Brands of Clear Bra and the pros / cons please help !!

[Chadfugi]

I'm getting a satin clear bra put on my new M4. The shop comes highly recommended but they use Suntek brand protectant film (for the paint not windows) I have never heard of this brand can someone on here please give me some feed back about quality and price. Thanks in advance. I can't wait to get this thing !!!

[F83]

I have Xpel ultimate only because of what I have come to understand. That,

Xpel Ultimate > Suntek > 3M (Scotchguard)

That said, I've heard that Suntek is quite good and is in fact close to Xpel.

I am very happy with my Xpel

[Chadfugi]

Originally Posted by F83

I have Xpel ultimate only because of what I have come to understand. That,

Xpel Ultimate > Suntek > 3M (Scotchguard)

That said, I've heard that Suntek is quite good and is in fact close to Xpel.

I am very happy with my Xpel

Thanks. I've since done some home work aka Google. Suntek seems to be a great product just a shorter warranty. But I doubt I'll have it for more than 5 years anyway...

[AM4ZING]

XPEL ULTIMATE... 10 year warranty and self healing... cant beat it

[abnorM4l]

I have 3M installed on my X5 since 2008 and still looks brand new. Just installed xpel ultimate on the M4 just to try something different. So far so good. Sorry, nut much experience on Suntek clear bra.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by abnorM4l

I have 3M installed on my X5 since 2008 and still looks brand new. Just installed xpel ultimate on the M4 just to try something different. So far so good. Sorry, nut much experience on Suntek clear bra.

Thing is, 3M is made by 3M, and they'll be here in 5 years. Suntek is owned by Eastman Chemical. They'll be here in 5 years. Xpel, little company that could disappear tomorrow if the CEO buys lunch for his wife and puts it on the company. 10 year warranty should be taken with a grain of salt.

[abnorM4l]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

Thing is, 3M is made by 3M, and they'll be here in 5 years. Suntek is owned by Eastman Chemical. They'll be here in 5 years. Xpel, little company that could disappear tomorrow if the CEO buys lunch for his wife and puts it on the company. 10 year warranty should be taken with a grain of salt.

I had never heard of xpel until maybe 2 years ago. Mainly bought xpel to see how the "self-healing" film works first hand plus got a good deal on a pre cut kit and did the install myself

[RJVIII]

Suntek is supposedly self healing as well and the same thickness as XPEL.

That being said I have XPEL Ultimate because that is what my preferred installer sold.

[///bproden]

Originally Posted by abnorM4l

I had never heard of xpel until maybe 2 years ago. Mainly bought xpel to see how the "self-healing" film works first hand plus got a good deal on a pre cut kit and did the install myself

Was the install yourself hard to do? I have been debating this for the past 2 months. I've installed some vinyl before, but was a little worried about the curves (mainly front bumper). The xpel looks pretty thick which I think would be a lot easier to install than a flimsy vinyl film. Plus, the precut kit seems like it would line-up pretty easy.

[abnorM4l]

Originally Posted by ///bproden

Was the install yourself hard to do? I have been debating this for the past 2 months. I've installed some vinyl before, but was a little worried about the curves (mainly front bumper). The xpel looks pretty thick which I think would be a lot easier to install than a flimsy vinyl film. Plus, the precut kit seems like it would line-up pretty easy.

It takes a lot of patience. It took me about 3 for just the bumper but i have done a few cars before this one. Definitely not a pro by any means, but the install does look good. The precut is great in that you're not putting a blade next to the paint to make the cuts (at least for me, i was not comfortable with that), but it's a bit of pain because you have to line up all the cutouts, i.e. roundel, parking sensors, reflectors and camera (if any).

If you do tackle it yourself, order a kit with about 1/4" or so longer on the bottom and side (wheel well) so you can wrap it without the visible lines. Start to lay the film in the middle and work the film from the middle out, not from one side to the other, because the film will stretch and the cutouts will not line up. I started placing the roundel cut out first, then working the small strip between the grilles. After that's done continue down the center of bumper and work the film out to one side. Liberally spray the side you're not working every 10 minutes or so with the soap mixture so it does not stick.

It does take patience though.

[///bproden]

Originally Posted by abnorM4l

It takes a lot of patience. It took me about 3 for just the bumper but i have done a few cars before this one. Definitely not a pro by any means, but the install does look good. The precut is great in that you're not putting a blade next to the paint to make the cuts (at least for me, i was not comfortable with that), but it's a bit of pain because you have to line up all the cutouts, i.e. roundel, parking sensors, reflectors and camera (if any).

If you do tackle it yourself, order a kit with about 1/4" or so longer on the bottom and side (wheel well) so you can wrap it without the visible lines. Start to lay the film in the middle and work the film from the middle out, not from one side to the other, because the film will stretch and the cutouts will not line up. I started placing the roundel cut out first, then working the small strip between the grilles. After that's done continue down the center of bumper and work the film out to one side. Liberally spray the side you're not working every 10 minutes or so with the soap mixture so it does not stick.

It does take patience though.

Thanks for the info. I've been watching a ton of videos and feel like I could probably tackle it. I did noticed that everyone starts in the middle. That's good to hear also, to confirm that's best place to start. And thanks for the info about the extra length. How long did it take you to do the front bumper? 3 hrs?

[abnorM4l]

Originally Posted by ///bproden

Thanks for the info. I've been watching a ton of videos and feel like I could probably tackle it. I did noticed that everyone starts in the middle. That's good to hear also, to confirm that's best place to start. And thanks for the info about the extra length. How long did it take you to do the front bumper? 3 hrs?

No problem. Yes 3 hours. Sorry for the typo.

[austexbmw]

I am having the Suntek film being installed as we speak. I chose the Suntek over the XPEL Ultimate because it was a little bit clearer and glossier than the XPEL. I have never kept a car longer than 3 1/2 years so the 5yr vs 10yr warranty isn't an issue for me.

[PayamFSU]

How much do these cost with install?

[RocketBoots]

Originally Posted by Chadfugi

I'm getting a satin clear bra put on my new M4. The shop comes highly recommended but they use Suntek brand protectant film (for the paint not windows) I have never heard of this brand can someone on here please give me some feed back about quality and price. Thanks in advance. I can't wait to get this thing !!!

You're getting a satin (matte) PPF? Are you wrapping the entire car? Because if not, I think it will look very strange...

Originally Posted by PayamFSU

How much do these cost with install?

Depends on your location and what you have done. For the typical full frontal, which covers the bumper, fenders, hood, and mirrors, it can range from ~$1100-$2200 for Xpel or Suntek.

[critical_mass]

Don't worry about suntek vs. expel vs. 3m. All good but suntek/expel probably a bit better than 3M. The trick is to find an EXPERIENCED installer. That's what matters.