[Zgrinch]

Originally Posted by DMDZK

I have a lot of experience with (paint protection film) and work with a few companies that do a lot business with it. I will make this post as non-biased as possible but felt I should mention that.


Paint Protection Film (aka Clear Bra/Clear Shield/what ever) is actually a very cool product. I've seen it hold up to some nasty damage and protect paint better than anything else out there. The modern options look pretty good installed and people are getting better at putting it on. Even though it isn't super cheap I'd much rather have to buy it than repaint my bumper every 3 years, plus those of us that have repainted cars know it never is as good as factory paint ever again. what makes or breaks Paint Protection Film, more than anything else is how it is installed.

The how it is installed is pretty important, since no manufactures put it on at the factory and few if any are currently doing it at the port (Gulf States Toyota being the only AFAIK). Most likely either the dealer, a contractor, or an independent shop would be installing it. These groups can do it 1 of 2 ways either a "Bulk" install where they spread it across areas and use a knife to trim off the excess (bad obviously, since it often goes into the paint) or via a "Kit" where a machine cuts a pattern which is then applied to the car (better IMHO)

If you can find an installer in your area that does it via "kits" there is actually a surprising amount they can cover, i.e Hood, Fenders and mirrors most frequently. Door edges and cups / rocker panels / trunk ledges also. If the guy you find is decent at it they can also do bumpers as well. For my money that's the best area to cover since it gets hit more than anything else. I have it on my car and it is impossible to see when it is clean and not very noticeable when I let it get dirty.

All of the brands (Xpel, Venture, Llumar, Avery, Suntec, 3M) are fairly similar in protection. 3M has the most orange peel which can at times be noticed and it is also the hardest to install. From what I've seen it holds up the best after 3+ years and has the best warranty. Second up would easily be Xpel (less orange peel and pretty simillar warranty/durability). The others either have frequent manufacturing blemishes or in the case of Venture (which was bought by 3M in order to kill the brand) has been deteriorating in quality and availability for a few years.

I'll be wrapping my BRZ/FRS + Tint (the people I know do both) on day 1. I've seen cars with under 100 miles with rock chips before and I don't want my car to be among them.

Thank you very much...insightful. I am also planning to do the window tint thing. So I take it that as I research companies that specialize in this, it sounds like install method and brands used are two key elements. Anything else you would look for ? Rough idea of price to cover what we discussed. $800-$1,000 ?