3m Clear Bra Protection...worth it?

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orangeblast22

New member
I did a search on this stuff...sounds like most people are pretty happy with it...but had some more questions.


Did you install it yourself or did you have your dealership install it for you?

How much did it cost you?

where did you order it from?

Is it still working for you?..any problems so far?

What I wanted to protect more than just the hood..and put some on my headlights and fog lights...and even on the back of my side mirrors??

and what about the front bumper and all the other little painted areas on the front of the 4runner..??

anyone have a picture...just interested to see how low profile it is.


thanks!!!
 
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its clear, so you won't see anything but the edge lines. and with 3m, it shouldn't fade or turn yellow like you see some of those out there. 3m doesn't have a uv protector, which is what turns yellow with some of the other brands.

as for installation, its something i'd recommend having a pro do. its very temperamental, not easy to do.. your dealer wouldn't do it either, they would subcontract it to a shop that does it.

price wise, that is dependent upon region, shop price and/or dealer price, the amount of work done (i.e. what you have clear bra'd), etc. best idea, call around and see what the typical going rate is..

3m has a five year warranty, not sure on other brands. so if you have problems with it, go to the shop that installed it, or to a 3m authorized dealer, and they should be able to help you.. make sure to keep receipts and the like..

you can clear bra any painted surface.. you can clear bra your mirrors if they are painted, if they're not, you can't. plus you wouldn't need to. you can do headlights and foglights though as well.

front bumper can also be done; hoods, fenders, mirrors, front bumper, is typically known as a full nose wrap. any other additions, like, grill, a-pillers, top of windshield, door handles, door edge guards, rear rockers, front rockers, etc. would have to be separately ordered (typically, kindof shop dependent).. best thing to do, ask the shop.

its hard to tell with pictures, best thing to do, just look at some cars with it on. if you want, look at the shops that you are thinking of having the work performed by, work, ie. other cars they've done, and hopefully, another 4runner.

hope this helps some.
 
I have installed the clear 3M film on my previous Tacoma and Land Cruiser. It was very easy on those vehicles.

When I bought my new 4Runner, I wanted to do the same, figuring it would be as easy as it had been in the past.

Wrong! The 4th Gen 4Runner has a bazillion bends and curves, and it was a real bear. In the end, it looked "okay", but there are several places where I just could not get the film to lay right. Therefore, I have a few wrinkles that are obvious from 3 feet away. The mirrors and lower front bumper were the hardest parts.

I bought most of my film off eBay, but then bought some bulk film from X-Pel, and a few other specific pieces (like for the mirrors) from Invinca-Shield. All in all. I think I paid about $240 for everything. I covered almost every part of my truck that could be hit by a rock, but I didn't do the headlights - those seemed way beyond my skill level.

So, I'd agree with the above poster - professional installation is highly recommended on the 4Runner, unless you want to save some money, have the patience of Job, and don't care if it looks a little funky in a few places.
 
orangeblast22 said:
did you guys have to clean and remove any wax before laying the 3m stuff down??
Click to expand...
yeah, the surface has to be completely cleaned. it has to be cleaned to prevent contamination. and i'm sure the alcohol solution used to apply it will strip the wax..
 
I contacted http://www.rockblocker.com/ for a local installer.

I only had the hood/fenders/grill done. My hood was done all the way to the scoop. My plan is to get a aftermarket front bumper sooner or later. So I did not get it protected.
 
How much was the labor to do it?

and who has to clean it all....we do or the people applying it? Man...its hard to trust some of the installers it would feel like....I can just see some installers out there doing half=ass work..uhg. Is there such a thing as certified 3m installers? People that will do the job right?
 
orangeblast22 said:
How much was the labor to do it?

and who has to clean it all....we do or the people applying it? Man...its hard to trust some of the installers it would feel like....I can just see some installers out there doing half=ass work..uhg. Is there such a thing as certified 3m installers? People that will do the job right?
Click to expand...
ask to see some of the shops work that you're thinking of getting the work done at.. ask some people that have clear bra that you like the work of where they got it done.. as for the cleaning, the installer should properly prep the vehicle before application.. it is nice if there isn't a lot of random crap on the surface though. i.e. bird crap, tree sap, etc. also, any existing rock chips should be pointed out, as well as any clear coat imperfections, etc. you could touch up rock chips before, or you could have the installer do it. the touch up paint can also go on top of the clear bra if you so choose.

if you don't like the work, go back to the shop and complain. they should be after customer satisfaction anyways.. our shop is at least. the installer should also clean the area, if he/she doesn't, then have then re-do it, or strip it and go somewhere else.. its like getting a tint job as well, if its not properly prepped, the work won't come out as clean. a clean area, with the proper install, should lead to a clean job, little to no contamination.

there are computer cut patterns, but those don't always end up being installed the best. reason is, the film lays best on certain curves and the like, with proper stretching. if it doesn't get stretched, you could have issues with it laying down..
 
I have my headlights protected with a 3m clear product. It was a DIY job that turned out ok. My attempt to tint the front 2 windows was a lot worse.

I wouldn't want to do the leading edge of the vehicle for 2 reasons. 1) There's a guy with a blue BMW 330 Ci at work. You can see where the clear bra ends, and the hood begins. It looks verry tacky because of the luster difference. and 2) It takes the fun out of detailing your entire vehicle. Yes, you can spend 5 hrs wax on and wax offing, but whats the fun of waxing plastic? Thats just my 2 cents though
 
orangeblast22 said:
How much was the labor to do it?

and who has to clean it all....we do or the people applying it? Man...its hard to trust some of the installers it would feel like....I can just see some installers out there doing half=ass work..uhg. Is there such a thing as certified 3m installers? People that will do the job right?
Click to expand...

I used a clay bar on my truck the night before. They washed it when I got there.

Look on these sites, email them. Ask them to recommend the best installer in your area. Email the installer for prices. Ask if it is better to buy the kit and bring it to them, or have their machine cut it. I would not attempt to install a kit myself. The Rockblocker dealer had the best price by far. Your Toyota dealer may also know of a good installer.

www.rockblocker.com

www.xpel.com

www.stongard.com
 
Thought I would share my experience here... Even though it's not a 4Runner, it's the same process and my installer can also do any Toyota.

I decided not to clear bar the HOOD like most.

Why? I didn't want to see that "line". I know it would drive me nuts when waxing, and when dust collects. Plus, my car is a 2002, and no chips really anywhere on the hood anyway - - they all seem happen on the bumper, and lower lip spoiler.

I had the lower lip spoiler done and the full front bumper, and thicker pieces on the headlights. You cannot tell this has the clear bra with this setup unless your eyes are 2 inches from the car, not like others.

All work was performed by:

Negley Enterprises
Mobile Service
Harrisburg, PA 17111
717-574-1323
[email protected]

If you go with him, tell him Jason sent you. He said he will DISCOUNT if I send him more people!

Great guy, as anal as I am, which is anal! His hobby is cars as well, and flawless work.

Now for the pics:

bra_emblem.jpg


bra_lip_left.jpg


bra_lip_right.jpg


bra_over_left.jpg


bra_top.jpg


bra_front_full.jpg
 
I noticed a member mentioned a kit which multiple bumper pieces. I feel its a better idea to purchase a one piece bumper kit. Keep in mind that you will be able to see the edge lines. Therefore, if you buy a kit for the bumper and its been cut into multiple pieces, you will see more lines. Also, this is a cheaper way to do it since companies use up less film when they cut the bumper up into many smaller pieces. If you want to do it yourself, I agree that it would be easier to put multiple small pieces rather than lining up and laying down a large one-piece film on the bumper.

For those who want to film, I would recommend the Xpel kit. They are one piece but I would recommend getting it professionally installed. For installers, you can go to Xpel.com and look up a list of installers near you.

One question I have is for owners with Black 4runners. I've heard that a lot of these films work really well with light colored vehicles such as white, silver, etc. However, with a dark colored vehicle, I heard that sometimes there is a tint to the film or that the film is very noticeable. Can anyone confirm?
 
does any one have an estimate/ballpark figure on how much door handles would cost?

(so paint wont be scratched on the door handles)
 
Thanks. Yea, this is the car I need to clear my head with, from working 24/7 most of the time. : )
 
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