Hey guys.
I just got 2015 Mini Cooper S and wondering if I am getting ripped off with prices for clear bra mask? Went to two local places and both quoted me at $750 for full front bumper, half hood and 3" of front roof..
Should I keep looking around or does it sound about right?

 

Sounds about average as long as it's for a quality product like XPel.

Just a suggestion, but I'd have the door edges done also.l

 

Save your money. And if you ever want hood stripes it's a big NO if you have the clear bra on there. The most I'd consider is the hood as far back as the headlamp, no bumper no roof. That's where about 100% of my rock dings were on my 2007 MINI, the rest were on the windshield.

 

That is bout the same price as for expel around me. I disagree with not having it done.

My R56 had no bra on it and was peppered pretty badly from the lower bumper all the way up to the hood scoop. If I recall correctly, the hood and bumper was repainted 3 times because of rock chips.

Lot cheaper to get a clear bra.

 

+1. Clear bra will be my first mod!!

 

Just got a clear bra on my new MINI. Went with front bumper, half hood, door edge guards, top edge of rear bumper (to prevent scuffs when taking luggage in and out), and the rocker panels because I got the JCW exterior package with painted rocker panels. My previous MINI had quite a bit of "sandblasting" at front edge of the hood. I don't know if MINI paint is softer than other cars but didn't want anything to happen to my new baby.

 

I've had two Minis with the clear bra and wouldn't think of not putting it on my new car. I had the two Minis for 3 and 3.5 years, and the clear bra looked like new when I traded them in. There was no yellowing or lifting. It was so nice not to have one of those vinyl covers that you have to take off when it rained and then put it back on, etc. $750 sounds like a bargain price, even if most of it is labor.

 

We have it on both of our cars. I like it as well. Saves a lot of dings and other mishaps. Ours is on the door edges, the full bonnet, door handles, mirrors and the ledge under the boot lid. Really nice job by by the installers. $750.00 is a good price.

 

You CANNOT wax that part of your car EVER again....Once you put that film on your car, you have sealed the paint for good. You will also have a wax line at the edge of the bra when you do wax your car. But putting wax over the clear film will do NOTHING to protect the paint. The sun will continue to degrade your bra covered paint without any UV protection. I spent close to $1000.00 to have the wifes car covered and took it off after two months. HATED the stuff and the fact the paint would not look the same after waxing the rest of the car.Could NEVER get rid of teh "edge line" left whenI removed the film....Horrible.... Worst stuff you can put on your MINI!

 

I hope I don't jinx myself, but never had it done on any of my three MINI's and my paint always looks good, no dents dings or scratches. The MINI dealer tried selling me on it when I bought my first MINI, a R56 S, and after all of the aggressive driving on bad Michigan roads my front end still looked great after 3 years until I got rid of the car. I'm not saying it's not necessary, maybe I've just been lucky, but I've certainly never needed it.

 

I think perhaps people have different tolerances for front end wear and tear. I feel like there's very little chance (almost impossible) that a car driven daily for three years can escape rock chips and dings on the front end and on the windshield. It is entirely normal, and unfortunately bugs the hell out of a lot of people.

It's not to say your three year old car didn't still look great, but a three year old car is never going to look like a brand new car if it's driven every day, not without some sort of preventative measure.

Also, the people who worry about paint damage I would generally assume (and hope) are the people who have purchased the car (not leased) and are planning on keeping it for a good while longer than three years.

Is it necessary? Absolutely not, for almost everybody. Paint can be rehabilitated in ways that almost nothing else you put on your car can be, and worst case scenario, you repaint a body panel or two after 5-6 years. Maybe even get it paid for by your insurance.

 

To the OP, I have also been quoted $750ish for only the front bumper and partial hood. It seems to be a standard going rate.

That said, having taken into account the cost of materials and the actual labor involved, I personally have reached the conclusion that the prices are ridiculous. I suspect that there's a bit of fear-factor involved.

I plan on attempting to tackle an install on my own and see how it turns out. There are a few DIY guides out there, and I have a little experience applying similar materials in smaller sizes to electronics.

I've encountered nothing that indicates why someone's two hours of labor to install one of these is worth $500-600, other than because people are willing to pay that much.

 

I live in Alaska, rock chip heaven. Everyone of my cars has been littered with rock chips. Another thing, the sun doesn't effect cars here like it does in the lower 48. I was quoted $2400 for the ultimate clear bra package from the dealership. No way I was going to pay that much. With my employee discount at my dealership I can get it for $600. Definitely going to get it to save my Orange paint from the damage of the al-can highway driving to the lower 48!

 

Look into recommended waxes on your warrantee card, and use that. Should have no problem with edge lift off if you're careful, and I've yet to see any yellowing after nine years on my 2006 R52. My new F56 clear bra cost $850, for reference.

 

Here is a break down of x-pel prices from my guy who has done My Porsches & will do my 16 Johnny CW.
I offer Suntek's top coated film. It's backed by a 5 year warranty. I also offer Xpel's Ultimate line of film. It has a 10 year warranty. Both films are very smooth and glossy as well as stain resistant. Warranty coverage details can be found on each site.

I've listed prices for available patterns in Xpel Ultimate Prices include materials and labor but not sales tax. Just about any painted surface can be covered so if there's something that interests you but is not listed please let me know. Take 5% off for Suntek.

P4706AC - Full hood and mirrors (without emblem) - $810
P4706T - Partial hood and mirrors (straight cut) - $335
P4706U - Partial hood and mirrors (curved cut) - $335
P4706W - Full hood and mirrors (with emblem) - $810
P4706AJ - Bumper - $380
P4706AB - Luggage area - $150
P4706AG - A-pillars and roof - $165
H4706 - Headlights and fogs - $100

I ask everyone to bring the vehicle in reasonably clean but I perform a thorough prep before I start. Typical steps for the areas to be covered in film include a wash, decontamination using IronX, clay where necessary and bug and tar removal if needed then a final rinse.

If the paint has swirls or any other imperfections that you would like addressed please let me know as I collaborate on many projects with a talented detailer. He offers everything from basic washes to full 1-3 step paint correction and coatings (he's an authorized dealer of Opticoat, Cquartz and 22PLE and various others). We share the same facility. Quality photo-documentation of much of his work can be seen here.

 

Make sure to have all the edges wrapped around. Not many installers do this. The film will lift at the edges if not.

 

So, does anyone have this with bonnet stripes? I have had it on other cars and love it. Well worth it, but certainly not a must have.

 

I've had it on my 3 Minis with bonnet stripes. It was placed on top of the bonnet stripes. I haven't had the edges curl or lift and no yellowing. When I traded in two Minis after 3 years each, the film looked just as it did on the day of installation. My bonnet stripes were black and appeared to be shinier where the film covered them. The only downside is if you wanted to change the bonnet stripes, the film would have to be removed also. In that case, I would have a professional do it. Incidentally, the film is guaranteed my my installer for 10 years. If I had to do it over again, I think I would have the bonnet stripes applied over the film in case I ever wanted to change them, but the stripes were put on at the Mini factory.

 

I have an R53, just did viper stripes on hood and bumpers, installed a 3M clear bra myself, the hood wasn't bad but the bumper was a nightmare. It went over the stripes perfectly.
Anyways the clear bra company sent me the bumper kit for a R56 w/aero by mistake. If anyone wants it let me know, I have no use for it.

 

Thanks for the feedback on bonnet stripes, very helpful

 

Just had llumar clearbra installed on MidnightBlack!

full hood ,roof edge,pillars,bumper,tailgate load area,door and quarter panel edges ,mirrors,lights,fog lights and llumar window tint for $700 otd including a new toyota loaner.

The company that did the work is a Warren Buffet owned toyota/chevy dealer in Lake Mary/Sanford.

Excellent job and a solid company that will stand behind any warranty claims.

 

^^^That's a steal of a price!

 

Totally agreed.