MB280S

Anyone installed an invisible bra eg lamin-x or 3M Ventureshield on their c63s? I had lots of stone chips on the hood of my BMW and regretted not using a protective film. Is the Merc's protective nano ceramic paint stone chip-resistant??

Thanks.

cptdaz

I had tankslappers on my bikes which is the same as 3M ventureshield in thickness. And they protected chips and dents very well. Hell, it even stood up against road rash fairly well. If you don't store your car in the garage, the only thing I'd be concerned about is extended exposure to sun and weather.

Rsquad911

I have it installed on my hood fenders and mirrors.

Going to do my front bumper as soon as the template comes out.

JeffDL

i have the nose, 1/2 hood / bumper / front of fenders. it's starting to yellow a bit but it is warrantied for 7 years against yellowing and peeling gonna have it replaced in the spring.

lunarx

Do note it gets swirly after a year and does not buff out like paint does, so its not ideal on a black car.

Rsquad911

I've never had my PPF go swirly.

Have it on my 993 and it's been 8 years.

3M has a special polish spray you can use to buff out scuffs.. Maybe you can try that to get out swirls.

JeffDL

i've never seen swirl marks in it. mine is silver though so I don't see swirl marks anywhere.

cptdaz

Not necessarily. The material used in most clear bra isn't like car paint or clear coat and shouldn't be washed/cleaned/maintained like you would to the rest of the body. First, you shouldn't try to clean the clear bra in the sun. To clean it you should use cleaner meant for plastic like Plexus or Plastec. Also, minor surface scratches can be removed with plastic polishes.

Strafe1

I've got it installed over the entire front of my car, mirrors, and door handle pockets.

Illusive

Had the full hood, fenders, mirrors, and a-pillars done on my C350. Still looks great after 2.5 years and no rock chips which is nice. Definitely prevents the start of rust from rock chips on any sheet metal.
First stop after I pick up my C63 is the XPEL shop to get the full front clip done including bumper, full hood, full fenders, a pillars, mirrors, and roof.

bhamg

I had the front bumper cover (not cut by the plotter but rather full custom), full hood, full front fenders, windshield A-pillars and rockers done on my black car. Totally custom means no exposed seams to collect wax and no partial panels, which I had at first and decided looked sucky. Would I do it again - 50/50. Custom = $$$$, hard to justify, really. Two issues - Ventureshield eventually yellows and that airborne yellow pollen crap leaves a permanent dull stain. The good thing is that I can polish it out with a Porter Cable and Meguiars Tech Wax 2.0 and it looks fantastic for what is essentially a piece of plastic.

polly63

had the full fronth installed, side mirrors, behind rear tyres, under door handles and a piece under the boot lid. my installer said that on a white car i have to polish it once every 3 months to avoid it getting yellow. its a 3m product. only problem i am having with mine is i noticed a slight whistle between speeds of 140 and 170kmh. could the 3m change any aerodynamic properties of the car? but i can still live with this rather than stone chips especially on the black piece on the fronth bumper!

derek

You can get your bumper and hood repainted for less than the cost of a custom clear bra. Hood for c63 to be painted is $920 (trust me, I know).

JeffDL

this is true too and why I was on the fence about the clear bra stuff but did it anyway.

Illusive

$920 is a lot more than the cost of a custom clear bra on the hood (Comparing hood repaint to hood 3M).

Typically you can expect to pay $1,000 conservatively for a complete front end. If you just wanted hood and fender protection, it shouldn't cost you more than a few hundred bucks for the 1/3 coverage which will deal with most of the potential rock chips. That's a fraction of the $920 you'd have to pay to get it repainted and you can never guarantee the paint will look exactly the same as the original paint as they have to mix it on their own. Most places offer lifetime warranty on any issues you have with the 3M including yellowing or gauges from rocks. I've gone back to my 3M shop to get a little nick on the edge of the 3M replaced free of charge and the car still looks like new. I'll see if I can take some pictures of the difference between the hood and fenders protected versus the lux grille I had painted to match. There are a crapload of small chips all over the grille because it wasn't protected, while the hood and fenders are free of any chips.

I believe it has a lot to do with your location as well. If I was in a sunny climate you probably wouldn't need it unless there is a lot of loose gravel. But if you live in a colder climate with snow with regular salting and sanding of streets, it's a must. Comparing my C350 with protection and the Honda Fit we have without protection (both cars are 09), you can see the chips all over the front of the Honda with small rust spots starting to form in the chips that are deep, through the paint, and into the metal. If you have the time to clean out each chip and touch it up before it develops further, then you'd be ok, but you'd notice every little chip despite the touch up paint, it's just not the same.

MB280S

Thanks. I will do the same for my C63. Planning to get bulk roll of 3M stuff and trim myself. Much cheaper I think.

pro-tect mobile

You can get the bumper, partial hood/fenders, lights, and mirrors for under the cost you just quoted to paint the hood. I know... I install in the DFW area and my rate is well below that.

MB280S, I would not recommend 3M. There are currently 3 films out there that are good quality films; Avery Nano Fusion (stain resistant and very smooth... lifetime warranty), Xpel Ultimate (scratches heal with a little heat and very stain resistant... 10 year warranty), and VentureShield Ultra (fine scratches will self heal and pretty smooth, cheaper than the other two... now a 5 year warranty). I test out all of the films that come on the market and 3M has never been one I recommend. it is very difficult to install, has a very agressive adhesive (so removing in the future will be a PITA), and has had some issues with cracking in hot weather climates. It also has a lot of orange peel compared to other films so it stands out on the car. Doing a self install and trimming out pieces... I would highly recommend Avery Nano because it is very easy to install and it has a clear backing on it so you can lay the film on the vehicle, make your pattern and then trim it out without having to remove it off the backing. It also has a good adhesive so you can lift it up... even hours later if you want ot redo it for some reason. The Xpel film is very nice but difficult to install because it has a very sensitive adhesive... you can distort it very easily if you are not careful... so I do not recommend it for self install. The film is impressive though as you cant stain it, it is resistant to staining (even spray paint), and self heals. Here are a couple of links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUqzFvRw4-A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrbFXbEhPkU

Let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to help out.

ZephyrAMG

If anyone needs clear bra in Illinois hit me up I know the best...he is #1 in the entire state.

Strafe1

And in Colorado, I know where to get it done professionally and inexpensively as well.

braceurself

what about options for matte painted cars...i have the edition one coupe and the venture shield made the bumper look shiny and the xpel stealth totally changed the looks of the paint (looked like skate board grip tape)...are there any neutral alternatives...like a non-glossy clear film?
thank you!

pro-tect mobile

Premier carries a matte finish film and Ventureshield also makes a matte finish film as well. I would think one of those would match up fairly well. matte paint is very hard to keep.