As some of you may remember, I had the newest Ventureshield Ultra film installed onto my car and the installation was poor. In addition, I have found that despite weekly washes and sealant applications every two weeks, the Ventureshield Ultra film continues to suffer permanent staining from yellow bugs. During my search for a new installer, I found that the 3M Scotchgard film was the other common option-- but I decided against this film due to the excessive orange peel that would be exacerbated by the Winter Gray color. Through my research and references, I decided to book an appointment with a very reputable clear bra installer, Premier Protective Films. They did the installation on my friend's G37S and their work was fantastic for a mostly pre-cut kit. However, they used a film called Prestige Clear Guard that was developed by them and this company called Prestige Film Technology. For research purposes, I drove to Premier's shop in NorCal to look at the film in person and the film is definitely a bit clearer than the Ventureshield Ultra that is currently on my car. The Prestige film is supposed to be using the embedded clear coat technology that is also found in the Avery NanoFusion film, so I hope the durability is significantly better than Venturshield Ultra. Has anyone heard of this film, Prestige Clear Guard, before? I tried googling it but did not find much info aside from the advertising that Premier was doing on the various high-end car forums. However, the clarity of the film and the quality of the install looks pretty good from this thread: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforu...aymans-laser-diffuser-system-clear-guard.html However, Premier's reputation is outstanding and the quality of their work is simply the best that I have seen. Hopefully this means the film that they are using lives up to the expectations. This Prestige branded film does carry a seven year warranty, but I am not certain that Prestige has other dealers nationwide that can handle warranty claims. So in the event that I move, I may be SOL-- which is my main concern. I am being quoted $790 to install a custom hood, a pre-cut bumper, partial fenders and partial mirrors. They are also doing full headlight coverage for an additional $150, for a grand total of $940. Does anyone have any experience with this Prestige film, especially with its resistance to staining and scratching? Thanks.
No experience with that film, but here's wishing you good luck this time on getting your car done right Mike
Yeah, most of that is labor. I'm going on a road trip next month and my solution is to DIY specifically for the road trip (as an alternative to ugly painters tape). Just $49.98 for the complete kit (bumper and hood). If it looks passable, I'll retain it. If not or it gets stained or scratched, it's coming off until the next trip. You can get a one-time replacement from them for $9.99. Good insurance as an alternative to spending 1 grand.
Yeah, when I ordered the Ventureshield Ultra the cost of the kit was only $280. I expect Prestige's film to be similar in cost. I would caution against those cheap DIY clear bra kits since those are kits are somewhat notorious for lifting paint upon removal. Premier does have a facility in Orange, CA, so I guess you can get yours done there if you ever decide to, lol.
Evidence? Otherwise, it's as baseless as your fear of modern dyed tints turning purple in a few short years.
No scientific evidence, but my friend's car has Suntek for about two years and I can already see a hint of purple developing. Also, $49 is just too cheap for PPF. The price just seems like one of those too good to be true deals. Besides, I have never seen a reputable installer use film of that type, which leads me to suggest that it may not be a quality product.
That doesn't mean much coming from someone who seems to think anything less than a $500 ceramic tint job is crap. Besides, I'm only interested in preventing rock chips and especially bug mess on the road trip. I'd rather get a less eyesore film with a 3 year warranty (which I can easily remove) than $49 worth of painter's tape.
I am also interested in buying the bumper kit, which comes with pre-cut pieces for bumper, fenders and mirrors. Aside from soapy water, is it necessary to use alcohol? I don't feel like spending $7.99+ for their solution.
I would ask on this section of tintdude.com: Window Tinting Forum -> Paint Protection Film, Clear Bra Most of the guys on there are working professionals and they can tell you why your choice is probably not the best idea. Ask on the site that I referenced about, those guys would know.
Of course I expect those professionals who make their living off $600-700 labor to tell me my choice is not the best idea. It's very simple. I wash and wax the car right before the road trip, apply the $49 film instead of strips upon strips of painter's tape, enjoy the invisible protection during the trip then peel off the bug mess. It's not going to lift properly cured paint.
It sounds like you already made your decision so why bother getting opinions--informed or not? Go even cheaper--buy contact paper at Walmart. I'm not a professional so this must be good advice.
I didn't ask for opinions, unlike the OP on the Prestige Clear Guard. Just stating what I was going to do as an alternative to painter's tape for road trip purposes.
Just had the clear bra installed yesterday. It was 95% perfect-- just a few minor imperfections that were expected. Premier installed a "pre-cut" kit using a film by Prestige Film Technology. The film is significantly more clear than the Ventureshield Ultra film I was using previously. They used a combination of the XPEL patterns and custom pieces for the job. The fenders were the longer ones from XPEL, the hood was custom with wrapped edges (24" roll), and the bumper was from the XPEL pattern. They were originally going to use the XPEL mirrors, but ended up doing a custom mirror because the quality of the mirror pattern from XPEL was not satisfactory. Also, they were able to get the film within 1/16" of the edge on the fenders. The hood was custom and the edges were wrapped. The mirror was custom as well. The bumper, due to the size of the piece, was within 1/8" of the edge. Overall, very happy with the quality of the job and clarity of the film. Highly recommend Premier and the Prestige film, even though the price was a bit high at $790. You definitely get what you pay for. And I also looked closely-- no razor cuts at all.
Been about 90 days since your install, can you provide update? Have enjoyed this thread and am seriously considering this option before it's too late. My two month old Prius recently suffered its first 'minor chip' and I'm sure more will follow.
Thanks for asking. I had completely forgotten about updating this thread with some new pictures after the shop hand-cut the right-fender piece to improve its alignment with the hood piece. The film has held up very well. No permanent staining at all from bugs, but I do wash the car twice a week. During the warmer weather when there was a high risk of bugs baking into the film, I applied xpel ppf sealant. With the cooler weather and fewer bugs out I have reduced the frequency to every few weeks. The key to keeping the film in good condition is to wash frequently and apply the proper ppf sealant at regular intervals. MB860 ?
Also, is wrapping the entire hood and front quarter panels just crazy expensive or do most only go half way?
Most of it came off easily. The hood was a real struggle but that was probably because I did not use the correct technique-- professional removal for the hood is probably advised due to the heat cycling that the adhesive gets. MB860 ?
My installer, Premier, does a lot of full frontal and whole car wraps. In fact I think that is the bulk of their business. I believe they charge about $2500 for a full front clear bra. MB860 ?
