Only101

Does anyone know of a good clear bra installer in the Brooklyn, N.Y.C. area?

I recently got my windows tinted at Prospect Auto Glass on Prospect Avenue and 4th in Brooklyn, and the tint came out great (it wasn't my first time at this tint shop). The guys there offered to do a clear bra for $150 for the front bumper and rear bumper. Other than them though, I was wondering if anyone could suggest another good installer.

diablo1714

iTrader: (4)

$150.. I'm afraid you'll get what you pay for. Most clear bras are at least $650 in this area

561Lexus

You get what you pay for... did you want the rear bumper done or are they encouraging it? Why do you need the rear done? I have mine done on the corners but only because my garage is small and people are constantly walking by my car...

cloo7

because when u live in NYC... people will hit your bumper. it doesn't matter where u park either.

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

It depends on the brand of clear bra they use. The 3M stuff is pretty expensive. The material alone cost more than that.

Anyway, I installed my own clear bra. I bought he materials from e-Bay for about 150 bucks. It's actually nice if you know how to install it. The material is also decent quality too, and it's pretty clear and thick. I have it on almost a year and no sign of discolor.

It was a pain in the @ss to install though. I'm sure the 3M stuff is alot easier to install and it allows the pieces to slide around the solution. The material I used doesn't slide and stuck as soon as it's on the car.

But overall, I'm happy with it except I bought the bra for 2007 and have to make custom ugly slices. - FAIL!

Only101

@561, they didn't encourage the rear but yeah, since its N.Y. you can get scratched in the rear at any time, so I'm trying to prevent that.

Does anyone know of any good websites where maybe I could buy my own film and have someone install for me? (Online sellers or eBay sellers).

Much appreciated.

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

What year do you have? Check out e-Bay like what I said earlier...

search for "lexus is250 clear bra"

Avoid the really cheap ones and you should be ok.

Only101

@Shadowman, thanks for the advice. I've got an '08. I'll hit up eBay, thanks.

is250cpo

iTrader: (1)

I asked a few places and they would not install film that you purchased on your own. Let me know if you find any in ny that will for future references.
150 seems very very cheap though, i would expect 500-600 ranges, especially including the rear.

As for the rear bumper, i suggest you get the parking armor (over the bumper bully type products), you can find it on amazon. It works well!. The clear film will not prevent the license plate bolts from diggin into your bumper and after one car brushes it as they pull out, the film will start to peel off a bit and will look bad.

I am **** enough where i will put the parking armor back and flip it out evertime i park or get into the car but i see so many people just leave it out when they are driving. That's actually bad too because the straps can eventually scracth your bumpers as well.

Only101

@Shadowman, I saw one of your older posts regarding the clear bra you used from eBay, NuSolis? You mentioned that it was difficult to apply, does that mean you would or would not recommend it? I was thinking of calling my tint guy, to see if he'd install if I bought myself. But, if NuSolis sucks that bad, then I'm likely not to buy...

Thanks.

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

It's painful to apply because the adhessive isn't that great compared to 3M. When you spray on the solution, the clear bra piece should slide around freely which allows you to fit it to match the contour of the part you are installing. For NuSolis, it wasn't happening... we had to peel it and re-align the pieces again.

But if it's your first time installing, I would get a cheaper one so that way, you won't lose too much when you screw up. You can search for 3M clear bra installation on Youtube for a great how to. That's where I learned from... this was my first time installing too.

Start with the smaller fender pieces first because they are the easiest to install. Then work on the hood next if you have confidence. The bumper is a total pain in the ***... this is the hardest part and most likely cause you to scew up. It took us about 4 - 6 hours on the bumper alone. But luckily my bro-in-law is good at installing clear bra.

quang

iTrader: (8)

you pretty much pay mostly on the labor to get it installed by the professional installer, the material should be fairly cheap to them as they usually buy in bulk and have machine or costumed cut in house. I have to agree the bumper isn't easy to install while I watched the installer clear bra-ed my car. I then did a trial and error on my front lip with NuSolis clear bra; I now get better idea on how to get it done. However, I don't think NuSolis clear bra is thick enough as even I have it on my front lip, rock chip still get thru it easily.

Salduchi

iTrader: (3)

I know of a couple people my way that do it. Like the guys said a good job is not cheap and you do get what you pay for.