Originally Posted by StormRune

I find most of your post to be wrong. Have you actually had or even seen a good clear bra? I assume you must have seen at least one poorly done example, but I've seen quite a few very good ones.

My car came with Xpel Ultimate from the prior owner. Here are my observations on your comments:

1. It looks ugly when the car is slightly dusty.
- Well my car rarely gets dusty, but when it does I see no difference in dusting between the paint and the bra.

2. If it gets damaged, you can't just replace one panel, they usually have to do adjacent panels too depending on how old the film is.
- If you get hit by something hard enough to damage the film, guess what it would have done to the paint. And you can certainly replace just one piece. If it is old enough you can tell the difference, it needs to be replace anyway (5+ years)

3. Dust/dirt gets trapped in the edges
- I have not seen this, the edges on mine are perfectly clean after 27k miles.

4. There are very few good installers and a lot of shoddy installers.
- So find a good one. Not an excuse.

5. The best installers in my area aren't even listed on the xpel site, go figure.
6. They can get stained
- I don't think so. I have no stains that I can detect and I'm pretty fastidious about keeping things clean. But my car is Agate so I can't really say how it might look on a white car. There is certainly nothing obvious on mine.

7. The car will never shine the same way as raw paint.
- No one has ever seemed to notice my clear bra. When I tell people it is there, the only way they seem to confirm is to find an edge. It appears at least 99% as shiny to me.

8. Dr Colorscratch is super easy to use and works GREAT and costs less than 100 bucks. Clear bras run about 2500 for the front clip and around 5K for a full body application.
- The paint chip repair stuff you mention still leaves perceivable imperfections, it just fills them in with color so the chips don't stand out as much. Any chip bigger than a pin ***** will still leave a bit of a dimple.
I've used this quite a bit on a number of cars.

- I asked the place that does my window tinting, they also do Suntek, how much it will be when the time comes to replace. They currently charge $1200 for the front bumper, full front hood and fenders, and mirrors.

9. Who knows what the long term effects of the glue are on the paint
- Plenty of people do. The only time I've ever heard of a problem with a quality clear bra is when it has been left on far too many years, typically 7 more and with the car left in the sun a lot.

10.it looks ugly.
- You can't even see mine without a close examination to find an edge. How does that look ugly?! Rock chips filled with color chip repairs are far more noticeable and unattractive.

The final plus I've noticed is that bug splatters and the like clean off some much more easily.

I'd never had a clear bra before, but now I always will on a top-end car.

Originally Posted by StormRune

I find most of your post to be wrong. Have you actually had or even seen a good clear bra? I assume you must have seen at least one poorly done example, but I've seen quite a few very good ones.

My car came with Xpel Ultimate from the prior owner. Here are my observations on your comments:

1. It looks ugly when the car is slightly dusty.
- Well my car rarely gets dusty, but when it does I see no difference in dusting between the paint and the bra.

2. If it gets damaged, you can't just replace one panel, they usually have to do adjacent panels too depending on how old the film is.
- If you get hit by something hard enough to damage the film, guess what it would have done to the paint. And you can certainly replace just one piece. If it is old enough you can tell the difference, it needs to be replace anyway (5+ years)

3. Dust/dirt gets trapped in the edges
- I have not seen this, the edges on mine are perfectly clean after 27k miles.

4. There are very few good installers and a lot of shoddy installers.
- So find a good one. Not an excuse.

5. The best installers in my area aren't even listed on the xpel site, go figure.
6. They can get stained
- I don't think so. I have no stains that I can detect and I'm pretty fastidious about keeping things clean. But my car is Agate so I can't really say how it might look on a white car. There is certainly nothing obvious on mine.

7. The car will never shine the same way as raw paint.
- No one has ever seemed to notice my clear bra. When I tell people it is there, the only way they seem to confirm is to find an edge. It appears at least 99% as shiny to me.

8. Dr Colorscratch is super easy to use and works GREAT and costs less than 100 bucks. Clear bras run about 2500 for the front clip and around 5K for a full body application.
- The paint chip repair stuff you mention still leaves perceivable imperfections, it just fills them in with color so the chips don't stand out as much. Any chip bigger than a pin ***** will still leave a bit of a dimple.
I've used this quite a bit on a number of cars.

- I asked the place that does my window tinting, they also do Suntek, how much it will be when the time comes to replace. They currently charge $1200 for the front bumper, full front hood and fenders, and mirrors.

9. Who knows what the long term effects of the glue are on the paint
- Plenty of people do. The only time I've ever heard of a problem with a quality clear bra is when it has been left on far too many years, typically 7 more and with the car left in the sun a lot.

10.it looks ugly.
- You can't even see mine without a close examination to find an edge. How does that look ugly?! Rock chips filled with color chip repairs are far more noticeable and unattractive.

The final plus I've noticed is that bug splatters and the like clean off some much more easily.

I'd never had a clear bra before, but now I always will on a top-end car.

Originally Posted by bmedude

I went back and fourth on this for months. Here is why I finally decided on NO.

1. It looks ugly when the car is slightly dusty.
2. If it gets damaged, you can't just replace one panel, they usually have to do adjacent panels too depending on how old the film is.
3. Dust/dirt gets trapped in the edges
4. There are very few good installers and a lot of shoddy installers.
5. The best installers in my area aren't even listed on the xpel site, go figure.
6. They can get stained
7. The car will never shine the same way as raw paint.
8. Dr Colorscratch is super easy to use and works GREAT and costs less than 100 bucks. Clear bras run about 2500 for the front clip and around 5K for a full body application.
9. Who knows what the long term effects of the glue are on the paint
10.it looks ugly.

Originally Posted by StormRune

7. The car will never shine the same way as raw paint.
- No one has ever seemed to notice my clear bra. When I tell people it is there, the only way they seem to confirm is to find an edge. It appears at least 99% as shiny to me.
.

Originally Posted by rk-d

I'm sorry but this is wrong. Even the best installers will tell you that nothing shines like raw paint.

You may not notice enough to care, but it doesn't mean others won't.

Originally Posted by 911boy

saved me a lot of typing too. Like putting plastic on your couch IMO. I hand wash 2-3 times per week and just can't get my head around washing and waxing plastic. Who am i saving the finish for? I MAY do the bumper.

Originally Posted by Penn4S

I don't disagree with what you are saying. I guess it is about some level of compromise. I too refused to do it on several past cars because I like detailing my own car and wanted to deal with paint not film. But I also had to accept a rock chipped hood and fenders and touch up was a part of a normal detail.

I have lived in the North East for a long time, roads suck, sand and salt suck, I live in Pa in horse country where they throw this volcanic stone/ash during snow and in the spring its like having your fenders sandblasted. The last 2 cars and my wife's Macan are Xpel covered and it has saved a lot of headaches. Recently some alien bird crapped on her fender and before I saw it, it had eaten through the Xpel. The warranty covered the removal and reapplication of the whole front of the car and the paint was saved. So for me the compromise is worth it.

But to each his own.

Originally Posted by rk-d

I'm sorry but this is wrong. Even the best installers will tell you that nothing shines like raw paint.

You may not notice enough to care, but it doesn't mean others won't.

Originally Posted by Speed2000

The bottom picture of the Macan is after film was replaced. The newer products have improved over the last few years with higher gloss finishes and most now have self healing properties for minor scratches and just recently hydrophobic top coats have been brought to market.

This is what I do for a living so obviously I think its a good idea. The film on my personal car is nearly five years old and after 45,000 miles....no rock chips OR swirl marks

Originally Posted by Gary JR

The point is washing is easier and your right - why wax film? It's already like looking through clear glass at paint that never ages.