Anyone Use Clear Bra / Clear Shield / 3m ?

[need-for-speed]

I have it on 2 of my vehicles and love it. Are any of you using it on your NBS trucks? Are there any special pieces / kits that are preferred? What's the going rate? Thanks.

[alaska511]

I have the 3M from invisiblemask.com I have it on the rockers and the bumper, so far so good!

[obe-kenobe]

I have the ClearShield installed on mine back on Dec 07. I had 2 quotes. One shop at $800 and the other at $1000. Its the full pre-cut kit covering the bumper, hood, grill, headlights, side mirrors, etc. Basically, they have a machine that looks like a plotter and they feed the roll into it to make the kit.

[takevin]

I just did a post on this i think last week or so. I just bought 12 feet of 3m, cut the pieces i need. Just waiting for this dang weather to warm again. I'm going to put it on the hood, headlights, front bumper maybe lower panels.

[Bowtie2Sierra]

Does anyone have any comments/experience on the Venture Shield brand? The tint shop that I have been going to for years used 3M for several years but they recently switched to Venture Shield. According to them, it gives better protection, better durability, and a little easier installation...who knows. I haven't had a chance to do any independent research yet to form an opinion but I have to say I like the results that they have shown me on other cars. They do all the clear bra installations for our local Motor Cars International dealership and I'm sure everyone knows the kind of high end cars those boys deal with.

 

I received a quote for my front bumper, 10in up the hood, and small section behind the front wheels for approx $450. Knock on wood...no paint chips yet but I know it is inevitable with the paint on these newer vehicles now.

[ZZ327]

nope but I do use a stick on sunroof to make me look rich!

[mhenshaw]

mine already has 9 million rock chips on the rockers, so I guess it to late for protection.

[stregaiq440]

I installed on on my NBS Denali - real pain in the ass. The worst part is the deep ridges on the hood. It looks acceptable, but I wish someone in my town did the install. No one here does, so I figured I could do as well as any of the body shops that said they would give it a try. Once its on, it protects very well and does not come off

[Bish]

I'm running the 3m on my Denali and wifey's Enclave. Had it installed by a local with 4 years experience. After watching him, I'm glad I paid to have it done! There are pros and cons of the different manufacturers according to my installer. Some provide a little better shine but don't hold up as well. I can't remember the complete details but he stuck with the 3m.

 

I paid $500 each vehicle (14" hood, front facia and bumpers, front 10" qtr panel, mirror backs)and I got a little discount on the Denali as it was the second vehicle. After watching several rocks bounce of my hood with zero damage, I'm completely sold on the stuff. I use Zaino on mine and I'm told to stay away from petroleum based products on the plastic as it can turn it cloudy. After seeing the hood on my 210K mile 01 Tahoe, I couldn't wait to try it. I must have had 50+ small chips in the hood. Bugs come off a lot easier too.

[takevin]

The ventureshield is a little harder to put on from what i've heard on the end pieces, 3m from what ive researched on i think is the best.

[smitty67]

I've got the 3m on my sierra all leed edges,rokers,hood, didn't do the headlights might want to polish them once when they start to turn yellow, should have done the cheap plastic perimeter of the grille, stones have beaten the shit out of it already the 3m does show a line where the film edge is but there is still paint under it. cost was 800.00 in canada

[Lincoln30]

I've had 3M, Venture and Llumar clear films on my cars. Llumar is the most optically clear and stays that way as it ages but Llumar might still be having a manufacturing problem (not a film problem but a release liner problem, so many installers have stopped using it b/c a roll has a very short shelf life). Venture is my second fav and the most difficult to install. Venture is now owned by 3M, so the future of this quality product is in question. The pre-3M Venture was also more optically clear then 3M and aged to a slight brownish tint over a few years. Llumar and Venture are both very durable in my experience. 3M, the most well known and probably the most dissappointing film of the 3. It starts out kinda yellow and just gets worse (I know 3M says it doesn't, but it does). My 3M kit was horribly yellow after 18 months and I was approved for a warranty replacement of the film (minus labor which is 80% of the cost)...I sold the car instead The 3M film also tore in 2 places from the rocks...YES, it did it's job and protected the paint but it's shouldn't tear...neither Venture or Llumar has torn or otherwise been damaged and I've had these two films alot longer then I had 3M. I won't buy 3M again b/c it's just average quality and I like something a little better then average.

 

My suggestion is to NOT install clear film yourself unless you happen to be a window tinter and then it's fairly easy to translate the skill (clear is harder b/c you can and will need to stretch it where tint doesn't stretch). I like custom cut kits over machine cut, since you can control the amount of coverage and wrap all edges (the thinnest part of the paint you are trying to protect)...where most precut kits don't wrap the edges (some like Stongard wrap the leading edge of the hood but not other edges). Wrapping all visible edges also reduces the edges you can see (or have peel) so the overall finished product is alot harder to see on the vehicle. The trick to these films is the installation, so it's more important to choose the installer and then let him use the brand of film he most comfortable with. A good installer will make very few (if any) relief cuts...

 

P.S. Don't even consider Stongard brand (3M pre-cut)!!! Terrible customer service!!!

[unit731]

Used SUV.

 

I have a friend in Arizona. He bought the vehicle used and some brand of film was applied to the front hood.

 

Interesting, in that the installer left about a 1/8" gap between the front edge of hood and the grill. No chips on paint where plastic film applied but many chips in that 1/8" gap.

[need-for-speed]

Does anyone have any comments/experience on the Venture Shield brand? The tint shop that I have been going to for years used 3M for several years but they recently switched to Venture Shield. According to them, it gives better protection, better durability, and a little easier installation...

 

There are a bazillion posts on this on the Corvetteforum. As Linclon said, Venture is considered superior to 3M and were bought by 3M so that might change. I have 3M on my Vette and so far so good, but it's only been on for 7 mos. Also, I would never try to apply it myself. You have to know what you are doing. It does stretch into place like window tint.

 

For those who have not had it installed and plan to - beware - the jagoff who did our 2005 Tahoe when it was 2 weeks old used a knife to trim it while on the vehicle. And it was the plotter style pre cut kit. Since they stretch it into place, they sometimes have excess and have to trim it. Be sure to ask your installer if they trim it on the vehicle.

[aczr2k]

I had the rocker panels done on mine, 6" 3m material, under $300.