oooo nice lights on your car :-)

 

I too am of the belief that this process should be left to a professional. I had the 3M product applied to my wife's new SUV recently and it came out very nice. Good installers will keep bubbles and stretch marks to a minimum. Imperfections are going to show up more on darker colors than on a light colored car. More reason to use a professional installer. ?Another consideration is the thickness of the material. I know 3M makes various kits and you need to discuss with the installer what thickness you want on the car. I have been told the 3M 8 Mil will give you good protecton from stones, etc but the 3M product is more difficult to work with and does have some orange peel built into the product. Most Vettes come from the factory with orange peel so it should not be an issue. Avery also makes a product and I have been told by installers that it is only 5 Mil thick and easier to work with and apply. The Avery clear bra has less orange peel. Saw this product on a black 07 Z06 and it looked beautiful. Both products carry different warranty periods against discoloration and there are pros and cons to each. While the Avery product looks very good, I have heard the it may not hold up as well as the 3M and will not protect as well at only 5 Mil thickness. Installers, please chime in.

 

I had mine installed. I was asked to clay bar the car prior to the install. My installer would come to as long as you had a garage. The installer used a couple of spray bottles. Water and alcohol mix in one and soap and water mix in the other. He also used a hair dryer. He used 3 different size squeegee's and it took him over 2 1/2 hours of steady working . When he was done we let the car sit in the sun for an hour, he said two would have been better, before I could drive it.
Mine is 3M and the installer said if there was product failure, yellowing, peeling, clouding, etc that 3M would replace the materials and pay for the new install.

 

Tom, dont copy the http address, copy the one for the forum, there is 3 links to copy. copy the forum link complete and the picture should come up.

 

He speaks the truth!

 

Took a certified installer to do my front bumper and rocker panels about 3 hrs. I would never attempt it myself. Good job and the latest 3M does not yellow like previous stuff.
A list of installers by state can be found on the 3M web site.

 

I am thinking about doing this on a white 98 to keep the protection from the hwy debris to the max. Where can the kits be bought and where can I get a list of installers?

 

The 3M film provides superior protection.

I do not have it on my Vette, but do have it installed on our daily drivers. Here, in Minnesota, salt and sand are used liberally on the roads during winter. After almost three years, neither of our DD's have even one hood chip. Amazing stuff.

I agree with others here -- have a professional install it!!

 

I've watched my installer put it on, it is very easy to screw up. Don't waste your money trying to install yourself. I am the ultimate DIY'er, I won't mess with it. I"ve paid to have five cars done with the 3M product.

Make sure your installer is 3M certified to put on their product. I used Ultra Shield of Saint Louis. They have installers all over the country. David

 

Not to bust your ***** but, if you find installing clear bra to be very forgiving and easy to install, I would like to first see the quality of your install and secondly, if its any good,, i'd offer you a job.

I've been putting this film on all kinds of cars for over 5 years now and while some are easier than others..none of them would I classify as easy and the film is anything but forgiving!

Also..other than the fact they are both a kind of film, use a slip solution and are squeeged on, clear bra and tint are two completely different animals...one requires lots of shrinking and the other, lots of stretching. When and where to do either requires two different skill sets.

In other posts, price of install is a question. As with anything, you get what you pay for. If an installer is quoting you under $500 to cover your hood, bumper, fenders, mirror backs and headlights, you might want to ask for some referrals and see some examples of the installers previous work. You might also want to ask what kind of film is being used, better yet if you can be there in person beforehand to see & feel the film used.

Lots of new guys to the business drop their prices under their experienced competitiors to gaint the business and learn on your car. I see it quite frequently, someone that went with the less expensive guy only to find that not only was the installation sub-par and now it needs to be replaced but that the installer used his razor and trimmed on the car and cut into the paint. Guess who's not happy!

Do yourself and experienced installers across the country a favor and don't cheap out on the clear bra installation. After all..This is your pride and joys paint job were talking about here!

 

Must have a PRO and that person Must BE EXPERIENCED with Corvettes, they are tricky. If installer does not have experience with your car, find someone who has, my job came out crummy,even with a professional (?)
Took it off my black vert, air bubbles (which looked like tiny white chips) and waxing around edge drove me crazy, what waste of $450 dollars. Wish I had it done right the first time! Installer said he'd refund 1/2 of his labor, but I would'nt let him near my car again.
I've had the 3M product on a 03 Saab, dark grey, 170,000 highway miles no problems, but won't try on vette again. Going with a premium stretch bra next spring