ZOOOM gets a Clear Bra..........long

[zoom]

How's that for a "hook?" lol. After 15,000mi, the Z was way overdue for her first "bra". I had the pleasure of returning to "Clear Statements" in Lynnwood, WA.(third Z) for the 3M protective coating. Dean the owner has been in the "bra" business 10 years. He and his partner Mike are the best at what they do in my opinion. On my Z4 they covered the bumper/spoiler, 12" on the hood, side mirrors, 1/4" on door edges, and exta product on the lower edge of spoiler, which really gets the abuse.
Advise to new owners don't wait to have this important protective
product put on like I did, have it done at as soon as you get the new Z.

Clear Statements...... tell em Denise sent ya


Inside shop


Z up on the lift


Mike cutting the 3M product


Dean sprays a soapy mixture on surface first then slides the film in place then uses a small plastic tool to smooth it out, very tricky


The hood piece is applied


Line barely visible, lucky to get this shot of it


The Masters Dean and Mike


Finished... back at home with the brand new, comfortable "bra";)


Side note... I think Dean is doing all right
<img src=http://members.roadfly.com/zoom/z4smallpic100.jpg>
Z4 Merlot 3.0 Sport blk/beige
Member: BMWCCA Puget Sound Chapter(Seattle)
The ZSCCA
<img src=http://members.roadfly.com/zoom/zooom-rot3r-sm.gif>

[markus]

Getting mine done in a few weeks at HC. Sadly, I have to get the nose re-sprayed tomorrow before having the bra installed. You must not have had any chips?<img src="http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/markus/3%20sets.jpg">

[zztop4me]

Did Dean overlap the edges of the hood piece, or did he leave a 1/8" border?

[jadam]

I had it done pre delivery, it's well worth it

[Chadder007]

Does the 3M protection help with UV damage of the paint also? Do you just wax around the product?

[arnolds]

I got quoted 425 installed here in So Cal.<B>arnolds</b>

[zoom]

<img src=http://members.roadfly.com/zoom/z4smallpic100.jpg>
Z4 Merlot 3.0 Sport blk/beige
Member: BMWCCA Puget Sound Chapter(Seattle)
The ZSCCA
<img src=http://members.roadfly.com/zoom/zooom-rot3r-sm.gif>

[strungtheory]

[Mano]

Looks great, down in South Seattle here, looking to get mine done sometime next week or so.

[Z5]

The chick car looks good in a bra.

[You can stretch it a bit more, but...]

be careful not to get it too close to the radius or it might not stick. Also that bumper kit is a son-of-a-** to install. It requires a ton of stretching on the x and y axes. The better way to go is to find a qualified installer and pay him what he wants to put it on right. Unless you have a lot of time and up for a challenge.

[arnolds]

www.ultimateautocare.com

Sorry, price is $525. XPel Kit - (hood kit, bumper kit, headlamp kit)<B>arnolds</b>

[wawuzit]

[Fat Sound]

I've been wanting to have a clear bra put on the front of my Z4 for a few months now, but I have a concern that no one seems to be able to address. I was wondering if the guys that did your install gave you any info about paint fade. I know that these clear products are all advertised as "UV stabilized" as in UV reflective. My fear is that I would peel this stuff off 4 years from now and find that the paint has faded everywhere except under the clear bra.
The guys I have talked to have not had enough experience to know if this is a problem or not.
Since the people you worked with have been installing this for 10 years I thought they might.
Any insight you can offer based on talking with them?
Thanks!

[markus]

Or can you still see them? My car is being re-sprayed right this very minute for a pristine, new-car look. I had more than a few unsightly chips with black showing thru the ti-silver. Once I get to HC, I will have the clear bra installed.<img src="http://www.bimmer.info/bmw/markus/water%20color%20of%20car.jpg">

[530indy/z4M]

Did you do anything in front of the rear wheel well for stone chips?

[530indy/z4M]

because it tends to be most sensitive overall. Silver or black--- probably not...
IMO

[530indy/z4M]

[seex]

Depends more on what brand of film and how you maintain it. 3M and clearshield use a true clear coat on their film. Thus, it's very close to automotive clear coat. It'll allow the passage of UV rays through the film, and give you a uniform overall fading with minimal amount of preventive maintenance done to the film. As for other films, most use a 'top coat', which is up to your imagination. Some of those film, without constant maintenance, will dull, turn brownish, fade, etc. after a short period of time expose to the environment. So when they are not clear anymore, your paint will, logically, start to fade unevenly from sun exposure. Don't get me wrong, if you keep your car in the garage 11mths out of the year like an exotic car owner, any film will look great for years with proper maintenance. <b><center>Clear Bra Specialist<br>SE-EX.com<br>
<img src="http://secondaryexposure.draconnect.com/images/gt3film.jpg">

[scottpettit]

question / statement that was posted 6 years ago?

It amazes me that this forum gets very little use.

Scott Pettit

www.zfest.com