Infiniti G35 Clear Plastic Bra
I am thinking of getting the clear plastic bra (protective film) installed on my Infiniti G35.
Does anyone have pictures of their G35 after the bra has been installed. I can't seem to find any good ones on the web.
Also, I heard the plastic bra can vibrate and scratch the paint underneath at high speeds - is this the same experience for others?
Thanks!
Does anyone have pictures of their G35 after the bra has been installed. I can't seem to find any good ones on the web.
Also, I heard the plastic bra can vibrate and scratch the paint underneath at high speeds - is this the same experience for others?
Thanks!
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Now come on, if there is a clear plastic bra installed, do you really think you can see it in a picture?
Seriously, if you go to the G35 Care & Maintenance forum on this board, search on 3M, you'll get a number of postings addressing the 3M clear plastic.
I heard the plastic bra can vibrate and scratch the paint underneath at high speeds - is this the same experience for others
I believe what you've heard relates to the solid material which is usually black maybe vibrating if it's not attached tightly with the velcro, causing some rubbing. Besides looking like hell, I would NEVER put something like that on my car due to the possibility of paint fading and/or the friction. The clear material, made by 3M and other manufacturers, is far superior and virtually invisible. Personally, I opted for it installed aftermarket since a dealer is going to charge way too much, throwing in his markup, since he either takes it to an installer (like you could) or the installer comes to the dealership. Cut the dealer out and save yourself $.
Z
Z
It covers the hood, fenders, entire front bumper and side mirrors.
Another great thing about the film is how easy dead bugs wipe off.
I then layer my Zaino products.
Z-5, Z-6, Z-2, Z-6, Z-2, Z-6, Z-2, Z-6 and then I just keep it looking great with coats of wax until I strip and clay again.
I treat the film like all other parts of the car, no special products.
Also when you wax your car..how is the wax product around the clear bra edges?
Sorry..for all the questions but I do not know anyone locally who has the clear bra........
My coverage is also 24" on the hood, in the center.
It offers great coverage without coming up too far.
I also have Blue Slate.
You're going to love your car!!!
When waxing, run along the seam and not against it so wax does not build up.
Buff off the same way.
I only do this along the seams, since all other application and removal lines should be horizontal, and front to back.
My 3M is not noticable until pointed out and I'm 100% happy with it.
Would you rather a slightly noticable line when the cars dirty,or a hood covered in chips, as some have complained of?
Now I have to wait about 35 more days for my G35
I finally got the car that it was in and I was then given the unfortunate news that their 3M Certified installer was on vacation.
I had to then wait another week for my car to be ready, or drive it home without the 3M protection.
I opted to wait the additional week.
My brother-in-law has a new black Honda Accord.
I noticed this weekend, a pea sized chip on his hood... already rusting.
I'm so happy I got the protection.
Putnam Window Tint
25 Miller Road
Mahopac, NY 10541
Tel: 845-628-7582
Fax: 845-628-0048
www.putnamwindowtintonline.com/products.html
Thanks
They have a 3m certified installer on staff, Alejandro Creamer.
He did my car before I took delivery and the job is absolutely perfect... and I'm near impossible to please.
I paid $695 for the entire front end (entended coverage if looking at xpel's website)
Front bumper (including lower spoiler), Hood, Fenders and Mirrors.
Specifically, I'm wondering whether you are doing this because 1. you are all "car guys" (or gals) and fanatical about even the smallest chips in your cars, or 2. the G35 specifically is more prone to chips than other vehicles.
Keep in mind I am not a "car guy," both my wife and I work long hours, and we have three young kids. The extra step of getting this installed is going to be a big hassle. How necessary is it for someone like me?
Guess you have to ask yourself whether you care about what your $30K+ car looks like. If you're so busy that you wash your car infrequently and/or you allow your kids to trash the interior, I would recommend you save the $ and take a pass on the clear bra. Since you characterize getting it installed as a big hassle, maybe there's a better place to spend the cash.
Z
:confuse:
Hassle of having it installed?
Have it done at the dealership before you take delivery... what hassle it that?
To answer your question, I did it for both reasons.
I'm the guy who carries water, detailer's spray and micro-fiber towels in my trunk's cargo net, in case there's a bird dropping on my car when I come out.
I would NEVER let it sit there for 24 hours.
I also would not want my car covered in paint ships.
It's not Infiniti paint, but the newer paints in general... yes, they chip very easily.
I also have a long commute, kids and a very busy schedule.
I would rather spend my time doing necessary things rather than spending a day filling chips and buffing them in.
If you can find someone to come and install this at your house, rather than doing it before taking delivery at the dealer, it's still very convenient. You might save a significant pile of $$ going directly to a certified installer too. I used the same guy my dealer does and saved myself $145 (when compared to the dealer "discounted" price) on the full package. It was lucky that in my area (Chicagoland) there are a number of certified installers to choose between.
It's a 1.5 hour drive to the dealer, and it's mostly all highway...highway that's seen better days.
I knew that it would be just my luck to get the car, and even with the film being installed a day or 2 later, the finish would not be flawless.
If you have it done by a certified installer at the dealership, the job is done before you take delivery.
Now you have a car with film already installed before you put any miles on it, and a film that's covered by both 3m and the dealership.
I understand the benefit of saving a few bucks.
I also called around and then explained to the dealer that I could save $100 by having them do it elsewhere.
The dealership came down to meet my price and the job was done the morning of my delivery.
Front bumper (including lower spoiler), Hood, Fenders and Mirrors."
Scott - sorry, xpel's website? What is the URL? - wanted to check out the extent of coverage you got for the $695.
thx.
If you go to their website and choose Products and then Clear Bra Paint Protection... you can search for the available kits for the 07 G35.
I posted a direct link to the kits here but the link wouldn't work from the Edmunds post.. not sure why, but I think it was due to their link being https.
Anyway, choose to view the pics of each kit to get an idea of coverage.
I went with the Hood, Fender, Mirror kit with Extended Coverage (2nd down from top) and the Bumper Kit with Grille Piece with Extended Coverage (6th down from top)
I used this site to go back and forth with the installer, so we were on the same page with what I wanted for coverage.
The prices on Xpel's site are for the 3M film kits, laser cut with XPel's software.
Don't go by these prices... they're inflated to take advantage of the do-it-yourself'ers.
My installed used this info for reference, but used his own laser cutter to make each individual piece.
Bingo. That's a bug I've reported several times and I'm pretty sure it's on a list to be fixed, but who knows when that will be. One thing you can do is use the tinyurl site and then post the tinyurl link here.
Just to clarify, it wasn't my intention to imply fanatic as a negative quality. You are very helpful on this forum.
Any reason why you didn't go for P1514AB on the hood/fender? - looks like it might cover the entire hood and thus eliminate any line midway up. Too costly? No real added benefit? Other?
Also, do these things look great for years and years? Should I factor in having to replace it during lifetime of car? If it is removed, does the car look good as new?
I'm a fanatic and enjoy being one.
The wife hates it though.
She feels like I love the car more than her and hopes the affair will be over soon.
I didn't want to do this at all but felt that it had to be done.
I went with the coverage necessary to keep it clear of dings, without going overboard.
Owner-Daniel provides a mobile service that is efficient, on time and delivers what he promises. Got the hood, fenders, mirrors, bumper, headlights done. Barely visible from almost all angles.
Give them a call if you are in northern Cal.
www.invisiblemask.com (3M or Invisi-Mask film)
These guys have the hood kit (includes mirrors) for $114.24, the bumper kit for $230.92, and a light kit for $58.30. With that you get Free Installation Kit, Free Shipping, Free door edge guard kit, and Free door handle cup kit.
They send you a CD with a video and claim it is easy to do....
Z
My observations of the experience follow:
There are a number of paint protection films out there, but some of the most popular products are made by just a few companies, 3M (http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard-PPF/Home/) and CP Films (http://www.cpfilms.com/products.html) possibly being the largest.
In my area 3M sells a product under the Scotchguard name. CP Films has a product called Llumar.
Sellers of each say theirs is the best. My conclusion is that they area comparable products.
The two installers I checked were Formula One and 3M Window Tinting (http://www.raleighwindowtinting.com/).
I used the latter (3M Window Tinting) because their installer Todd Shields was highly knowledgeable, was willing to provide references, AND had a slot available today.
The bumper, part of the hood, part of the mirrors, lights, and front fenders were done. It is all but invisible. So far I am very pleased. I am going on a 900 mile trip next week and am glad I was able to get it done before going on the road.
The total was $740.00. Apparently cost of the job is based on difficulty. At 3M the scale is 1 - 5; with 5 being the most difficult. The 07 / 08 G35 models are rated 4; not counting the headlights. They seem to make it a 5.
Installation took 3.5 hours.
One final note. The installer told me not to run the bi-Xenon headlights for 24 hours to allow the film on the headlights to cure. I almost didn't get home before it was dark.
So far, so good. Should anything post-worthy occur going forward I'll drop a line.
Z
Z