[canusaybimmy]

Hi all,

Picked up a 2012 335is a couple weeks ago...been away on business etc. and finally have time to start driving .

Getting the car tinted in the next week or so and was thinking about doing a 3m clear bra on the front to protect from chips. I was thinking 24 inches of the hood, the fenders, headlights and full bumper. With the tint work being done at the same place I can get a bit of a discount however I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Any opinions? Who has it. Who doesn't? Respray after a couple years as another alternative? I also heard the 3m stuff turns yellow after a while. Can't confirm this as some say it does and some say it doesn't!

Thanks.

[jphughan]

I have VentureShield; usually the material you get depends on what the shop you work with stocks. Any clear bra will discolor over time, I've heard usually 4-5 years. At that point if it bothers you just get it professionally removed and reinstalled. It'll still be a lot cheaper and look better than repainting.

I covered my front bumper, headlights, and mirror caps (don't forget those). I didn't do the hood because I wasn't willing to pay to cover the whole thing and didn't want an ugly seam partway up -- of course now I have some tiny chips right at the front of the hood, but hey that's life and it's still less noticeable than a seam. I thought about the fenders given how far they come forward, but ultimately decided against them. I still think clear bra is worth it where I've got it though. At least on my paint color, you can't see it even if you know it's there unless you're less than a foot away and looking at panel edges. If you don't know it's there you won't find it, though apparently it's more noticeable on black cars.

Also, if you've got an installer in your area that does it, you may want to look into XPEL. I've heard good things about it, specifically that it's a really thick layer of protection and supposedly has nano-magic self-healing properties.

For tint, I got F1 Pinnacle Ceramic 35% all around and Air Blue on the windshield, and I've been very happy with both. 35% is dark enough to complement the rest of the car's overall aesthetics without pulling focus from the car to the tint itself (which I didn't want), and that darkness with Pinnacle Ceramic offers great heat rejection. Good luck shopping!

[JessieJ]

I have 3m on my car as well. I have it on the front bumper, a bit on the hood, my side mirrors, and on my doors just around the edge of the opening. My car is Tiag and honestly no one has ever noticed unless they come up close to the about a foot away. Also my car is a 2008 and until this day the 3m has remained clear and I would recommend it. Im waiting on my lip to come in and after I paint it I will definately put in on there as well. Definately recommend it tho!

[1QuikWS6]

I have the Xpel on my front bumper, front aero spoiler, and the area of the rear bumper just under the trunk

No yellowing so far after 2 yrs.

I also didn't do the hood or fenders because I didn't want to see the seam - in the very beginning the seam is fairly invisible, but over time it comes out more & more - many of my vette buddies use this & it does a great job @ protecting from stone chips.

[canusaybimmy]

I'm leaning towards getting it done. Don't think I'm going to mind the seam too much. A friend of mine has the same car (in alpine white) and I didn't even realize he had it on there until I took a close look.

[N0Chill 335i]

The guy who I bought my 335 from had it put on 2 years ago... I hate it. Discolored already. Car is silver and the bra makes it look like that champagne color. There is a noticeable difference in color... especially when there are overcast skies. I want to take it off so bad but I just know it's pulling paint with it. So gonna leave it on and live with it for a couple years since body panels and a full color change are my last planned mods.

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by DeMerrisK

The guy who I bought my 335 from had it put on 2 years ago... I hate it. Discolored already. Car is silver and the bra makes it look like that champagne color. There is a noticeable difference in color... especially when there are overcast skies. I want to take it off so bad but I just know it's pulling paint with it. So gonna leave it on and live with it for a couple years since body panels and a full color change are my last planned mods.

As long as the guy you bought it from used good film and had it professionally installed, you can have it professionally removed without pulling paint off.

[rcpham]

i have a venture shield clear bra on my e92 335i and i recommend getting the full hood and full fenders done. if you ever decide to take it off for any reason you wont have ghost lines from uneven paint fade.

[rdub315]

i'm going to give this stuff a try. just had an M3 rep front bumper installed, so figured i'd try to protect it.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=835750

[Vreimann]

Originally Posted by canusaybimmy

Hi all,

Picked up a 2012 335is a couple weeks ago...been away on business etc. and finally have time to start driving .

Getting the car tinted in the next week or so and was thinking about doing a 3m clear bra on the front to protect from chips. I was thinking 24 inches of the hood, the fenders, headlights and full bumper. With the tint work being done at the same place I can get a bit of a discount however I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Any opinions? Who has it. Who doesn't? Respray after a couple years as another alternative? I also heard the 3m stuff turns yellow after a while. Can't confirm this as some say it does and some say it doesn't!

Thanks.

Have had it on all my cars including the 335D. If the installer is good and uses a good product and you garage the car you won't know you have the film on the car. You do have to hand clean the film or you will see the line over time. For me its about 6 months. I have it on the bumper, 12 inches up the hood, A-Pillar Arms, mirrors, from the top of the windshield to the sunroof, behind the rear wheel on the quarter panel, and on the rear bumper to prevent trunk loading scrapes.

After 5 years you will notice the film from discolouration, however the protection from the sand/ gravel in Canada is worth it.

[canusaybimmy]

Thanks for all the quick replies everyone. I think I'm going to get this done. Just getting some quotes and looking for the best place to get it done in the Toronto area.

[Raja Ventureshield]

right film, proper installation is the key. There are a dozen companies but only few I would intall (3m Scotchgard/Venturetape, X-Pel Ultimate line only and Prestige films' Clear guard).

[SLOWER]

I have a quote of $595 to do "Roadblock". Is that a good product?

[ChuckBMW3]

Originally Posted by SLOWER

I have a quote of $595 to do "Roadblock". Is that a good product?

Yes it is. I've had it on my car for 5+ years. No yellowing whatsoever (at least from my perspective, my car is dark blue) and has completely saved my front bumper and hood. One caveat: it does "swirl" like the clear coat does on our cars.

[SLOWER]

What do you mean by swirl? My car is black sapphire.

[ChuckBMW3]

Originally Posted by SLOWER

What do you mean by swirl? My car is black sapphire.

Swirl marks/clear coat scratches induced from automatic car washes or improper hand washing techniques. They look like spider webs imbedded in the paint ...

[SLOWER]

So the film gets swirl marks? Or it causes them in the paint?

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by SLOWER

So the film gets swirl marks? Or it causes them in the paint?

swirls in clear bra doesn't cause swirls in the paint. buy XPEL ULTIMATE Paint Protection Film ; it is self scratch/swirls healing
http://www.xpel.com/products/xpel_ul...ction_film.asp

[SLOWER]

I got a price for the xpel and I think I will do it. Thanks for the info.

[Raja Ventureshield]

anybody needing a pre-cut kit in the x-pel utimate hit me up. i can sell you for a great price.

Raja