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View Poll Results: What kind of paint protection do you use?
Clear bra & leasing car 3 16.67%
Clear bra & buying car 10 55.56%
Other (opticoat?) & leasing car 0 0%
Other (opticoat?) & buying car 1 5.56%
No protection (possible wax) & leasing car 3 16.67%
No protection (possible wax) & leasing car 1 5.56%
Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll

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      11-04-2013, 01:47 PM   #1
AweSam8
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Clear Bra Poll

Just wanted to get a poll going on paint protection film aka clear bra. Also wanted to see a census of what everyone is doing here in terms of protection and whether or not they are buying or leasing.

If it's anything other than clear bra, please let me know what interventions are being done in terms of protecting the front end of your baby f30.

!!!EDIT: I messed up the poll... The last option should read as "No protection (possible wax) & BUYING car". Sorry buddies.

Last edited by AweSam8; 11-06-2013 at 07:21 PM.. Reason: Made a blunder on the poll.
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      11-04-2013, 01:54 PM   #2
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Clear bra doesn't look good to me. I have a four year lease and the way I see it I'd rather have my front bumper\hood repainted after 24 months to give the car a nice little refresh instead of spending that money on a clear bra.
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      11-05-2013, 11:35 PM   #3
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The cosmetic maintenance threads don't get a lot of traffic, huh?
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      11-06-2013, 07:08 PM   #4
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LOL, no they don't.
I read your thread earlier but didn't get a chance to respond. I don't own an F30 but I'll chime in from my recent experience in protecting my E89 - it's paint protection after all and does the same job no matter which vehicle you put it on.

I was dead set on going with the 3M Venture Shield product as this had been applied to my fathers X1 two years ago. The product has held up very well over time and has done its job and continues to do so everyday - I would still recommend it.

For my E89 however, I ended up with Xpel Ultimate. I researched this product recently and seems like its superior when compared to 3M...if their marketing claims hold true:
10yr warranty for XPel vs 5yr for 3M.
Xpel guarantee their product wont yellow over time (this is very important to me as mine is AW)
Expel is "self healing" - minor swirls on the film repair themselves
Expel has less orange peel effect when compared to 3M

I've had my front end covered along with side mirrors, door cups, door edges and headlights too. No complaints so far but its only been 2 weeks.

I did the prep myself before the film was being applied and it involved a full decontamination with clay & TRIX, followed by a single stage paint correction with Menzerna 85RD.

Once the Expel Ultimate was applied and left to dry, I went over the car with a minor paint prep and finished it off with Optimum Opti-Seal on the body (polymer paint protection). It's the first time I've used the product and I'm curious to see how long this "coating" lasts. Same goes for the wheels - coated with DP Wheel Coating.
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      11-06-2013, 07:12 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2blu View Post
Clear bra doesn't look good to me. I have a four year lease and the way I see it I'd rather have my front bumper\hood repainted after 24 months to give the car a nice little refresh instead of spending that money on a clear bra.
Suum cuique

That said, I went for the full on hood application so as not to have any visible bra edges. I did it because of my cat's desire to jump onto the car and chill and her refusal to wash her feet before jumping up there.

I doubt I'd repaint my car car if it only has normal wear on the paint, leased or purchased.
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      11-06-2013, 07:19 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ichiro View Post
LOL, no they don't.
I read your thread earlier but didn't get a chance to respond. I don't own an F30 but I'll chime in from my recent experience in protecting my E89 - it's paint protection after all and does the same job no matter which vehicle you put it on.

I was dead set on going with the 3M Venture Shield product as this had been applied to my fathers X1 two years ago. The product has held up very well over time and has done its job and continues to do so everyday - I would still recommend it.

For my E89 however, I ended up with Xpel Ultimate. I researched this product recently and seems like its superior when compared to 3M...if their marketing claims hold true:
10yr warranty for XPel vs 5yr for 3M.
Xpel guarantee their product wont yellow over time (this is very important to me as mine is AW)
Expel is "self healing" - minor swirls on the film repair themselves
Expel has less orange peel effect when compared to 3M

I've had my front end covered along with side mirrors, door cups, door edges and headlights too. No complaints so far but its only been 2 weeks.

I did the prep myself before the film was being applied and it involved a full decontamination with clay & TRIX, followed by a single stage paint correction with Menzerna 85RD.

Once the Expel Ultimate was applied and left to dry, I went over the car with a minor paint prep and finished it off with Optimum Opti-Seal on the body (polymer paint protection). It's the first time I've used the product and I'm curious to see how long this "coating" lasts. Same goes for the wheels - coated with DP Wheel Coating.
The installers I will go through told me that Ventureshield looks more invisible than Xpel, but still recommends Xpel over it due to its durability and self-healing properties. I'm thinking I will go the Xpel route---Just how hard is it to clean the edges off the bra after waxing or quick detailing? Thanks!
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      11-06-2013, 08:36 PM   #7
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I didn't vote because I had mine opti-coated, then paint protection film, then the paint protection film was opti-coated
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      11-06-2013, 08:54 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AweSam8 View Post
The installers I will go through told me that Ventureshield looks more invisible than Xpel, but still recommends Xpel over it due to its durability and self-healing properties. I'm thinking I will go the Xpel route---Just how hard is it to clean the edges off the bra after waxing or quick detailing? Thanks!
Well, I haven't applied any wax yet to my Expel, just a decontamination and then Optimum Opti-Seal (which is a wipe on and walk away process - no buffing off required). So far no issues with the edges except for the driver side view mirror. Due to the curved nature of the E89 mirrors, the template for the film needs to have a seam in the middle - this has somehow collected a bit of dirt and looks stained in that gap - even after washing. Although this is minor, I will be revisiting the installer to get it fixed. The other side mirror is fine.

The 3M on the X1 does attract some of the liquid waxes, but no issue with paste waxes. And every quarter I just trace the edges with a Q-tip and some IPA solution to remove any buildup, then wash it off and dry it.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Medal View Post
I didn't vote because I had mine opti-coated, then paint protection film, then the paint protection film was opti-coated
Nicely done!
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      11-06-2013, 09:02 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Medal
I didn't vote because I had mine opti-coated, then paint protection film, then the paint protection film was opti-coated
Well wow!
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      11-06-2013, 11:38 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ichiro View Post
So far no issues with the edges except for the driver side view mirror. Due to the curved nature of the E89 mirrors, the template for the film needs to have a seam in the middle
Your installer should've used a heat gun to warp the film, you shouldn't have a seam. Mine is seamless.

I have Xpel Ultimate on front bumper, full hood, mirrors and fenders. Love it. No swirls, no problems.
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      11-07-2013, 06:49 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tony20009 View Post
Suum cuique

That said, I went for the full on hood application so as not to have any visible bra edges. I did it because of my cat's desire to jump onto the car and chill and her refusal to wash her feet before jumping up there.

I doubt I'd repaint my car car if it only has normal wear on the paint, leased or purchased.
I sure know how persistant cats can be ! When there are no visible edges it makes it a lot less noticeable but I'm still not a big fan. If after a few years I notice that my front end looks like crap from all the wear and tear being exposed to the elements, I'll dish out the money to have it refreshed. It will look just as good as new until I have to return the car at the end of my lease. I like to take good care of my car even if it is a lease, it is always very well looked after. I drive my car rear round and through our nasty Canadian winter so the front end would either need a clear bra or a refresh somewhere down the line.

As you said, to each his own !
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      11-07-2013, 07:42 PM   #12
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PS anyone who puts opticoat on top of xpel ultimate is stupid. That negates the healing properties of the film
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      01-28-2014, 09:59 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
PS anyone who puts opticoat on top of xpel ultimate is stupid. That negates the healing properties of the film
I've been studying up on this subject for my April delivery and I've seen at least a few experienced detailers say that it's fine to put OC over XPel.
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      01-29-2014, 12:04 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehecht View Post
I've been studying up on this subject for my April delivery and I've seen at least a few experienced detailers say that it's fine to put OC over XPel.
If you want to get rid of the self-healing properties of the film, go ahead and go for it.
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      02-05-2014, 11:53 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
If you want to get rid of the self-healing properties of the film, go ahead and go for it.
Quote:
"Will Opticoat or cQuartz hurt the film?"

Sealants such as Opticoat and cQuartz will not hurt the film or interfere with our Ultimate paint protection film's self healing properties.

"Can/should Opticoat or cQuartz be applied to the car before the film is installed?"

We do NOT recommend applying sealants such as Opticoat or cQuartz to the parts of the car that will be covered with film. The low surface energy of paint sealant products such as these will cause adhesion problems both during installation and over the life of the product. In addition, it is worth noting that there is really no benefit to applying sealant to the paint before the film anyway, since the film will provide far more environmental protection to the paint than a sealant ever could.
http://xpel.com/support/installation/faq.asp
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      02-06-2014, 09:11 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehecht View Post
Of course they say it's alright, because when the film starts getting swirls, you're stuck with them. What's next after that? New film.

The reason they say no opticoat under it is because they want adhesion directly to the paint. Sealants can pull off
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      02-06-2014, 09:14 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
Of course they say it's alright, because when the film starts getting swirls, you're stuck with them. What's next after that? New film.
Uh...XPel Ultimate has a ten year warranty. If they needed to replace the stuff for free under warranty hundreds or thousands times per year, well...that doesn't make much business sense, now does it? Nor would it instill much consumer confidence if they gave advice on their website that turned into a pile of sh*t for purchasers. But I'm sure you know better though...
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      02-07-2014, 12:22 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehecht View Post
Uh...XPel Ultimate has a ten year warranty. If they needed to replace the stuff for free under warranty hundreds or thousands times per year, well...that doesn't make much business sense, now does it? Nor would it instill much consumer confidence if they gave advice on their website that turned into a pile of sh*t for purchasers. But I'm sure you know better though...
"This product carries a 10 year warranty against, yellowing, cracking, peeling, staining, and hazing, covering both film and labor"

Doesn't cover the diminishing self healing properties of the film. Glad to know you're unwarrantably a douche though
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      02-07-2014, 08:07 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
"This product carries a 10 year warranty against, yellowing, cracking, peeling, staining, and hazing, covering both film and labor"

Doesn't cover the diminishing self healing properties of the film. Glad to know you're unwarrantably a douche though
Wow, you really are a smart guy. You know more about the product than the manufacturer does, and more than my detailer who is rated as being one of the top ten detailers in the country. How did you get to be so smart?
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      02-07-2014, 08:10 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehecht
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
"This product carries a 10 year warranty against, yellowing, cracking, peeling, staining, and hazing, covering both film and labor"

Doesn't cover the diminishing self healing properties of the film. Glad to know you're unwarrantably a douche though
Wow, you really are a smart guy. You know more about the product than the manufacturer does, and more than my detailer who is rated as being one of the top ten detailers in the country. How did you get to be so smart?
Glad they have a national detailers rating agency of the US. Never knew that before. No need to be a dick, just stating why it doesn't make sense to use it on top of a self healing film.
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      02-07-2014, 09:09 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
Glad they have a national detailers rating agency of the US. Never knew that before. No need to be a dick, just stating why it doesn't make sense to use it on top of a self healing film.
Sorry about being a sarcastic dick, my bad. But actually you haven't stated why it doesn't make sense to use Opticoat on top of a self-healing film. You've only stated your opinion that it doesn't seem like a good idea to you. In order to really state why it's not a good idea you would need to explain how the chemical properties of Opticoat inhibit the chemical processes the XPel PPF uses to repair itself. Or, alternatively, you can post up on YouTube your own experiments that empirically demonstrate how the presence of Opticoat on XPel prevents the film from repairing itself. Ideally, you would be able to state theoretically the chemical reactions that will take place and then experimentally verify the hypothesis.

If you can do that, I'm listening! No sarcasm here, just science.
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      02-07-2014, 11:46 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehecht
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve33 View Post
Glad they have a national detailers rating agency of the US. Never knew that before. No need to be a dick, just stating why it doesn't make sense to use it on top of a self healing film.
Sorry about being a sarcastic dick, my bad. But actually you haven't stated why it doesn't make sense to use Opticoat on top of a self-healing film. You've only stated your opinion that it doesn't seem like a good idea to you. In order to really state why it's not a good idea you would need to explain how the chemical properties of Opticoat inhibit the chemical processes the XPel PPF uses to repair itself. Or, alternatively, you can post up on YouTube your own experiments that empirically demonstrate how the presence of Opticoat on XPel prevents the film from repairing itself. Ideally, you would be able to state theoretically the chemical reactions that will take place and then experimentally verify the hypothesis.

If you can do that, I'm listening! No sarcasm here, just science.
It will inhibit the self healing process. The film will heal, but scratches on the opticoat will not
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