W204Man

I just had the whole front end of my car repainted and I would like it to keep it new. what are my options? I found expel, 3m wrap, 3m spry, off brands… what's the best? How long should I let the paint cure before I install it? Dose anyone know any installers in Houston? How much should I expect to pay for the bumper only?

avuong6494

EVS Motors is the one of the best if not the best car shop in Houston. They do clear bra, huper optik and a lot of other things. Go check them out. Update this thread if and when you get pricing from them.

W204Man

Thanks! I will call them tomorrow and get a price.

AZN Optics

3M Venture Shield is probably the best quality film, but also has the largest pores which is a concern if you use colored wax. You'll want to make sure the manufacturer has sheets large enough also as there are some makes that don't offer them in a size to wrap fully around the larger w204 hood as the hood extends down along the sides as well.

W204Man

They wanted 559.00 for the front bumper only I could get the bumper repainted at that price. Im going to call a few more people and see if I can get a better deal.

avuong6494

Haha yeah they wanted $265 to paint my side markers to match my car. The price is crazy.

Best comes with a price lol.

wsboxer1

They tried to upsell me on the clear bra during closing. I passed because I am sure I can get a better price someplace else. They have the clear coat that goes about a third of the way up the front of the hood. The only thing I worry about is the look after a cleaning/wax. If I really go to town cleaning my car I want the covered part to shine just as much as the non covered part. I worry a bit about it looking different because the clear coat doesn't clean up the same.

AZN Optics

Never purchase this option from dealer. They just send it out to a wrap shop to get it done and mark up their fee. You might as well go direct to the wrap shop. And if budget allows, always go for the full hood wrap instead of the half. It will be noticeable over time with a dark line splitting the hood at best, two tone color shaded hood at worse.

W204Man

I found a place in the woodlands that is asking 400.00 for the front bumper or 600.00 for the bumper, hood, mirrors, and fenders. Is that a good deal? They use avery clear bra, is it any good?
Thanks for all the help!!!

BrandonBenson

Have you found an answer to how soon after being painted you can have this applied? I would say 90 days since that's how long I've heard you should wait to wash/wax the car so that the clear has ample time to vent the gasses and fully cure.


Also, if you're handy, I'd give the 3M spray-on a try. Just mask off the fenders and grill and then just do even coats. You can also get Plasti-dip brand clear. It may be a little more budget friendly. Do about 5 coats and you should be good and it will allow peeling off in larger sections to be easier. Just my $.02

sbabut

This thread did not contain what I anticipated

W204Man

So I ended up going to AutoDynamica. I payed 650.00 for the bumper, hood 18 inch up, fenders, and part of the side skirt. That was a little more that what I would have liked to pay... I was going to do the whole hood but they wanted 250.00 more so I backed off. I'm not 100% happy. The bumper has some dust & air bubbles. The hood has one or two bad spots. But what I'm very unhappy about is that he did not cover the side skirt! I’m going to call him today and get them to finish it or get some money back. Everyone was very friendly and professional. They also had some very sick cars. Few Ferraris, Aventador, R8, Porsche Turbos, and a GT-R. Normally I hate other people working on my car but I was very comfortable with them. I also got Lamin-X for the door cups & headlights. I installed on one door so far. It wasn’t to bad. The car was painted 3-4 weeks ago and no paint was pulled off. I will post a few pic later.