Interested in feedback from others who have the Clear Mask/Invisishield.

1. Can it be applied to the entire front and hood as oppose to going just above the hood scoop?

2. Is it better to get it done at the dealer on time of delivery or aftermarket?

3. Would you also do the side mirrors and lights?

4. Do you still wash and wax the Clear Mask/Invisishield?

5. Is one brand better than the other such as 3M and does this vary from dealer to dealer? Have heard some can be prone to discoloring.

Any other pros/cons?

 

1. Yes
2. Yes - while the car is still veeerrryyyy clean
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. I have 3M, no problems.
Note: They ALL will discolor over time. Avoid putting it on a very light colored car i.e. white.
Our mini is dark silver and it's difficult to tell that the application in even on the car unless you are looking specifically for it.

 

Yes I wish I had skipped the $600 for it on my PW since in less than 6months it already shows discoloration in sunlight and it is starting to bug me, lol. Do you think they would fix that since it is covered for 5 years again discoloration?

 

I would NOT have the dealer do UNLESS you know the reputation of the company doing the install... does not matter how good the material is the installer needs experience...too many hacks out there. Check around in your area about installers...get references..

Other questions already answered, but I highly recommend Venture Shield (which is now owned by 3M, but fortunately has left Venture Shield alone...many think they have the best product out there...better than 3M film>>
http://www.ventureshield.com/products.asp

Here is Venture Shield installed on my MINI>>>


Not much to see...which is exactly the point of an excellent install

Ooops... lawnboy...noticed you are in Alexandria Va... you are in luck... a top install company is very close to you (in Sterling area)...

http://www.proshieldinc.com/

IF you happen to be purchasing your MINI from MINI of Sterling then the answer to your first question is YES... they use ProShield as their installers. One slight disadvantage of going thru the dealership is that they do add a % on top of what ProShield charges so you might want to go over to see ProShield first to get a price.

Michael

 

Darn, sorry to hear. Did the dealer in install it? What brand is the Clear Mask?

Was looking to have it installed also on PW, but then again

 

Thanks for the info

So if you don't go through the dealer, then you only have the coverage warranty of the place who installs it right?

Hard to tell from the picture, but did you get the entire hood covered all the way to the base of the windshield? Many I have seen seem to only cover about 3/4 of the hood which makes it look odd.

Any idea if the place you mentioned would have the same issue on PW of it eventually discoloring?

 

I install and rep a lot of this and highly recommend it!!

(questions answered below)

 

Yes mine was dealer Hendrick Mini in Charlotte installed and it was the 3M protectant used, but they had it sent out to another shop to do it and the window tint. Also on the PW it shows the dirt on the edges of the film where it stops and it gets under it by the headlights and corners of the bumper so you see dirt building up and getting under those edges so I might end up having it taken off. It did save the car once though with a rock that hit it. You can see a slight dent mark which would have chipped the paint off otherwise.

 

If miscoloring occurs, what can then be done? Does this typically occur? And if so, should clear mask be avoided on the Pepper White?

 

Venture Shield will not discolor and if for some odd reason it does will be replaced (has life warranty) free... clear bras can be removed (say it is damaged by stones) and replaced.

 

I quit getting Clearbra after having it on two previous cars. I just don't like the way it looks and it has dubious value to me. If it's doing its job, it will show rock chips and scrapes just like the paint underneath it would and it will start looking pitted after awhile. If it costs just as much to "re-Clearbra" the car as it does to touch up the paint, what's the advantage?

PS: As an aside, you need to evaluate what types of driving conditions your car will be subjected to the most. When I was commuting on a busy freeway 55 miles roundtrip everyday, my cars picked up lots more chips (and windshield dings, but that's another story.) Now that my commute is only 12 miles roundtrip on surface streets, the paint stays pristine for much longer.

 

I would start with the last point: There are many clear bra's brands out there. In the past I asked questions around andlooked at other peoples cars with the clear bra. I noticed that some were getting dull, some were flaking and looking ugly, and some were looking good after years of use (barely noticed them). So, there are different qualities out there, and as mentioned, the quality of workmanship is another factor.
On my car, I used the OEM clear bra which was very $$$. At the touch, it is very soft (it is thicker than the regular 3M too). I live in Calgary, where the weather is hot in summer and cold in winter. The roads are covered in gravel in the cold months (for traction). I had that thing for 3 years now. You can and should wax it, so you do not see the difference in shine between the paint and the clear bra. I will post a pic, with the wax pretty much gone (shot taken a few weeks ago - you can see how it looks).
My clear bra was done at the dealer, and it includes the mirrors. I have not a single dent, scratch or scar in the clear bra, but my bumper is pitted by stone chips. I will have to repaint it one day and apply clear bra on it as well (I did not have enough dough when I installed the front hood bra and the mirror covers). The bumper is not metal, so it won't rust.
I will have to do the lights as well. This is a very good point. Now I will have to wait a little longer, then I will have to polish my headlights and apply the clears on the headlights. They start to develop some pitting.
Not sure how the clear bra will fare on a hot Mini hood though. Whoever has done it should post his experience with pics.

The last time it was waxed, it was early September. This is a shot in early December. Once you wax it, paint and clear bra shine the same. Also, you should use a tape (not like me) to run it across the edge - that way the line is not visible. In spring I will clean it.


Here is a shot of the mirrors (the white dots is just dirt):


I know these are not Mini shots, but it is for information purpose.

Thanks

 

I have one I installed about a year ago and it's still not even noticable! Works awesome! If I didn't have it I probably wouldn't have much paint left up front!! The kit I bought was off eBay and it came with everything, mirrors, upper and lower bumper, and hood. I paid like $75 for the whole kit with shipping!!!

 

Great to hear; definitely going to look into it.

 

The dealership I am buying my car from warranties the 3M product for 7 years from fade.

 

For those of you that have it, what do you feel is better, the 3M style vinylor the spray on?

I would think the vinyl would attract dirt on the edges where the adhesive is exposed.

 

Called around and had the dealer do it. It was all done when I picked up my car. About $100 more looks great and it was all done.

 

What all of the areas did you have done?

pics?

 

I have the same questions.

I just picked up my mini ( Pepper White ), and have not seen the wear patterns yet on any older mini's without the clear shield.

Are there any spots that get hit more than on other cars? Things like the front roof line, the side panel behind the front wheels, in front of the back wheels, etc.

Looking at the wear patterns on an older Mini would show the spots that need it badly, and the spots that are a waste of money because they are never hit.

But I don't have an older one around to look at. Any of you have any suggestions?

Thanks
Paul

 

Whatever you decide to do, do not have the dealer do it. Number one, they will rip you off terribly and as MeloR56 noted, number two, find someone who knows what they are doing. I have this protection on my Mini and my 335i and it was done by a shop that does an excellent job. I've been using them for 10 years whenever I get a new car. I paid about $500 for the Mini. The dealer wanted $1200 ! ! ! Nuf said.

 

Yeah, going to look into ProShield.

 

I had a clearbra installed on my Mini by the same company that installs them on the Mini's at the dealership. -I got the same quality but without the dealer markup. -find out who does the installs for your dealer and avoid the dealer's markup ...go straight to the source and get a better deal.

As far as the BMW's clearbra shown above that is not nearly as nice quality as the clearbra on my Mini, that BMW's clearbra shows it's lines and seems to make the area it's covering much duller than the non-protected areas.

 

What areas did you get covered?

 

lawnboy consult the end of the other thread U started to see my considerations on what should be cb'd and what not.

My dealer charged $695 for the whole painted front, hood scoop all the way down, inc fog lights.

 

1. yes, but that is overkill IMO
2. yes, and here's why: some clown in a mudflap-less Excursion threw a rock into my new R53's front end 5 scant miles after taking delivery Hit right to the left of the MINI wing, leaving a nick in the cb. Wouldve been much worse w/o.
3. no to mirrors, no to headlights (high impact plastic), yes to fogs
4. Wash yea wax nay
5. when I traded it in my R53 last July it still looked good as new after 4 years, nick and all (3M)

Lawnboy it seems that yr pretty hung up aboot line visibility. I was at first, but my dealer does such a good job I cannot even notice it, as long as I use a fingernail to gently remove the Klasse (wax) that sticks to the edge, and be careful not to turn the edges up on opposite ends when I detail.