On the Mini site there is an option for the Invisishield upper and lower kits ($240). It says it is removable, does it peel as time goes on? Can you wash and wax over it? Any discoloring? How invisible is it?

Pro's & Con's please.

Do you have it?

 

I have the Invisishield on my BRG ........am interested in reponses too. My Cricket is new so the first time I wax it I plan to go over the Invisishield as well. You can't see it, but you can see where it ends on the bonnet - slight 'line' is you stare at it. So, don't stare at it and enjoy the benefit on not having dings in your paint.
When I got my windows tinted, he said he has wrapped entire cars with that shield and it's the way to go if you want to keep your baby protected.

 

Goldilocks, did you have the shield installed by the dealer, or did you go somewhere else?

 

it's a 3M film there are different grades and thickneses of it , there are tons os shops that sell /install it , you can buy precut kits on ebay fairly cheap , but install is fairly complicated on the curvey nose ...Yes it can be waxed, yes it is removeable , I had it on my previous vehicle for 7 years and it still looked great

 

I had the dealer install it -- looks great!

 

Over on this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...56#post2069256 called Show Us Pictures of Your R55 Clubman... there's been some discussion about this product and similar ones.

My dealer at MINI of Fairfield County in CT is going to do it for my Clubman for $515 and that will include the hood/bonnet, lights surface, front bumper, rear bumper, mirrors, door handles cup, and door lateral closing.

Didn't do it with my last two MINIs and regret it due to the inevitable stone chips - and I do plan on holding on to this Clubman for quite a while.

 

I got 3M film aftermarket for the Clubman and paid $450 for the full front bra and a lifetime warranty. It was done the day before I took delivery of the car.

 

Dealers will generally farm out installation of paint protection systems because of the skill required. Dealer techs don't do it often enough to do it correctly...for the most part. There are exceptions.

Most of the previoius conversations about the MINI accessory products were that they were either ill-fitting or very hard to apply (too thick for ther curves. Unless MINI had changd suppliers, I'd recomment going to the aftermarket; or selecting a film system that the dealer contracts through a qualified installation company....not the MINI parts....and go with that.

 

Good points, Chief Charlie.

P.S. My dealership does hire an outside installer who does this. I've seen their handiwork and know people who've used this particular process called Armourglove and it has held up quite well.

 

does the install include the scoop on the s ?

 

Northwest Mini did or had done the upper and lower kits on mine. It goes up past the scoop and the scoop is done also.

They also did the fog lights, xenons, driving lights, and the edges of all the doors. I didn't know that came with it.

I live on a gravel road and so far everything looks great. Just passed 2200 miles.

 

Quick question - how does this stuff work when it comes to cleaning off the summer time insects that get splattered on to the front bumpers, etc.? Is it just the same to clean as a non "shielded" car? Is it easier? Inquiring minds want to know. (I'd like to think it was coated with teflon. )

 

You clean it as you would a painted surface without the protection. The material cleans up nicely as long as you don't use an abrasive cleaner. The beauty of the protection systems is that it protects you from chips and dings from stones, etc. When it comes time to sell your car, you can pull over the material, and present a pristine paint job to the new owner.....or leave it on and ask for more money.

I'm torn as I took two cars to AMVIV, 1,300 mile round trip, and the after-trip wash revealed some through the clear and paint dings. Haven't washed the GP as yet ! Thinking back, it reminds me of my grandparent's sofa with the clear plastic covers (or their car's seats) You had to put up with the clear plastic being hot in summer, cold in winter, noisy, and in retrospect all they were doing was saving the furniture/car seats for the new owners!

 

Well that's the question - with regard to the plastic seat covers. I have finally planned on going for this paint protection this time around...because I have gotten so many stone chips...but now, of course, I'm starting to waiver... I do intend to keep this MINI for a lot longer than the last two.

So do you mean that you see some marks beneath the clear coating? I'm afraid I'm not sure what AMVIV stands for?

 

AMVIV is A MINI Vacation in (Las) Vegas, an annual event that draws about 500 MINIs to Las Vegas; and no, I don't have the clear protection on the car. Therefore, I now have stone chips.

If you're gonna keep it for 4 or more more years, I'm sure it will be worth the investment. I had it on an 03 Boxster S and it was nice; of course I only had the car for 1,500 miles, so the new owner really got the benefit of it.

I good quality film, professionally applied, will essentially be "invisible" and will protect the finish of your MINI.

 

I see. Gee, you surely did not keep that Boxster very long, did you?!

Ah so you were in Las Vegas - do you know Jim Ray and Sherry/Aprilwhine? I think they moved out there about a year ago.

 

Yeah, never really "bonded" with the Boxster. Didn't feel or drive like our early 911's.

Met Jim and Sherry in Monterey in Aug of 06 when we took delivery of our GP's together. They're a great pair. Saw them again at AMVIV. They've "moved on" from the GP. Sherry recently picked up a Clubman from a dealer in Minn; and Jim is now in the process of changing the halo on their Mellow Yellow car to his signature orange---as seen in Sherry's signature.

 

Figured you'd all met - and yes, I've been tracking Sherry's Clubman acquisition, trip and now Jim Ray's modifications on MINI2. Although we have not yet met, we've sort of gotten to know each other via that site...I've only come over to NAM recently due to Clubman excitement.

Thanks for your feedback on this "shield" stuff, Chief Charlie.

 

My wife and I both have new MINIs . I insisted that we get invisible shield bras. After looking on line we chose X-Pel. It is thcker than most , will not yellow has little orange peel and has a lifetime warranty from the installer, who is a retired enigineer ---you know how **** compulsive he was. We have it covering everything in the front, the mirror caps and half way up the hood. If you want to keep your car perfect, wrap in in bubble wrap and put it away!!

Of course, my wife was on the PA turnpike and a truck threw up a rock that hit the top above the windshild .. It didn't dent it but took of the paint down to the CR (her car is CR/B) I have been slowly filling it in and then using Langka to smooth it off.

Once the material sets up and has had a couple of warm days to harden it is like it isn't even there. In some light conditions I can see the line across the hood. Someone said that their was a scratch on my hood until I explained what was actually there. Good luck with your choice.

 

Appreciate your post, Jeff. Thanks for the input.

 

My total came to $499 for the upper and lower invisishield. Not including any other shield protection such as the foglights. Is that accurate? The purchase price with install was $340 when we put the order together 1-1/2 months ago, but during delivery, the MA forgot to add the lower kit which then totaled to $499.

My invisishields will be installed at a later time due to misorder. I wont be able to drive it on the highways yet since I'm waiting for this order to come in. Just a precaution.

 

Helipad, don't know if you started reading this thread from the beginning or not but it appears that this shielding may be a dealer by dealer type of pricing - depending upon who they get to actually install the clear shielding and what the package includes. This is what my $$ will cover - and I pick her up this afternoon. I'll try to remember to report back on the appearance of it all on a BRG.

 

I have a kit from Llamar and had it put on both cars. For my Clubman it covers everything up front. Just waxed it this weekend for the trip to the Dragon tomorrow. Need to clean the wax from the edges of the film. I also had tint put on all the windows. The hold price came to just over $500.

 

I just had the clear bra done on "Megan". Couple things to note . . .you tend to get what you pay for - especially on the install. Reputable installers will lean towards materials that will best protect their clients vehicles and their reputation . . . their best advertising is word of mouth from a happy client. That said, there's what I posted since I am a happy client.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...int+protection

Thicker isnt always better, you want a material that has enough give to absorb debris and return to its original shape. Additionally, you want something that can be installed properly as you want this to be "invisible".

 

Just a quick note - find out what the guarantee is. I was told that mine was "guaranteed for life". My life or my Clubman's, I guess.