Clear Bra or Xpel CLear Bra?

[snizzle]

Hi Guys,
Just curious if anyone has experience with the Xpel, or if I should just stick with the 3m? The Xpel claims to be a "self healing" film that covers the nicks up in the film by simply pouring warm/hot water over the film.

I guess Im just concerned about how visible the "clear bra" will be. they say its not really noticable outside of 8 ft, but that it does show up more on darker colors.

I have the platinum graphite. Ive searched but didn't come up with much, so figured id just try a new thread. THe Xpel is a little more money, and I have NO problem going with the 3m, but just wanted to hear from some that maybe have it, and any feedback or issues with hot temps during summer, or anything like that; instead of the salesman telling me its worth its weight in gold haha!!

thx!

[kenchan]

ive had good luck with both 3M scotch and Xpel.

i think the Xpel yellows a tad more than the Scotch brand over a period of time, but on a darker colored car you wont be able to detect it.

[Eagle]

The 3M VentureShield is supposedly the most aesthetically pleasing. The cars I've seen it on, you can't tell unless you're really scrutinizing the paint and finish with the full hood. If you take care of it using a cleaner like Plexus, you should be good to go. Make sure the corners and edges on your car are wrapped well. Otherwise over time they will begin to peel back.

Also don't wax your clear bra, soap and water are fine for getting hard to remove gunk off. But make sure you finish with a product like plexus to maintain the clarity of the film.

[snizzle]

appreciate the insight. i will check into that venture shield.

[snizzle]

or i guess also maybe Lumar. I saw a cpl other forum mentions on them. didn't know they did those.

[nmjaxx9]

Xpel never heard of it? clear bra that **** and call it a day.

[OldGuy]

I put Clearbra on the day I got my new red Z. Three years later it and the car still look showroom new and I drive with ease, not worrying about chips and nicks. Salesman's wrong---it's not worth its weight in gold. It's worth three times that!

[snizzle]

sounds good. i'll call em in the am!

[street2soul]

I have a 3M on Gun metallic nismo. it's definately visible at the boundary of paint and clearbra on the hood. All my friends mistaken the clearbra line as a key scratch. it's noticeable, but i kinda like the fact that the line shows. it give me reassurance in a way

[alcheng]

I have Ventureshield on the Z, and it's PW, so far so good I have it more than a year.

The tech suggest me wax it though, cos wax can protect it from UV thus it won't turn yellow quickly.

Since the color of yours is like gray, it's a perfect color for the shield.

Go for the Ventureshield, it's a good product..

[Telephone]

I have Xpel on my front bumper and full hood. 20k DD miles and no dings, chips, zits, etc. Nobody can tell it's there...even if you're staring at it up close. Perhaps it's because of the white or just a good install. Easy to clean bugs off of too. It should be everyone's first mod.

[Z74Z09]

I have had 3M product on my 2009 since new. It has certainly protected the car from the normal chips and dings. It has developed a few tiny tears sort of like a "hangnail", so at this point it is not perfect. The installer suggested Plexus which I have used to keep it looking it's best. I have made a few cross country road trips and I can imagine what the car would look like without the clear bra. I think it is a good investment and at any point in the future it looks bad it can always be removed.

[Mick_12Nismo]

Xpel is the shizzle, Snizzle. I had it installed on the full hood, front bumper, front fenders, front of the side view mirrors and on the front edge of the rear wheel wells of my '12 magnetic black Nismo shortly after I got it. You can't even tell its there and it's worth every penny I paid for it. No chips, dings, swirls or water spots to worry about. I have no experience with the 3M product but wouldn't hesitate to recommend Xpel.

[XPEL]

Hello all,

My name is Michael and I work for XPEL Technologies Corp. This is our first post as a sponsor so I thought I should introduce us. We have been in the clear bra business since 1996 and have done and seen it all when it comes to paint protection film. We are always here to help and answer questions, so please feel free to ask/PM at any time. If I may, I would like to weigh in on a few things discussed in this thread.

Today's technology has allowed paint protection films to become better than ever. Some films on the market have taken advantage of these new advances and some have not. This has produced films that are not only free of texture (orange peel), but some are also highly stain resistant and even self-healing. On the other hand, some have not changed in more than a decade while others were very low tech to begin with. I believe this is why performing a Google search on the internet about paint protection film reveals such diverse opinions on the subject. Some folks have experience with older tech, some with low tech and some with cutting edge products. Add to that the difference the installer makes in the end product depending on their skill level and experience, and you can imagine how this combination of factors could produce a vast difference in customers' experiences.

That said, I would advise the following things to have the best chance at a great experience:

1) Choose a film with a low surface energy. For those that are not familiar with this term, it's basically a measure of how slippery the surface is. This is important because the lower the surface energy of the film, the less contaminants will stick to it (similar to the way a Teflon frying pan works). Contamination is in fact what causes yellowing, rather than UV as many used to believe. Exhaust smoke, oils from the road, pollution, etc. get into the pores of the film and over time cause film to look yellow unless they either can be cleaned off the film or never stick to begin with, which brings us to the next point.

2) Choose a film that is resistant to chemicals. Most films are not, and are quickly degraded or destroyed when subjected to them. Why does this matter? The vast majority of waxes and polishes on the market use some sort of solvent as either a cleaning compound or as a carrier for the wax itself. Kerosene and Naphtha are the most common and will break down and/or yellow many paint protection films over time. Another harmful but common ingredient, Xylene, is often used as the primary ingredient in bug and tar remover. If the film you choose can't resist these chemicals over time, you will experience yellowing and loss of gloss unless you find a way to completely avoid them. Taking the chemical thing a step further, the harsher the chemicals your film of choice can resist, the more choices you have when you need to remove a stain from the surface (bugs, rubber residue and tar commonly stain most films).

3) If you do choose a film (maybe because of price) that does not have both of the 2 properties above, do NOT use Plexus on them. Plexus was designed for use on acrylic or polycarbonate windscreens and it's a fantastic product for that. But there are 12 major families of plastic, each having hundreds of different members. They don't all react the same way to chemicals. Plexus contains 25% Naphtha...not good for polyurethane. Over time (especially on light colored cars) it will deteriorate the film. Instead, use a purpose made Paint Protection Film Sealant (these are designed for polyurethane) or at the very least use a wax that contains neither of the chemicals mentioned above.

4) Self healing may sound like snake oil, but it does in fact play a huge role in preserving the appearance of the film over time. Most films are very easy to scratch, or more accurately, easy to swirl. Simply wiping something off a clear bra with a microfiber when it's warm can cause it. Self healing films return to their pristine un-swirled appearance right in front of your eyes.

5) Be sure to ask to see examples of the installer's work. Preferably the edges of the film should be wrapped where possible, and where they cannot (for example around parking sensors or where body panels are bolted together leaving nowhere to tuck the edges) there should be no inconsistency in the distance the film is from the edge of the panel. Any of these edges should be machine precision. There should also be no obvious distortions in the surface of the film. These are usually cause by improper handling of the film during installation. There should be very minimal if any dust specks in the installation. It is almost impossible to have none (just being realistic), but they should be practically unnoticeable under most lighting.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or PM us.

Also, here's an installation we did two weeks ago on a brand new black 370Z Nismo. 2013 Nismo & XPEL Ultimate Film

[kenchan]

wow, do you have a longer version?