3M Clear Protection film - verification of a terrible install

[sav1]

These tools do your install? I feel your pain, I had some jack off install my stripes and totally F*#$d em up. I removed them, bought new ones and now I'm doing them my damn self.

[68 Z/28]

But it's hard to tell what it looks like the pics are all out of focus , think you need a new Camera too , sorry but I can't make heads or tails outta those photos

[BoostedX2]

Originally Posted by htp autoworks

I am an installer and I can tell you that both installs are terrible. $400 is very cheap... but that said I would not be happy with that on my car even if it was free. Beowolf80, my advice is to take it back and have them remove ALL of the film. It looks like some of the seems are off and uneven... which could be a sign it was cut, meaning your paint may be cut. Clearly whoever did youre car is an amature and should not be doing installs. Angelics youres looks realy bad too. I have never seen that many work marks in film in such a small area. Another sign of an amature installer. I would also have that removed and go somewhere else. Both of you should get full refunds and both of you should check your paint after all the film is removed to make sure you do not have any cuts in your paint.

Having a good clear bra installation done will cost you more than $400. A resonable pricewould be around $750-800 since a good quality film will cost $300+ alone. Also the lower bumper should be 1 piece, the upper bumper (in front of the hood) should be 1 piece. 17 pieces is insane... in fact that is so crazy I would like to get with you to get your photos so that I can share them with some other clear bra installers. Send me a PM and I will see if I can help you guys find a good installer in your area.

As for he two guys that do not agree with getting a clear bra, go ahead. Pay 30+ grand for a nice car, let it get chipped up, and watch the resale value of your cars plummet when you get it repainted. Good luck with matching the paint as well... not easy to do.

htp autoworks--how close are you to Shreveport? I may be able to use your services!!

[LadyinBlue]

Wow. And that's a bad "Wow." 17 pieces??!! What a patchwork quilt of ineptitude and inexperience.

I had XPel clear film installed on my vehicle - the complete front bumper, halfway up the hood, the mirrors, behind the wheels and along the rocker panels: $1200. And my installer is do the front pillars and the roof line for free as he's been getting business from people who've seen my car at shows.

Truly unbelievable. The widest seam line on my car is perhaps 1/16th of an inch or so, but the gentleman who installed my XPel is used to covering vehicles routinely costing 5 - 10 times as much as mine and is a much-appreciated perfectionist.

Get your money back and demand they remove that mess from your ride in broad daylight so you can document any damage. And make sure your trunk monkey is handy :-)

[FNKNSTN]

Do all you guys still have that ugly plastic film on the face plate of your cell phone? And on the stereo display on the inside of your car?

Sometimes "protecting" a car isn't worth making it look ugly.

[69 Hugger]

Some others members have had better luck maybe better quality with theirs, You might check your paint to see if they did any damage. Good luck, Last thing you want to hear is a dumb a$$ analogy after you wasted 400 dollars.

[luckynuts]

Like some of the other posts I'm thinking the color has a ton to do with it. I paid $500 and mine looks like a dogs breakfast (wrinkles, bubbles, bad seams). I used the same company that did my Dad's CTS and it was mint. That being said his CTS is pearl white while my SS is ABM. They told me to give it three weeks to shrink into place but it is still a mess. People love the car and then look at the front end like somethings wrong. Tired of standing there and explaining it's a clear bra. Done right it is money well spent. If it ever stops raining here its going back for either a refund or give them one more shot.

[franknbeans]

I paid 800 for mine and there's only 3 spots I don't like. 2 are hair and another was when I had to cut the film because it didn't lay right and got dirt under it.

[viper1cobra]

I purchased the 3M kit for the LT, included pieces are two piece front bumper, leading 17" of hood, front fenders, Roof, A-Pillars and the light kit. I paid $265.00 for the whole kit. I am going to attempt to install it over the weekend myself. I hope that every thing works out good. I will advise later of the difficulty and time spent. I have never atempted this before, but I feel safer doing the work myself, than going to a fly by night shop and get a crappy job done.

[DON_RAFA]

damn that sucks sorry thats happening to you guys.

Hey Viper I'll be waiting to see piks since were SIM 2LT/RS brothers ...

[Looney Tunes]

Originally Posted by luckynuts

Like some of the other posts I'm thinking the color has a ton to do with it. I paid $500 and mine looks like a dogs breakfast (wrinkles, bubbles, bad seams). I used the same company that did my Dad's CTS and it was mint. That being said his CTS is pearl white while my SS is ABM. They told me to give it three weeks to shrink into place but it is still a mess. People love the car and then look at the front end like somethings wrong. Tired of standing there and explaining it's a clear bra. Done right it is money well spent. If it ever stops raining here its going back for either a refund or give them one more shot.

Same company but maybe not the same installer? It makes a difference who is doing it. I would say this is more like an art than anything else.