Another: The white spot on the air dam near the date stamp is a light reflection; not any damage or imperfection in the clear bra.

 

Another;

 

Another:

 

Finally:

 

See my thread w/pics in this forum (Expel Clear Bra on Black RX-8) started tonight. This one was getting rather long. If you're really picky about the appearance of your car, you may wish to start with just the hood and front fenders; then decide on going ahead w/the bumper.

 

wow i didn't know the the clear cover was that prominent...

 

Can one opt to apply the clear bra on just the bumper area and NOT on the fender and bonnet portion?

The line of the clear bra on the fender and bonnet kind of distracting, afraid that if one were to remove it after say a year-2year down the road, it will leave 2 diff tone on the paint work. And if it's just on the bumper, it would not be as visible.

 

of course you could just do the front bumper but personally my hood has been getting chips

 

How much did that run?

 

$695 for bumper, hood, frt fenders, side mirrors, door handle cups, and 2 visits to my home by the installer to do the job; a ~ 140 mile round trip for him from Dayton to Cincinnati.

 

Its noticeable up close, but so are white stone chips in black paint.

 

Depends on the installer... the kits are at http://www.xpel.com
Here's a labor only rundown of the installers I talked to:
SA#1: $350
SA#2: $450
Austin: $85

I'm making the trip to Austin this morning...

 

I'd be interested to know what your total cost is. The entire xpel kit retails for about $470 (on their site, anyway) and it takes about 4 hours to put on. Good luck.

 

Actually, it's $517.85 for all 3 kits (bumper, hood, lights). It was $85 for the install (will give pics when bubbles/lines are gone in a few days) plus tax for a total out-the-door price of $652.38

I have some pics of the process that other people didn't really have if NE1 is interested...

 

Just had it done this morning... Here are some pics of other stages/things...

 

Headlights kit

 

Another...

 

Finished product...

 

great pics
damn he did half the hood

 

Thanks, the film goes all the way up to the start of the rotor symbol on the hood.

Here's one more...

 

Anyone have the clear bra system installed on their RX-8?

 

There was some talk on the Clear Bra here:
link

 

Lots of us - do a forum search for 'clear bra', and you'll find several threads where we've posted pricing info, and details of fit and install quality.

Regards,
Gordon

 

Basically clear bra is the same as paint protection film. The film is manufactured by 3M, Avery, Venturetape, and now, Llumar. The actual bra comes as pre-cuts pieces by xpel.com, stongard.com, invinca-shield.com, armorglove.com, etc. Or it can be done custom by an installer with a LOT of experience. First, the bulk film gets position, stretch, and then squeegie onto the 'nose' section of the car. Next, the installer will trim off the excess and shape the film right on the vehicle. Obviously, without M-O-R-E than adequate experience, it'll be quite risky to use a razor blade on the car.

There's a real nice shine on the film. Thus, it'll blend in with the other painted areas from a distance of 3ft+. The film needs to be cleaned and then treated(instead of waxing) with 303 aerospace protectant once a month to prevent near permanent staining/yellowing. The discoloration(not noticeable on dark color cars) is caused by prolong contact with petroleum based chemicals, such as tire shine dressing, road grease, oil, ect.

To see an actual vehicle with the bra on, ask a prospective installer which dealership he has a car with the film in the showroom. A real good installer should have a dark color(requires more experience) 'demo' vehicle at a high-end dealership's showroom(BMW,MB,Lexus, etc).

Hope those 411 helps

Thomas
SE-EX.com

 

Thanks for the post. Where would one purchase this protectant?