How effective is the Toyota clear plastic film paint protector?

Anyone know who cuts full coverage headlight film? Suntek was a no-go...

 

I had the dealership install the clear paint protector and they covered to the middle of the hood, backs of the side view mirror's, bumper and about 8 inches of the Fender's

 

You can find a local vendor who installs "3M paint protective film" locally. I have lived in both Florida and Tennessee had it
and had it installed on my last five vehicles. I swear by it, just one front end paint job will convince you it is a worthwhile
investment. For example, I traded a 2008 Mazda Miata (retractable hard top) for my current Tacoma SR5 PreRunner and
got $100 over retail KBB value because there were zero dings on the front end and the vehicle looked like new. I just
traded my 2012 MGM Access SR5 for a 2016 and again was offered over retail KBB $2,200(+) because of the condition of
the vehicle. My wife's 2013 Avalon Hybrid also has a clear bra and looks as good or better than a new vehicle. Xpel is a
good product and their headlight film (50mm thick) will repel a rock traveling at 125 MPH. Go to their web site and do a
little research. If you get the film applied, opt for full hood coverage and you will not see a line. Over the years, I have tried
the hard plastic wind deflectors and find that they do not protect the windshield or the roofline, whereas the film does protect
the roofline while maintaining a ding-free paint surface. The film can be waxed just like the vehicle paint - it is very durable.

 

We have used the Xpel headlight film on three of our last five vehicles and they all had unclouded lens covers
because the film offers excellent UV protection. We have kept all of our vehicles for 4(+) years each. Let me
add that I am not employed by, nor do I represent any paint protective film manufacturer or installer - I am
just a very satisfied customer.

I have had a bad experience with one Toyota dealership that applied film to one of our vehicles and within a year
little black spots began to appear under the film on the hood - caused by the installer apparently pin pricking holes
in the film to get bubbles out or a bad product. This process allowed moisture to accumulate under the film which
caused the paint surface to mildew. We took the vehicle to a professional installer who removed the defective film
and replaced it (at cost). The new film lasted over 5 and a half years on our 2006 Prius. I recommend that you
thoroughly wash your vehicle and, if possible, clay the paint before application of the film. Your car will look great
with only minimal surface maintenance for many, many years.

 

Am I the only one who snickers a little on reading "clear bra"?

 

Probably - Did you also snicker at the mention of the "old styled" Black Bras. If so, there's a guy in a white coat just down
the street who would like to talk to you (LOL)!

 

Those of you who say clear bras start looking bad after a few years are living in the past. Clear bras have come a long way in the last 5-7 years. If you get a reputable brand and a good installer, they will last a good long time, probably longer than you're going to own the vehicle. I had a clear bra installed on a car in 2006 and it had some slight yellowing after 4 years and within one year, the surface started to fish-eye. I had one installed in 2009 and it never showed a hint of yellowing or any fish eyeing.

Haven't decided if I'm going to have one put on my truck. I don't think it will be the stone magnet my MINI Coopers were.

gsp... it's clear. It's not going to show up on Super White. The last car I had it put on was a white car and people were amazed when I showed them the edge of the clear bra on the hood scoop... they had no idea it was there. Of course, I did have it put on the entire hood so there was no line going across the hood as there would be if you only went half way up. You go halfway up and sooner or later you start getting wax and crud built up along the edge. You can try to get it with a microfiber cloth, qtips, or whatever you can think of but good luck.

 

I know it's not easy to see in a pic like it would be in person but here you go, gsp... you can tell there's no difference in color under the clear bra on a white car.... and that clear bra goes from the lower bumper all the way up the hood.

 

You can minimize the wax buildup where the clear bra ends if you use painters masking tape along the edge and wax the
clear bra first. Then remove the tape and wax straight back beginning on the clear bra and wax toward the windshield.
Buff from the clear bra toward the windshield and there will be no buildup. Using the 3M product, I have never had any
yellowing. And, I still believe that the XPEL headlight plastic is the best on the market at this time. Cam37 that mini sure
looks good!

 

Thanks... that's a JCW MINI Cooper, pretty fast and lots of fun.

Yeah, you can minimize the build up along the edge of the clear bra by taping when you're polishing and waxing. But, in my experience, eventually you're going to get a build up of gunk there (of course, I QD (quick detail) my cars frequently and sure don't take off the edge every time I do that, and the QD spray contains some wax) and the edge is going to show more prominently. Just a small drawback and the advantages of the clear bra outweigh the disadvantages.

Good to see we have some detailing knowledge on the board. Yesterday there was a discussion about clay bars and now taping off the edge of the clear bra. My friends at work think I'm nuts the way I take care of my vehicles. hahaha

 

Talking about using a clay bar, it is the best way to clean your windshield. Use a clean bar and Rainex and it will remove all
the road grime and bug residue and won't scratch the glass! If you are hesitant, experiment with a window pane at home
and you will be convinced.

 

The Paint Protection Film is a Factory Option now, I decided to get it and hope it ends up being worth it, cant stand the rock chips on the leading edge surfaces and it also says that you can wax right over it too.

 

the oem PPF option install can be tricky. when ours was install from the port it was way off. had a free replacement installed by Toyota and even then you could see that each truck is slightly different when installing it and some spots it looks like orange peel texture. 2nd time was better but its no where as good as my 2014 4runner looks from japan install.

my PPF install on the 2014 4runner is perfect. 1/8" from the leading edge all around no bubble/orange peel look all around.

 

Let her get dinged up by