I have a slight pebble scuff on the lower hood - should this mark be 'prepped' in any way prior to install?

Also, i'm only doing partial hood to start... but is it possible to have the remainder of the hood done after the fact? or would that leave too much of a seam...

 

When i had the bra installed on my car, the guys just used a cleaning agent to remove wax and other stuff. After that, they put some touch-up paint on the stone chips then they installed the bra.

I think a partial bra (20") up the hood is good enough. However, if you decide to do the remainder of the hood in the future, I think the seam will be more visible. If I were you, I'd just let them take off the old partial bra, install a full bra. I don't think it's gonna cost a lot more.

 

I have the full hood. It is a solid piece and has small pieces at the base of the hood about 5 in. as the sheet wasn't quite wide enough to make it all the way. It didn't at first but the seam is beginning to bother me. It shows and it holds wax if you're not careful to keep it out of there. Also, my full hood was quite expensive.

 

In your estimation, has the full hood coverage paid off? like, do you see impacts beyond the first 24" of your hood?

 

SF - nice... if you don't mind my asking, who did your install and how much?

In fact, does anyone from the SF Bay Area have any installers that they don't recommend (bad experience, etc.)??

 

Premier Mobile Group (Fremont) did mine. $750 for the extended coverage.

If you want to see the clear bra on my car, just let me know.

 

I've had the clear bra on my car (07 sedan) since 12/06. They really do protect the paint. Be sure to get it installed by a place with lots of referrals. Workamanship is the key.

 

Yeah, I spoke with Sam the other day... very nice guy and he took his time on the phone with me...

I found a guy in Marin who is doing a standard kit for me for $600 otd. He's got 7 years experience (does all the work for Sonnen Porsche) and gave me a very good comfort level on the phone... figure I'll put the savings toward fixing the curbed rim I inherited the other day.

Hopefully, I will be giving him some promo accolades on here... wanna see his work first.

 

Check your pm.

 

Infiniti of Pleasenton sent mine out to have it done. 3m, front end, 20%hood, mirrors and door handles.......645.00 out the door a week after I picked up my car and loaned me a 2008 g35 sedan to boot. Nice service! Awesome job!

 

...at least as I've been told by both installers and body shops...paint takes some time to cure properly and the film will prevent that...also told that new paint will "lift" if/when film is removed. Don't try to extend coverage with additional pieces - likely to look like $hit, IMO. Good luck!

 

New paint, as in - a new custom paint job? or as in, the paint that is found on a new car off the lot....

 

I install ClearMask here in SoCal so I am pretty familiar with some of your questions. You do not want to put a clear bra on for at least 30 days after a fresh paint job... unless they baked the panels. You really need to give the paint time to cure or the clear coat could lift off the car if you ever have to remove the bra.

If you are going to have the whole hood wrapped, it will cost you more. I don’t think it is really worth it to go all the way up. Most of your damage is in the first third of the hood. But some people do not want to have a seam across the hood. So a full hood wrap is really for looks... not function.

I do occasionally wrap hoods if the customer requests but like I said it does cost quiet a bit more. For those jobs I recommend VentureShield because it comes in 58" width... plenty for the wrap. The film is pricy though so be prepared if you go that route.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.


Thom Pettigrew
HTP AutoWorks

 

In 7 months I've had about 3 or 4 rocks/debris that ahve hit my hood above where a normal bra would stop. At least one or two would have probably done some scratch or chip damage. I would probably not do it again because of high cost and the fact that there are striations in the film and it does not look like the rest that's on the car. If you look closely, it doesn't look smooth; it's hard to describe what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about won't show up well on a photo so don't ask.

 

Sounds like there is some orange peel to your film or if they are lines then it will be roller marks when they run the film through.