I want to get tinting on the back 3 windows and add a clear bra. Dealer quotex me $195 and $550 w/ lifetime warranty on both. Is this good? Anything I should know when getting this done? I'm in OC California.

They also offered a christening tint or something like that for $550 which keeps the car cooler Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

Depending what they are going to put the clearbra on, and what material it is, that's a steal from a stealer...

When I bought my car I had the 3M clearbra (gen 3) put on. Bumper cover, front portion of hood, scoop, headlights, mirror caps, door edges. Basically a full package and it cost me $900.

After doing some serious checking I found you could get it done for about 1/2 that. BUT, it's way better to do it before you drive it off the lot. Murphy's law will rear it's ugly head, and you will get a rock chip 5 seconds after you pull out...

So, yea, if it's the 3M product, it's a very good price.

Be careful with the tint, it makes seeing out of the car much harder at night, and the police don't really care for it, and are much edgier if you get stopped.

 

Seems almost too cheap, especially for OC. I paid $665 from a certified 3M installer for full about 1/3 hood, front bumbers, and mirrors in Northeast Ohio (where things are generally cheaper). The guy spent over 5 hours in my garage and that helped me justify why it cost so much - it's mostly the labor. I don't know about the tint though.

BTW - my installer was very experienced, has done many high end cars. My install was in October of 2011.

 

I paid the same for my clear bra, about $550, when I bought my MINI, and I have to second getting it put on before you take delivery.
After a run in with a deer that required a new hood and bumper I had to wait a week or two for the paint to fully cure before I could put a clear bra back on. Even though I was extra careful to avoid places where I could get a chip, I got one that I didn't notice until after the film was installed...

 

DN - the same as ???. $550, $900, $665? My dealer (Classic MINI in Willoughby) wanted $700.

 

Oops, was just thinking about the OP's price, $550 is what I paid at my dealer in Mich. I don't know what the cost was after my accident, it was thankfully covered by my insurance. And that's for 1/3 hood, bumper and side mirrors both times.

 

I don't know where in Cali it is but, look up Tint World. The guy here in Jacksonville has a shop out there too. He offers lifetime warranty with good work and products. The thing I like the most is that when you use the stuff he has for clear bra he does not do it halfway up the hood he goes all the way to the trim so you can even tell it is on the car. Price is iffy depending on what you get.

 

I would go somewhere else other than the dealer. I had my CMS tinited with lifetime warrenty for $175 and got a price of $450 for a 3M clear bra.

 

MattMatt - How much do you think is a good price just for tinting. I am looking to tint the windows. I got my mini from classic mini in willoughby too

 

Fm'ed, I think the guy who did my clearbra said it would be around $250-$300. I am very particular about my cars and decided to pass on tinting because I don't like how the tint adheres inconsistently around the "black dots" that border the edge of the window. I've read there is a way around this, but I guess I have just deemed it not worthwhile living in suburban Cleveland as I do. We don't get a whole lot of sun and when we do, I don't like to hide from it! Now if I lived in Florida, Arizona, Nevada, California, etc. I'd have it tinted.

Albert from Block-A-Chip (google it to see his work) did my 3M clearbra and I'd recommend him. If you are in the tri-state area he will come to your house and do it on-site. He is the owner and one man shop. I'd have to believe he'd do a great tint job as well.

Matt

 

Oh guys - I forgot I had the headlights and fogs done too - maybe that's why mine was a little more. See - the stuff is so good you forget it's there!

Sorry! LOL

Matt

 

MattMatt - How much do you think is a good price just for tinting. I am looking to tint the windows. I got my mini from classic mini in willoughby too

 

Can't tell you what a clear bra costs, however I just had all 5 windows tinted on the mini, 3M, machine cut, lifetime warranty for $139 out in Redlands CA. All the OC places wanted $275 and up for the same thing.

The price is really for the labor, so it made sense to visit family and get the work done in an area with much lower labor costs.

 

Thanks everyone for all the feedback and information. I'm not going to the dealer. I'm going through a local tint shop that comes highly recommended. I can't drive to redlands for the price. It's all 3m $150for back 3, $550 for clear bra... Bumper, partial hood, miirors. It $30 extra for headlivhts... should I do the headlightz?

Thankz again for all the help.

 

for $30, absolutely.

i saw this thread earlier but didn't have a chance to post. any decent local shop should be able to get you a great quality carbon tint for under or around $200 for all windows. if you go ceramic, you'll pay more.

i managed to get johnson insulatir 30% ceramic tint for $230 (all windows including sunroof). my only complaint is that it has a mirror finish in the sunlight and i would have preferred a smoke/black finish. i wanted to go with huper optik ceramic, but i couldn't find a place that would do it for under $600.

as for clear bra, see how much more it would be to go full hood. if it's not too much more, it'll look better without the seam.

 

It was $50 more for ceramic tint on the back 3. It's $300 more for the full hood ($850 seems like alot).

I definitely want a smoke / black finizh on the tint; I was thinking 20%. Should i do the ceramic for only 3 windows? Im in socal along the coast. The windowz already have a slight tint in the glass (i can see it with my polarized glasses).

 

I had the whole hood quoted also. Can't remember what it was - maybe $200 more. My initial reasons for having the whole hood quoted was not to see the "line." My installer (and many others) did not recommend doing the entire hood. I am glad I did not now because although the product is great, it 1) "distorts" the beauty of the paint (my opinion), 2) scratches easily (yes, I know all the rubbing alcohol tips and do wax it as well), 3) anything acidic that gets on it that is not removed quickly will "bite" into the clearcoat (yes, the bra has it's own clearcoat) and will not polish out (e.g., bugs, bird droppings, etc.). My installer told me the product is really meant to protect the vulnerable areas of the car, not the entire hood or entire car (though he has wrapped an entire (every panel) of a 911 for a customer. Just my 2 cents, and hey, if anyone know how to remove those embedded bug splats, please post!

 

$139 for windows is an absolute steal!! Here in Ohio, I have gotten quotes not less than $225.00

 

Bugs B Gone by Seafoam. There is a product promo on show called 2 guys garage.

 

Great feedback. Thanks. I'm off to the tinter now.

Mike

 

For what it's worth, I like the privacy the rear tint provides when there are items in the back you don't want to advertise when parked for extended durations, just keeps Down unwanted attention..

 

I went with ceramic tint (smoky black) on all 5 for $300. 20% on back and 70% on front... Keeping it light for the CHiPs. But with black on black, I felt the ceramic was worth it. The clear bra is the bikini cut going just past the scoop (i think it's called). It's costing $600 with the lights and mirrors. I'll post pics once it's done.

 

i always wondered how clear bras work with waxing etc. You guys getting the paint corrected and waxed before the clear bra goes on? I know you can wax on top of the clear bra but you cant work the paint underneath. curious for any thoughts on this.brand new cars in showrooms still have orange peel and swirls so getting it done before leaving the dealer makes no sense as the paint is still crap. thanks!

 

I didn't notice anything needing to be worked on the hood. But I waxdd it w/ Mother's Carauba Wax a week ago, and it looked great, if I say so myself. They'll remove all that hard work anyways w/ alcohol, but hopefully it helped keep it scratch free since I've already put 2k miles on in a month and a half.

 

I dont know about the clear bra but Im planning on doin my own tints. Ive done like 7-8 cars in the past and mot scared to take on the lil windows of the mini. So $40 for tint would be capital.