gassman

Dropped it off today to get tint and clear bra installed. Tint $150, clear bra around $500. I've had car for 3 days and noticed 4 small rock chips while cleaning bugs off front bumper. No way to touch up chips before clear bra because Lexus/Toyota dealers are back ordered on TP for 2 months!! Will post pics after done.

mattssi

Thats exactly what I'm getting!

Where did you go? I'm going to http://www.envisagedesignlabs.com/index.shtml

$655 for both installed including the $60 for the mobile service charge.

PharmISee

Is it worth it to get a clear bra? Seeing as how it costs about $500, cant you repaint the bumper around two times for that price?

BottomsUp

Yeah you can repaint and have a rock hit it 1 week later.

menech

plus the rock chip on the hood or the quater panels, or the side view mirrors, or scratching up the headlights

imho I believe a clear bra is a good investment if you plan on keeping the car for a few years and do alot of highway miles..

omgitsroy

iTrader: (1)

i got 3m shipped for 162 .. includes bumper, side mirror, hood(1/4) , one more thing i forget.. going to install it this weekend... shouldn't be hard.. it's just a sticker...

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

some people on ebay sell 3M scotchguard pre cut kits for the IS, anyone have any idea if those are good, might save a lot on the labor costs, no cutting needed

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-...QQcmdZViewItem

not sure if this is the same material most members have gotten

baddis es

iTrader: (3)

let us know how it came out....i am thinkin of a DIY for my GS as well

krazykanuk

Yes, you can repaint it. But think if your car is a year or two old, your bumper will never exactly match the rest of your car.

omgitsroy

iTrader: (1)

i've been told some places can actually color match the aged paint.... i've never done it...

bout the self installation..i'll make sure to do a right up on it..

BottomsUp

Why would that happen? Unless the clear pra is blocking UV the paint should fade at the same rate and the rest of the car shouldn't get chips and dings like the front will.

Yes weather will age the paint, but to combat that you'll need to be good about keeping a good coat of wax on it.

golfproatl

and good luck with that. I just had an installer at my house yesterday putting on my clear bra. It took him almost five hours to complete. Yes, it is "just a sticker" I suppose, but it takes a lot of skill to put that sticker on. I'm not trying to say you don't have the skills but if you don't have any experience with the characteristics of this film, it's going to look like s*** when your done.

I watched him do a lot of the process and it is definitely one of those things that requires knowing lots of little tricks and techniques. I like to think of myself as a good DIY person and I would not touch doing this myself, not after seeing how a professional does it!

Good luck and let us see your results with some pics!

socalJD

When you try to sell or trade your car in, an appraiser or broker will spot the repainted bumper and assume you've been in an accident - you'll get dinged big time on resale value . . .

SolaraToIS

I observed the install of mine for about an hour of the half day it took the
pro to do mine and have to agree with the statement above.
Not to mention that mine was custom cut so he could wrap around all
possible edges to the inside leaving a much cleaner look and easier to maintain.
I would not begin to attempt it myself.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

no one has any comments about the ebay sold precut clear bra, since its precut over half the tedious labor is eliminated, probably a do it yourself after that, I'm just wondering if its the same material most of the board gets for their clear bra