3m Invisible Bra

[Michael Smith]

I know this has been talked about before, but i wanted to get an
update. I am looking into getting one of those "clear bras" for my 03
Forester and i was wondering how they have held up.

I am most concerned with the area surrounding the fog lamps..... that
area is painted plastic, and it is plyable. i am worried that if it
gets pushed against, will it mess up the clear bra?

Secondly, most people that had it talk about how it drys in the sun
and all the bubbles that are there initially, go away. well it is
late fall now, and we dont have much sun to heat up and dry it out.
in fact it isn't getting above 50. so should i wait for spring, or
will it be ok without the sun to dry.

Mike

 

[Alan Peterman]

Do it now before the winter sand and road grit make more chips in the paint.
It's totally flexible and won't be bothered by any flexing or forces that
wouldn't have damaged the underlying paint or surfaces way worse. And it will
dry, and the minor bubbles will evaporate even in colder weather. After all the
roads dry - and so will the 3M film.

After two years with it on the car, I'll never have another car without it. I
wonder why it's not installed at the factory. It's that good.

 

[MDCORE]

What do you have to do to install it, and how much and where can you find it?

Thanks,
Duke

 

[Brian Wasson]

Is the film removable at a later date, without messing-up the paint underneath?

 

[Alan Peterman]

What do you have to do to install it, and how much and where can you find it?

Duke

You can buy the film either in bulk or precut to fit your vehicle. On my wife's
BMW we got a precut film kit from BMW parts, on my WRX we used the bulk film.
Bulk film costs between $3 and $7 per square foot, and we bought it in 12" wide
rolls - I got 10 or 12 feet at about $70, back then the cheaper places were not
available. My wife's kits for the whole front, hood, bumper, mirrors and
everything was about $150 from BMW. Of course you can pay up to $600 to get
it done and installed from many shops. Best price for the bulk material seems
to be: <http://www.vehicleprotectionfilms.com/vpf/products.asp>

Installation is basically laying it on and squeege it down and some stretching
to fit compound curves. After a while it becomes easier once you get used to
the material.

A good site with info on installation is at Xpel. <http://www.xpel.com> Click
on the support tab, and then the installation links, or the tips and FAQ links.

 

[Alan Peterman]

Is the film removable at a later date, without messing-up the paint underneath?

We removed it from a car after a few months with no problems - we decided we
could do a better job, and the second time we did it the job was perfect. I
gather there MAY be issues if there are paint repairs under the film which could
be pulled up with it, but I doubt it based on my experience. Basically you warm
the film with a hair dryer, and then peel it off pulling it at an acute angle.
Seemed to come off fine once it was started.

 

[Sam J. Rabinowitz]

You can buy the pre-cut kit from www.rockblocker.com

 

[Jeff]

What do you have to do to install it, and how much and where can you find it?

Thanks,
Duke

Here are some links I have collected...

3M information about the film
http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/...us_aad_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html

Various distributors of kits and material
There is detailed installation information at some of them.
http://www.invinca-shield.com/main.htm
http://www.interwestdistribution.com/index.asp
http://www.stongard.com/sgcontent/default.asp
http://www.xpel.com/



Just ordered a standard kit from Invica-Shield for a 2003 OBW. 10%
discount through end of October.

Jeff