Interior Exterior
Q:
Nick,
It may not be safe to generalize from Miata to Elise as far as paint damage is concerned. Keep in mind that your Miata has a urethane bumper cover and lower valence. The urethane provides quite a bit of "give" to impacts, thus reducing chipping and denting. It is my understanding that the Elise front bodywork doesn't have the same flexibility.
But, it's your car and you should do what you want. I'm getting the film for my Elise, but I must admit that the $1,000 cost took me by surprise. It's one thing to pay that much to an installer who may do a couple Elises. It's another when two installation firms will be doing thousands. There is a learning curve for this sort of stuff and it seems to me that the customer isn't getting any benefit from it.
A:
A typical clear-bra install is $500-600. This includes the front of the nose up to a 1/4 way up the hood and side mirrors. That's it. So if you think that $900 is too much for a clear bra that covers most of the front, side sills, and a few other spots I forget then you need to check the market. I believe it when they say their profit from these is very low. For the amount of coverage it seems like the right price to me.
And my detailer is very good and highly recommends clear-bra's. So no offense but your detailer doesn't sound very knowledgable. A lot of them out there really don't. I've gone through 6 detailers before finding one I like. Basically they have to do as good a job as I do. And I have Hawk eyes. I point out every blemish, smear, drip, swirl, etc. I'm very anal about my cars.
A:
After looking at the clear bra on a (yellow) demo, I have mixed feelings about getting it. It's more visible than I expected, the seams are very obvious if you look at the car closely. They said that the car has never been waxed yet, and they expect the seams to be less apparent once the car was washed and waxed. The car was somewhat dirty after a bunch of test drives, and the dirt really accumulated at the seams.
On the other hands, the panels in front of the rear wheels were filthy, you can tell that they get hit by dirt flying off the front tires. With sticky tires that pick up rocks, it's going to get ugly.
I'm probably still going to get the full install. But I might check in at the dealer later, and see how the demo looks after a few rounds of washing and waxing. Covering the area behind the front wheels looks like a must.
A:
Originally posted by ConeFusion
On the other hands, the panels in front of the rear wheels were filthy, you can tell that they get hit by dirt flying off the front tires. With sticky tires that pick up rocks, it's going to get ugly..... Covering the area behind the front wheels looks like a must.
Exactly. Try autocrossing the car. Damn cone marks!!!
A:
Originally posted by Randy Chase
Exactly. Try autocrossing the car. Damn cone marks!!!
I don't know what you're talking about. I thought you were supposed to avoid the cones?
You must be thinking of my evil twin, he was the one hitting the same friggin cone in two runs at the Peru Tour.
A:
You should definely look for a new detailer. I have taken off full kits in minutes with just minor adhesive residue and no pulled paint. I think your detailer needs to catch up on what is going on in the automotive world. Dirt accumulating around the edges is a sign of a poor installation. The installer did not seal the edges nor did he align the kit correctly if you can plainly see the seams.
A:
Mine cost $750 aftermarket (after a different installed quoted $500 before I got the car and then wanted to charge $1,200 when I was ready to bring the car to him) The guy came right out to my house and spent every bit of at least 6-8 hours installing it. Did a great job. It probably saved that amount this past week, and not from highway chips or an auto-X course. Mine has found a new benefit to the product. Sitting in a parking lot during it's most recent egging, that nailed it right on my elise text in the license plate area, and right by the lotus emblem. Happy to report absolutely no damage from this film protected egging.
A:
First one to dent the body on an Elise gets a free repair...
Large/Fast rocks - Anything large enough or fast enough will DENT your car, but guess what, it will dent less than if you didn't have the bra.
A:
Ok, I asked my car detailer yesterday about the clear bra.
Here is what he said in a nut shell:
Hard to get off later (took 12 hours on a different car with the same 3M product).
Will discolor with time.
Will protect but if the rock is large enough - or moving fast enough - it will go through the bra anyway.
Hard to wax around the edge of the bra.
For the cost you can have the front end painted twice.
Road debris has a different impact at 100 mph than at 75 mph. So if you do a lot of higher speed running it will help more.
Bra is only really worth about $500. Dealer markup is steep.
I'm in San Jose, California so the winters are no problem - we don't ge the salt or sand on the roads. (no sandblasting).
If you follow other vehicles closely (read especially quarry trucks) the bra will help.
My 1992 Miata repainted once (two years ago) had no significant problem for me. My problem was I over-waxed the cheap original paint job removing the clear coat.
I think those were the points he brought up - may have forgotten one or two - the beer was good though.
So, it will be a pass for me.
have fun
Nick
As long as this sort of damage doesn't bother you go for it. Some people aren't concerned as much with appearance as others. I personally wouldn't drive my car without it and I think it's worth every penny. But to each his own.
A:
This is a no-brainer option.
A:
I actually think it should be required and not an option. Mine came without it and I was shocked at how easily the paint chips off.
A:
If dings were that big a deal to me, I would get it. They aren't, so I probably won't.
If I were planning to sell the car soon, I would get it. I'm not, so I probably won't.
If it covered the entire car, I would get it. It doesn't, so I probably won't.
If it were totally invisible now and in the future, I might get it. It apparently isn't and won't be, so ...
Funny to read this now. I was full of sh*t then.
I am so happy that I had the film applied to my car. It's not just the front end that needs protecting. Without the film on the hood and the sides, I can see many places that would now have significant dings.
I don't know when the film plans on discoloring, but no hint after 15 months.
Waxing is not a problem in the least.
As far as painting goes, I don't believe that it's so simple. Matching the color is likely to be a problem. And the cost is not going to be as cheap as the initiator of the thread suggests given the multiple areas that would need attention, at least not in these parts.
A:
Nick,
I live in the area and didn't get it done on mine... I wish I had. I'm looking at getting it done in the near future, but I'm probably going to have to get the front repainted (or some serious touchup paint work done) and the same for the kickers.
I would strongly recommend spending the money up front and not waiting.
A:
IMO...BIG mistake. If you don't get the Starshield, get something. I give it two months of normal driving before your car is peppered...
A:
IMO...BIG mistake. If you don't get the Starshield, get something. I give it two months of normal driving before your car is peppered...
Yep. I had 1K miles on the clock before I decided it was not an option. BTW, I just had mine redone after a new clam. The new 3M film is great! Practically no orange peel unlike the old stuff.
A:
I have removed the 3M product in the past without any difficulty. I also installed a nose and side panel kit on my S1 Elise after being very impressed with the protection from the factory kit on my Fed Elise. You can do it yourself for about $200 but be warned, it is not easy and you should have some experience with vinyl trim or window tinting application. The side panel application is easy but dang, that nose piece is a mother. I had planned to do an article for Lotus ReMarque on the procedure but haven't gotten around to it yet. If you decide to try it, remember that you must use a wax stripper first and you MUST first wet the car with soap solution and then follow with water/isopropyl alcohol as you squegee the bra into it's final position. Keeping hands spotlessly clean and free of skin oils and adhesive contamination from the Star Shield is also very important.
A:
Park Place turned me on to a fairly new product called 'No Chip'. It is sprayed on the entire front of the car. It gives more coverage with no lines. As long as it works, I'll be happy with it.
A:
Park Place turned me on to a fairly new product called 'No Chip'. It is sprayed on the entire front of the car. It gives more coverage with no lines. As long as it works, I'll be happy with it.
List time I checked, that stuff costs as much as a bumper respray. How much is it these days?
A:
My car came without and I had it added at the dealership. Best money I ever spent. I wish they offered it for the entire car.
A:
So don't get the bra... good luck to you!