Interior Exterior
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What most people don't seem to realize is that the clear bra is only as good as good as the installer you have installing it. I've talked to many who has seen the ones installed by Starshield, and many of them like the protection, but the bra itself doesn't look as good. But after they saw the one I have on my elise, 360, and others, all of them have become a true believer like me. IF you find the right installer, they will be able to hide the seams of the bra so that it is virtually invisible. For anyone who wants to see what the clear bra should really look like, check out their site: www.premiermobilegroup.com. I have yet to see more raved reviews by those in the exotic car circle of enthusiasts.
Their stuff looks great. I contacted them but unfortunately they don't have any installers on the East coast. Oh well.
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It's like having the plastic on the furniture at grandma's house.
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It's like having the plastic on the furniture at grandma's house.
Yeah, if the plastic was bullet resistant and grandma's house was the constant target of drive-by shootings. Otherwise...
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Their stuff looks great. I contacted them but unfortunately they don't have any installers on the East coast. Oh well.
I'm sure glad they are on our side of the country www.premiermobilegroup.com
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Greetings all,
Well, my GG / blk Elise is to be delivered from HRM, via Top Gun auto transport, in about, um, 2 hours and 18 minutes (hence why I am not sleeping, well that and these infernal, I can't get enough, forums).
Anyway, living in CO (SF Bay Area transplant from 10 years ago) there can be no option. The car had to have the Starshield. This being said, I don't plan on driving the vehicle in the winter. It will only be used to "commute" to and from tracks (LVMS twice, Spring Mountain, and Miller Motorsports Park twice over the course of April & May) and to run track events at such facilities(duh). I am actually wondering if I shouldn't augment the factory starshield with additional clear bra? If so, what additional coverage should I consider?
PS: I can't see any seams on my car (yet)...
PPS: Oh, btw, I was considering having my clear bra guy cover the footrest piece on the passenger side. Anyone done this?
Thanks,
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Welcome Frank!
PPS: Oh, btw, I was considering having my clear bra guy cover the footrest piece on the passenger side. Anyone done this?
Alternative:
This is from blackwatch and resists scratching.
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I was looking at buying an Elise on autotrader for about a month before i found my baby here on Elisetalk. One of the cars i was looking into was from a guy named Earl near the LA area in Cal. He works for starsheild, and said that they got the contract to do all the Lotus cars. I hope he wont care if I pass along his email address to ET people. If he does, then, my bad. I hope this might be of help to some. earl@starshieldarmor.com
Fishguyaz
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Welcome Frank!
Alternative:
This is from blackwatch and resists scratching.
what the heck is that? scratches? dead pedal?
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I have to agree that the starshield is a necessity. My elise didn't have it but I was going to have the dealer put it on. I wanted to take it off the lot the same day and bring it back the next day. I wasn't more then a mile from the dealership when a ton of rocks came flying up over the hood. I zipped around for a bit and then dropped it back off at the dealership. I think it's definitely worth it!
PS I'm new!
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welcome rachel!
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hi rachel
and i ask again... what the heck is that? a foot rest for the passenger?
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All the Elise cars have a footrest made from Aluminum. That is normal. There is an aftermarket protector for it in that pic. Same stuff I think that the sill protectors are made from.
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Seems that no one has mentioned the side panels w/o clearbra yet Anyone have pics of the sandblasting that happens to them with regular use? I think those alone would settle the issue.
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Seems that no one has mentioned the side panels w/o clearbra yet Anyone have pics of the sandblasting that happens to them with regular use? I think those alone would settle the issue.
Dal,
Way back in 2004 or earlier, lots of posts. on the sandblasting of the sides, One fellow from australia I think posted pics of his, it's pretty horrendous perhaps someone can remember the thread it was in.
Take my word tho, driving down a gravel road you can hear the pebbles banging off the undertray and the lower rockers, it'll make your skin crawl if you DON'T have starshield on it!
Chris
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Dal,
Way back in 2004 or earlier, lots of posts. on the sandblasting of the sides, One fellow from australia I think posted pics of his, it's pretty horrendous perhaps someone can remember the thread it was in.
Take my word tho, driving down a gravel road you can hear the pebbles banging off the undertray and the lower rockers, it'll make your skin crawl if you DON'T have starshield on it!
Chris
omg... what part of the car is that? pics please... so i can get custom film on it
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I remember the thread. It was a black car that went on one spirited drive. It wasn't clear whether it was a pure gravel road or a paved road with a lot of loose gravel on it, but the result was . The chips were mostly on areas that would have been covered by any of the standard patterns. Hard to tell from the picture how much damage, if any, would have been outside the area covered by film had it been there.
In answer to your question, it was the rocker panels and the area just forward of the rear wheels. Even if it had been covered with film, it would have made a mess of the film and may still have damaged the paint some.
Bottom-line: Definitely get paint protection film and this is not a off-road vehicle...stay off of gravel roads.
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bluejae,
The rocker panels are the outside part of the body below the door line. Starshield covers this area pretty good and extends from back of the front wheel arch to front of rear wheel arch, with the area covered widening at the rear wheel arch for more protection.
My opinion that whole section takes as much if not more of a beating then the nose.
Said it before and I'll say it again, anyone that buys this car without starshield protection is NUTS!
Chris
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Said it before and I'll say it again, anyone that buys this car without starshield protection is NUTS!
The problem with Starshield or any other protecto coating is that IT get's the crap beaten out it ALONG with the paint. Now you have two problems instead of just one.
Here in Texas I've had to contend with rock stricks that resemble small missiles. You just have to resign yourself to the fact that this is a car driven in the environment.
The only place in the country where a coating makes ANY sense is in California. Mostly very tiny sand particles on their roadways specifically along the coast.
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Rick,
That hasn't been my experience, been using it for years on motorcycles in all the areas that take rock hits. I've always found it absorbs the bulk of the impact and I've removed pieces that were literally pitted and sandblasted after a year or two and a little wax on the underlying surface and finished looked as new.
Course, we all know how crappy texas roads are!!!!
Chris
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Installed the 3M clear bra on SY and most... like 99%... can not tell it is there until I point out...yes key is the installer. Yellowing...over time it will show on white to cream colored cars but yellowing on a yellow car Also it does absorb huge number of impacts and paint is not damaged...and by not having installed on the rear clam flair in front of rear wheel is just nuts...that are will be beaten and blasted to death...in fact I have the 8mil thick 3M there and within another year will have removed and replaced and paint will be like new thank you so much. Oh cost... $600 for front nose complete, mirrors, running boards and rear flair area... Star Shield is IMHO over priced but you do get the cool little Lotus logos on the material.
Michael