I originally declined to have a clearbra installed at delivery. But after 5K miles, a couple of chips in the hood were quite noticeable on my Basalt Black, even though they were very small. And since I intend to try DE this year, I decided to have a clearbra installed.
I wanted to make individual choices between 1) type of film, 2) coverage, and 3) local installer in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1) Brand of film: I surveyed the available products, and quickly discovered a crowded field with 2 standouts: 3M and VentureSheild. I discovered that quality was not in question with either of these products, but rather personal preference in appearance, maintenance, and durability.
I probably read 20 or 30 threads on multiple automotive forums, but this is one of the most informative ones:
http://forums.********.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=268473
I chose VentureShield, just based upon my research. It seemed like the VentureShield had less potential for yellowing and orange peel. VentureShield also just released an improved product in November that has a clear coat finish, but doesn’t impair flexibility.
http://www.ventureshield.com
. On the website, you can even search for patterns and see the coverage available for a Cayman S.
2) Coverage. I wanted bumper/airdam, partial hood, partial fenders, mirrors, headlights, fog lights. To keep cost down, I rejected full hood, rocker panels, door edges, door handles, door pillars, and other “custom” coverage.
2) Installer in the SF Bay Area. This was tougher. It’s obvious that the installer really makes a difference in the quality and appearance of the final product. Applying the film is much more complicated than it sounds, since it requires even stretching and manipulating of the film to fit the car without distortion or bubbles. After much forum surfing, I considered 4 installers: Invincaman, Premier Mobile Group, Transparent Bra, and Invisible-Armor.
Based upon a mixture of price, proximity, and customer reviews, I went with Daniel Cook from Transparent Bra. I asked for a quote, and got an email back with a quote of $675. However, in contrast to the other responses, Daniel took the time to include his specific experience with Caymans and snap in the graphic of the film pieces included in the pre-cut kit. It was a small thing, but I though it was an extra step that was an indicator of a detail oriented mind.
Results:
So far, I am pleased with the VentureShield film, although it will take a couple of weeks for the adhesive to set and all the moisture to evaporate. According to my installer, it won’t reach its peak clarity until that point.
As far as the installation, Daniel was very meticulous, professional, and careful. I’ve never had a clearbra installed before, so I can’t really compare him to others, but there were a couple of things that stood out. He:
- brought all his own equipment, including pressurized water sprayer, water, lights, table, tools, etc.
- used only new towels. He opened a brand new pack of microfiber towels for paint prep and application.
- had obviously worked on Caymans and other Porsches before
- removed the headlights and wrapped the film into the headlight opening, so there are no visible seams around the headlights. He had even modified the standard Cayman template so the film was initially cut with enough material to wrap into the openings.
- Removed the hood badge and wrapped the hood edges. The only seam visible on the hood is the horizontal seam across the middle where coverage stops.
- Explained and demonstrated the difference in appearance of the silver bumper pieces (Porsche paints them flat, but after film, they will appear glossy) to make sure I wanted them covered.
- Removed the side markers and wrapped film into the side marker opening.
- focused on the task at hand, although he was very willing to answer my many questions about the film, application, maintenance, etc. He arrived at 10am, worked straight through lunch, and finished at around 3:30pm
- Offered wax and polish tips for the film.
I would highly recommend Daniel and Transparent Bra.
http://www.transparentbra.com/
Some pics:
Hood. Clarity is ok, but should improve as moisture evaporates.
Top of headlight. Fender film is wrapped underneath the top lip of headlight opening...no seam.
Bottom of headlight. Film extends underneath headlight.
With headlight removed. Visible seam is from headlight washer cutout.
Corner of hood opening.
Ditto and ditto.....my artic S was installed by Daniel also....good choice.
Great write-up! I usually use Sammy at Premiere for our customers but it's great to know this info. Thanks for sharing...
Alex - still trying to find time to visit yr shop; awesome website. Hope to pick up some decals from you.
alex's shop rox.
james really knows his porsche stuff.
and sammy at premeir clear film is the BEST.
:banana: thanks sir! Of course you're only saying that because we went green
PS I am working with James on the white one. I think that is the way to go....
I considered Premier Mobile Group. From my research they are highly respected and do excellent work. They seem to have done a large number of exotics and high-end cars, and they have a reputation for custom installations. I read seveal posts that described their commitment to hiding seams, and they are very active Porsche supporters and participate frequently on ********.
But I also found that they charge a premium for their services. I did NOT contact Premier for a quote, but I found several posts like this one:
http://www.planet-9.com/showthread.php?t=3576&page=2&highlight=premier
that put their prices in the $1000+ range for the same coverage. IF I had seen this post in time
http://www.planet-9.com/showthread.php?t=8116&highlight=premier
and used Mooty as a referral, maybe the price would have been comparable.
In the end, I decided the $400 difference wasn't worth it to me. I'm protecting the car, but I don't need absolute perfection in the clearbra installation. I didn't want sloppy work, but I also didn't need "art". Certainly, if I were considering amateur concours events, or if I were less price sensitive, my decision may have been different.
hey twitsty, if your car is done already, dont sweat it.
premier does cost more, and they do a better job.
but dont stress over it, your car is now protected.
start tail gating now ;-)
why is premier good?
some areas where intallers needs to use two pcs of film, they can do it in one piece so less seams
they have giant film that can wrap the whole hood in one piece. they can also do your entire front fender in one piece.
