Paint Protection
 

Hey guys, anyone of you installed or planning to install paint protection on your car? (especially those who have black cars)

No need for paint protection, save up for new bodykit :y :y

all you need is a clear bra and a Porter Cable buffer!
that's all the protection you need.

No no! Get a big thick nylon bra that you can strap over the hood and wheel wells!

:-P

I'm not going to get any protection, I'm not afraid of STDs or rocks, or anything :-P I feel like this, its like putting seat covers on to protect the seats. .... FROM WHAT! the next buyer? I'll have a news flash for you, I want to use the seats in their top form for me. I don't see the benefit in a $200-$600 protection job when it won't make that big of a deal, and touch up paint doesn't cost that much.

my .02, I'm glad you all like it, but to each, his/her own.

Paint film
 

<<I'm not going to get any protection, I'm not afraid of STDs or rocks, or anything :-P I feel like this, its like putting seat covers on to protect the seats. .... FROM WHAT! the next buyer? I'll have a news flash for you, I want to use the seats in their top form for me. I don't see the benefit in a $200-$600 protection job when it won't make that big of a deal, and touch up paint doesn't cost that much.>>

Uhh, Peyton, have you ever owned a black car before? I had StonGard (now out of business) film put on when my Obsidian Black C320 was new and everyplace the film is, the rock damage isn't. The entire front bumper cover is protected and the film is not visible, being low to the ground. But, when I had the hood repainted three years back, I didn't reinstall the stuff and now the hood has chips all over the place. As far as touching up these chips, it really doesn't hide them at all other than obscuring the light gray primer coat underneath.

I will be protecting the new car's nose and at $699, it's a helluva lot cheaper than paint. I believe in maintaining my capital equipment (bought with my own hard-earned cash) and this is one of the ways.

I've got the paint protection on my Bimmer, and I would do it again. We'll be doing it for the Merc too shortly after we receive it. Unless you really look for it, it's hard to spot that the car has the clearbra on. :y

If you're considering, I'd definitely have it done outside the dealership, since they take it to the same places to have it done and then they charge you $$ for it.

I got my tint & paint protection done through Accutint Seattle, although I've heard their office in Bellevue does a better job. You should look into them for your tint & paint protection needs. :)

Yeah. I want to tint my windows and still considering whether to tint at Accutint or Midnight Tint by Aurora.

Accutint
 

I'll be using Accutint to install the 3M paint film on my C300 also. I have a $699 quote minus 10% Porsche Club discount. They are located behind Barrier Porsche in Bellevue.

Have a look at some of the competitors before you get it done. I've got 3M, and I can't complain. But I've heard good things about VentureShield. I'll be considering this once I'm ready to get my C done.

I'm not the person who gets BS'd by the F&I dept. at the dealership to get their extra stuff. But when he said $720 for LoJack & Paint Protection.. I jumped it!

Had a quote from a reputable company here in SoCal...
Tint (all windows), smoked taillights & clear bra (bumper, headlights & hood) $800.. (after haggling).

what is this "clear bra" anyway? sorry, still new here..

thx

Andr, a clear bra is a clear plastic film that is applied to the front of the car to protect it from stone chips.

TEAShea
from Nebraska

If you have a black car, then you would know how important a clear bra is. I got a whole bunch of rock chips and had to go thru $4400 worth of work to get it fixed. Thankfully it was paid by insurance. but here are some pics...

little chips all over... you can't really see in the pictures
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/IMG_1914.jpg

work it had to go thru :(
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/DSC02291.jpg
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/IMG_1936.jpg

it's not worth it on a black car. I highly recommend a clear bra :y

Ditto! All our newer cars are black and all have clear bras installed. They are life savers if installed correctly.

Voice of experience here - unless you've seen your dealer's clear bra work and find it acceptable, find a good, independent installer. Dealers can't seem to do these on dark cars without all kinds of wrinkles in the plastic. In Denver (Littleton, CO), there's a company called IDS that can work miracles on clear bras for the same price as local dealers charge for crappy work. And it's just worth going there to see all the exotics they do.

oh, okay.. so paint protection = clear bra. right? no need to apply it to other part besides the front? can you guys recommend what brand/company is good (and if possible, where i can have them installed). Btw, I live in Georgia.

Thx

Most important is to find a reputable company / installer. Look at references and the finished product in person.

More rock chip repair 2004
 

<<........when I had the hood repainted three years back, I didn't reinstall the stuff and now the hood has chips all over the place. As far as touching up these chips, it really doesn't hide them at all other than obscuring the light gray primer coat underneath. I will be protecting the new car's nose and at $699, it's a helluva lot cheaper than paint. I believe in maintaining my capital equipment (bought with my own hard-earned cash) and this is one of the ways.>>

The cost today to repaint just the center of the hood would be close to $900.

The primer on the hood is behind the removed film area.

Anyone know of any good installers in the Soutern California area? Anywhere from Santa Barbara to San Diego...

Looking for a clear-bra + window tint at the same place... Thanks.

Its not in the area you specified, but I did mine on Van Nuys.. And no, I don't know them personally or will get any commission. I was having 2nd thoughts about the name of the place at first, but when I got there, I saw a lot of BMW 7's, a porsche and a couple of Corvettes in line to get those treatments.

PM me... I'm not sure if I can post their name and number publicly in this forum.

So what's the verdict? Is clear coat paint protection necessary or unnecessary? mine will be palladium silver.

No I don't think you need it, unless the car is a dark color. Rock chips don't look too bad on silver. Since you are getting silver, i don't think it's worth the extra money. If black, make sure you get "clear bra' for the front.

clear bra bargaining
 

When I got my 01 silver E-class my dealer in Littleton, CO did the clear bra w/o charge. Maybe it had to do with dealer evaluation but I think you could use the bra as a bargaining chip when you purchase or lease. Glad I had it even on silver. You could barely see the bra 7 years later.

if i don't get clear coat, wouldn't the paint dull? even if i take it to a detailer once a year for a professional wax job, wouldn't the paint protection maintain the shine for 5 years or so at a fraction of the price?

Terminology gone berserk
 

<<if i don't get clear coat, wouldn't the paint dull? even if i take it to a detailer once a year for a professional wax job, wouldn't the paint protection maintain the shine for 5 years or so at a fraction of the price?>>

Wait a minute. Clear coat is the clear paint over the color base coat whether it is red, black, silver, whatever. Which is over the prime coat. All MBs are painted this way.

So, it's primer, color, and then clear. Period.

What is being discussed here is a clear plastic film (made by 3M and others) applied over the paint whose only task is to guard against rock chips in the clear coat. And sometimes through that into the color. This is not a do-it-yourself project because it requires experience and skill which is what you pay for.

This is done after delivery by a shop of your choosing and never by Mercedes at the factory. If your dealer offers to do the job, they will send it outside someplace and add a markup, sometimes in the hundreds of dollars.

If the only attention you plan to give to your car's paint is an annual shine-up at a detail shop, it's going to look pretty sad in short order. In my opinion.

You need to learn how to do this yourself and one place you can see what's required is www.griotsgarage.com as just one supplier.

I'm using their materials and my car looks as clean and shiny as possible although it's a lot of work. But worth it.

Get the clear bra. It's well worth it. I was commuting 100 miles/day for work. My '03 C230 had the clear bra; my '05 C230 doesn't have the clear bra. After only one year my front bumper needs to be repainted. It's very sad. After I was the car it looks like it either spattered with bugs or white paint. As a previous poster stated, the clear bra is much cheaper than getting the bumper repainted. Trust me, I know.