Clear Bra or no?

[Sasquachulator]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

PPF is super easy to DIY. It is cheap, you need the film, some knifeless tape, a squeegee w/felt wraps, razor knife, and a heat gun. Prep surface, and install. Grab a buddy, it's a 12pk job. Couple pizza's doesn't hurt either.

Its not as easy as it looks.....but you just have to be very patient and not rush it.

Otherwise you get bubbles galore.

Obviously the more you've applied before the quicker you can be.

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Sasquachulator

Its not as easy as it looks.....but you just have to be very patient and not rush it.

Otherwise you get bubbles galore.

Obviously the more you've applied before the quicker you can be.

Yes, and doing the bumper cover is more difficult with all the contours. I still don't find it hard, especially when places charge a couple grand for the job.

[CincyJohn]

So I ordered mine through the Toyota employee/vendor program. Interestingly, almost all of the accessory packages matched-up almost 1-1 for what was available on the Toyota website with about a 40% discount except the ppf options.

Specifically, I ordered the homelink mirror, preferred package 1 (cloth mats, first aid kit, quick charge cable and key glove), rear bumper applique, and ppf film. However, there was only one option for PPF listed (for $219 - which I ordered) as opposed to 2 on the Toyota site (1- bumper - $495, and 2 hood, fenders, door cups, mirror backs $395). I am not sure which one I ordered but hope to clear it up with the dealer prior to it being put on.

Ideally, if it were my choice, I would do full bumper, headlights, and FULL hood and nothing else. I do not want a line on the hood - and besides, given how low slung the vehicle is, chips are pretty likely ANYWHERE on the hood. As for fenders, I have not found those ever to be a significant problem. Door cups I don't want or need (my experience is issues only arise there if the owner is reckless/irresponsible). Finally, as for mirrors, if they get bad, I'll just wrap them black.

[Decep]

Originally Posted by CincyJohn

So I ordered mine through the Toyota employee/vendor program. Interestingly, almost all of the accessory packages matched-up almost 1-1 for what was available on the Toyota website with about a 40% discount except the ppf options.

Specifically, I ordered the homelink mirror, preferred package 1 (cloth mats, first aid kit, quick charge cable and key glove), rear bumper applique, and ppf film. However, there was only one option for PPF listed (for $219 - which I ordered) as opposed to 2 on the Toyota site (1- bumper - $495, and 2 hood, fenders, door cups, mirror backs $395). I am not sure which one I ordered but hope to clear it up with the dealer prior to it being put on.

Ideally, if it were my choice, I would do full bumper, headlights, and FULL hood and nothing else. I do not want a line on the hood - and besides, given how low slung the vehicle is, chips are pretty likely ANYWHERE on the hood. As for fenders, I have not found those ever to be a significant problem. Door cups I don't want or need (my experience is issues only arise there if the owner is reckless/irresponsible). Finally, as for mirrors, if they get bad, I'll just wrap them black.

Yeah you are more likely to get a chip right above the windshield than you are the hood in my experience. At least the gen2 roofs are aluminum which shouldn't rust like the first gens do.

[dsc_pat]

I used to laugh at people paying for PPF. Now I would not daily drive a car without it, especially with our car's very weak paint, but road condition are pretty hardcore over here.

You will get 100% back of the $ you pay for the PPF when selling or returning the car if you do front bumper and at least part of the hood.

[kaputt]

Originally Posted by dsc_pat

You will get 100% back of the $ you pay for the PPF when selling or returning the car if you do front bumper and at least part of the hood.

Appreciate all the responses, seems pretty split down the middle.

So the quoted part is actually what is hanging me up. I think I get it that if you plan to drive the car for 3-5 years and re-sell or trade in, yeah, the PPF is probably nice as you won’t have to deal with re-doing or any issues from taking it off as it ages. But if you plan to keep the car for the long haul, is it really worth it vs just doing a respray at some point down the line, which in all likelihood will be cheaper than the initial clear bra and subsequent clear bra re-install?

[Dylans47]

Originally Posted by kaputt

Appreciate all the responses, seems pretty split down the middle.

So the quoted part is actually what is hanging me up. I think I get it that if you plan to drive the car for 3-5 years and re-sell or trade in, yeah, the PPF is probably nice as you won’t have to deal with re-doing or any issues from taking it off as it ages. But if you plan to keep the car for the long haul, is it really worth it vs just doing a respray at some point down the line, which in all likelihood will be cheaper than the initial clear bra and subsequent clear bra re-install?

Something to keep in mind that I don't think was mentioned: When the PPF yellows down the line (in 3+ years) you can have it replaced under warranty. Of course this means you need to go to a nice shop, but like I said in my previous post, the place I went was ~$1200 and covered this. They give you an official XPEL pamphlet signed and dated by the shop. As long as you have that, you're good. Anyone worried about it peeling at the edges or yellowing shouldn't. Buy once cry once!

It seems to me like a lot of those who are saying PPF yellowing and peeling are issues didn't have it done at a proper shop. Otherwise, I'm sure the warranty side of it would have been mentioned.

[CincyJohn]

Originally Posted by Decep

Yeah you are more likely to get a chip right above the windshield than you are the hood in my experience. At least the gen2 roofs are aluminum which shouldn't rust like the first gens do.

Above the windshield?? Not sure I understand. Are you talking about the roof?

I have a Gen1 with almost 30,000 mostly highway miles over a year and half. I have three or four already on my hood, most which are 1/2 way up the hood or farther. A typical 1/3 film on the lower portion of the hood may have only caught one of those and thus is kind of useless in my mind (in addition to providing and unsightly obvious line). It's either full hood or no hood for me.

As for the roof, I have none and can't even really think of a situation where getting one would be likely.

[Decep]

Yeah the roofline right above the windshield.

I would never get a partial PPF, the line is gonna look like shit, i agree.

I didn't necessarily say get roof PPF, just that in my experience, hood chips are not as common. FWIW im at 75k and probably 60k of those are highway miles.

My windshield and front bumper look like the surface of the moon, and i have a few chips right on that roofline, one of them to bare metal and is rusting currently. Tried touch up paint but it doesn't hold in the elements.

[dsc_pat]

100% of the chips on my last 2 86 were on the first third of the hood and bumper cover. The roof and windshield looked brand new. I guess road contaminant vary a lot between our regions.

Also, you really cannot tell partial hood ppf unless you really look for it. I much prefer having protection than stressing over a basically invisible line.

[NoHaveMSG]

I have roofline chips as well and have seen them on others.

[StormTrooper]

Yeah it seems like they are pricing themselves out of usefulness. At least for most cars

[Yoshoobaroo]

Well, I ended up having Expel’s recommended installer (best ratings in the area) install tint on the windows and PPF on the headlights. I won’t be coming back for PPF on the paint work, since he elected to install some nice scratches and swirls on my hood while installing the headlight PPF. Probably used the hood as a table while working on the headlights. Nothing crazy and a two stage polish will make it look as good as new, but the fact that I couldn’t get them out with a quick 10 minute finish polish on the DA tics me off.

[CincyJohn]

Originally Posted by dsc_pat

100% of the chips on my last 2 86 were on the first third of the hood and bumper cover. The roof and windshield looked brand new. I guess road contaminant vary a lot between our regions.

Also, you really cannot tell partial hood ppf unless you really look for it. I much prefer having protection than stressing over a basically invisible line.

As I said, it isn't just the line (although the line matters to me - a lot). It's the fact that I have just as many chips on the back half of the hood as I do on the front. Frankly, I don't understand why whole hood isn't more common. The film isn't SOO expensive that it would make a huge difference and I doubt it significantly changes install time.