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Has anyone ever considered Protective Film for their body? I was quoted $750 for partial hood fender and side mirrors , wondering if thats the going rate?
Has anyone ever considered Protective Film for their body?
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Do you really want to go there.
I had protective film on previous 2 cars, one for 9 years and the other for 6 years. I assume that they work well but you do not how how well because there is no specific feedback on what it prevented (was it a few or a lot, minor or major). You can only speculate on what you previous experience was.
They are reasonably invisible when new but there is some discoloration after a few years. I have chosen not to install it on my TLX. At the six month point I have no stone chip. This may be luck, low mileage, or I would like to think being more careful and not driving behind trucks or close to other vehicles when there is sand/salt on the roads.
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Never had film; to me a stone chip etc. is part of a vehicle's life. The first one always hurts though...
If you proceed: it seems to me Acura issued guidance on where to install and not install - to ensure no interference with the myriad of sensors on board. Don't remember the details - it may have been one of the early launch updates posted by @Summest?
If you proceed: it seems to me Acura issued guidance on where to install and not install - to ensure no interference with the myriad of sensors on board. Don't remember the details - it may have been one of the early launch updates posted by @Summest?
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I got to say this stuff always looks like a total rip-off to me, at the right price I'm sure its fine but the mark up seems completely crazy to me. In my view a lot more skill and precision goes into tenting a car than putting some sticky film on the exterior of a car and they charge crazy prices, $750 sounds criminal to me after having my TLX tented for just $230 with a lifetime guarantee. I have bought 4 new cars so far in my life and never once felt I needed the protective film cover.
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That pricing seems to be in line from what I have seen. I'm in the process of getting a quote for Xpel Ultimate which is supposed to be one of the best films -it is claims to be non yellowing and self healing with many excellent reviews. I live in Massachusetts where between sanding the roads in the winter and the extremely inept execution of road repair keeps your paint under constant attack of loose stones and gravel. I was driving to work earlier this week when a road crew had just finished their half-assed version of pothole repair and I happened to be beside a car carrier that must have hit one of the repairs and my car got sprayed with loose gravel - in one commute to work I added about 10 stone chips to my hood and front fender. In order to preserve my automotive sanity I have to do something to keep my paint from further abuse.
Thats price seems awfully high to me. I recently got quoted $240 to 3m the hood, fenders and mirrors from very reputable shop in my area. Paint chips look horrible on a white car and in my area with all the salt on the roads, the chips begin to rust very quickly.
I had InvisiBra installed on my car the next day I brought it home from the dealer. They did partial hood, front bumper, mirrors & also asked them to do top of the rear bumper & I paid $900 with 5 year warranty. I was told not to put the 3M stuff on my white TLX since it yellows within a couple of years. InvisiBra does not yellow.
I regret not getting it for my TSX. The paint on Acuras is soft & the front looked horribly after 5 years & 92,000 miles.
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I am getting my TLX wrapped in couple of weeks, not yet decided on partial or full hood. $650 for partial and $1200 for full for Xpel ultimate.
Protective Film Has Improved
I have had my last three cars done. Each time, film installed just from below the hood.
The film on the 2007 model worked OK, but it did age. The 2012 model held up much better. So far, the TLX, since August, has been the best. The film costs have also dropped each time and the product just gets better.
FYI, my car is outside in the weather 365 days/year. I put around 1000 miles a month on the freeway. Film is a good idea for me.
I have had my last three cars done. Each time, film installed just from below the hood.
The film on the 2007 model worked OK, but it did age. The 2012 model held up much better. So far, the TLX, since August, has been the best. The film costs have also dropped each time and the product just gets better.
FYI, my car is outside in the weather 365 days/year. I put around 1000 miles a month on the freeway. Film is a good idea for me.
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What brand film did you use? If it can handle CA sun then thats a great start. Any thought on impact injuries that snow belters get from salt and rock?
I have had 3 different brands. 3M, Clearshield, and another brand I can't remember. They did get better over the years. All three worked well.
3M has a spray on version now. Pro installation I am guessing. The weakest link in the film for me is the edges. At the very edge, over time, it collects a little dirt, which shows the seam. Well, on my white cars anyway. My next film will likely be the 3M spray version. Normally an excellent brand.
Good luck.
3M has a spray on version now. Pro installation I am guessing. The weakest link in the film for me is the edges. At the very edge, over time, it collects a little dirt, which shows the seam. Well, on my white cars anyway. My next film will likely be the 3M spray version. Normally an excellent brand.
Good luck.
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I paid $1100 for total front end, mirror caps, entire front fenders, entire hood, door handle cups, rear bumper trunk area done in xpel. It's a phenomenal product.
I've had Venture Shield on our Flex for thee years and have been very impressed with the results.
I've had Venture Shield on our Flex for thee years and have been very impressed with the results.
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I had the entire hood, front bumper, grille, headlights, mirrors, partial fenders and top of rear bumper done with Xpel, it was part of a detail and ceramic coating for $1,200. The only area I'm a little disappointed with is the hood, there are a couple of minor flaws and the film isn't quite as optically clear and reflective as the other areas. It was custom cut from a larger roll of material and is from a different lot. The guy that does my detailing suggested I live with it for a while and let it get some wear and he will replace it under warranty. As I have said in previous posts the roads in the Boston area are a joke making some type of defense against stone chips a necessity.
Well do you have any protective case on your phone? If not, its going to get damaged pretty easily. Its the same with your car
Here are your options brah and ill try to break it down for you:
1.Clear bra film.
There are a ton of clear films out there. Some are good and some chitty. Some may yellow after a certain amount of time and others don't. Some may even protect the interior of your car from extreme heat. They do an excellent job of protecting your cars finish. You can key a car with clear bra and it wouldn't damage the paint. If your clear bra starts to yellow, you can always peel if off and have a brand new panel underneath assuming that the film didn't cause anything funky with the paint.
2.Ceramic coating.
These are permanent coatings applied to your car. However, if you do this, your car is no longer oem paint. The benefit with coating is that some provide better gloss than oem clear coat and is more scratch resistant/uv resistant. Better than oem clearcoat but no longer oem. The only way to take it off is to polish it off. All it really is to me is another coat of clear coat lol.
What I would do If I were you is to clear bra the entire front hood and the entire front bumper as these two takes the most damage from daily driving. . You can even do it yourself and it will cost you $60 but the clear bra will last 6-8 months lol. Then decide down the road if you want ceramic coating. I personally would only ceramic coat a car that I own outright and not something I will sell down the road as the paint is no longer oem. Its a huge mod imo and any new owners should be aware of anything not factory.
Here are your options brah and ill try to break it down for you:
1.Clear bra film.
There are a ton of clear films out there. Some are good and some chitty. Some may yellow after a certain amount of time and others don't. Some may even protect the interior of your car from extreme heat. They do an excellent job of protecting your cars finish. You can key a car with clear bra and it wouldn't damage the paint. If your clear bra starts to yellow, you can always peel if off and have a brand new panel underneath assuming that the film didn't cause anything funky with the paint.
2.Ceramic coating.
These are permanent coatings applied to your car. However, if you do this, your car is no longer oem paint. The benefit with coating is that some provide better gloss than oem clear coat and is more scratch resistant/uv resistant. Better than oem clearcoat but no longer oem. The only way to take it off is to polish it off. All it really is to me is another coat of clear coat lol.
What I would do If I were you is to clear bra the entire front hood and the entire front bumper as these two takes the most damage from daily driving. . You can even do it yourself and it will cost you $60 but the clear bra will last 6-8 months lol. Then decide down the road if you want ceramic coating. I personally would only ceramic coat a car that I own outright and not something I will sell down the road as the paint is no longer oem. Its a huge mod imo and any new owners should be aware of anything not factory.
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My installation was the same, from a large roll of material. A few months in, and I'm happy with the product and have no paint damage.
I should have added that the $1100 I paid for installation included getting all the car's windows tinted at the same time. Not sure what either would have cost alone, but I was happy with the package price. Part of what you're paying for is the warranty, which in the case of Xpel is pretty awesome.
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