Marcos charged me the internet rate and minimal for the additional pieces. For example, if you looked at only the rear bumper including install I think I paid $45.

Info: www.invisi-guard.com

Invisi-Guard
3069 Wiljan Court, Suite E
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
(707) 292-2615
[email protected]

I told him about this group and he said he might check out the forum. So, it might be worth the drive up to Santa Rosa if you are in the SF Bay Area. More praises: besides being very professional, he's not bad to look at (not that it should matter.)

He also fixed all my scratches and rock dings just because I had happen to have some touch up paint. I'll try and tell how it goes but so far, it looks good (as in I don't really see it) and I feel somewhat protected on a paint that really chips easily. (Darn water-based paint.)

 

I ordered from Invinca-Shield.com, there's a 20% discount if you use tc240 discount code. great deal!

 

Thanks for the discount tip, eak354! I just ordered mine there, after your posting for the discount. Got the deluxe kit, #9 mirrors, and #10 rear bumper for $288 with discount and $10 shipping charge

I had e-mailed them before about installation. They said some of the bigger pieces may require a second pair of hands to install.

We've only had the Prius 10 days, and already had a chip in the paint on the front bumper.

This sounds like a great product if it works as advertised!

Jay

 

hey! we bought the same items! :wink: i hope i dont mess up installation. :mrgreen:

 

After much wrestling with the idea of the clear bras, for the time being, I've decided to modify my driving habits to protect the car's finish.

Which is to say, leaving LOTS of space in front of me when travelling at highway speeds (say, 4-6 seconds at 100kph). Even on regular city streets, I tend to leave lots of room unless it's real stop&go traffic.

Besides preserving the paint, it's great for extra safety when driving to have the extra stopping distance.

Dave

 

Chalk up another one for the invinca-shield. I'm going to try to put them on myself. We'll have to compare notes. Scanning the web about invinca-shield finds mixed reviews. Then again, everything has mixed reviews on the web!

 

my driving habits have changed too, but cant avoid flying debris. whenever i wash my car i find scratches or nicks on front bumper or elsewhere. :? looks like pebbles or whatever flying debris out there nicked it, which pushed me to purchase invinca and mud flaps. it's amazing yet frustrating to find scratches that weren't there before.