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      08-01-2014, 01:11 PM   #1
pcheninhk
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Opinion on Clear Bra / Paint Protection Film on X3

I want to know your thoughts on Clear Bra / Paint Protection Film on X3.

It is pricey over a grand for coverage in front of the windshield and I just want to know if everyone thinks it is a worthy investment.

I know the advantage to having it but any drawback from your experience.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks
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      08-01-2014, 02:20 PM   #2
nyalpine90
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i have chip on the hood and its almost 3 months of having it
only visible up close
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      08-01-2014, 05:13 PM   #3
pcheninhk
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sorry about that... and you just got your x3 recently...

does that mean you would have spend the money on PPF...
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      08-02-2014, 09:05 PM   #4
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I have one and I love it. The latest generation from 3M is hardly noticeable and will not yellow. I plan to keep my 2012 for at least 5 years and I like to keep the hood with minimal chips.

It can be argued that its not that cool to have one but I have a family so the car is family utility vehicle.

If I was cruising with the vehicle , showing my car or I changed my car every 3 years then I would not never put on the bra. Its not a cool feature to have on your car its just practical.
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      08-02-2014, 10:50 PM   #5
pcheninhk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmkman View Post
I have one and I love it. The latest generation from 3M is hardly noticeable and will not yellow. I plan to keep my 2012 for at least 5 years and I like to keep the hood with minimal chips.

It can be argued that its not that cool to have one but I have a family so the car is family utility vehicle.

If I was cruising with the vehicle , showing my car or I changed my car every 3 years then I would not never put on the bra. Its not a cool feature to have on your car its just practical.
Just like you, I am hoping to keep the car for as long as I can.

How much did you pay for your PPF?
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      08-03-2014, 07:28 AM   #6
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I agree with the comments so far, if you are going to only keep it for 3 years or so do not bother, but my last car SAAB 9-5 I had about 150K miles and it had chips everywhere.

For me I plan to keep at least 5 years and 100K miles. At this point my F30 has 30K miles and not one chip and the same for the F25 with 18K miles, but my F30 headlights have been sand blasted somewhat from the winter road sand. The dealer would not place the protection on the headlights for safety/liability reasons?

Downside is that I can see the film edge along the hood close up. After awhile you do not notice it. Also a annoying is that dirt and waxing get built up along the film edge you need to be careful to remove.

The cost at the dealer was $650 USD for front bumper, front portion of the hood (only 1/3 of the way up the hood), and side view mirrors. If your cost is $1000 then I assume it is full hood protection. Also I would recommend a piece of clear bra on the rear bumper leading into the rear cargo area to protect the paint. I already have some scratches.

Overall I am glad I made the decision to add the clear bra and I do not see any signs of yellowing yet and not one ding!
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      08-04-2014, 08:29 PM   #7
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Clear Film

I agree. My wife's Lexus has a very low nose an even after 4 New England winters there's not a chip in the paint. We keep our cars for a long time so I had it done on my '14 X3. Cost around $600 at a local specialty shop. Well worth the investment, especially if you're in an area that has lots of sand and / or salt on the roads.
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      08-05-2014, 04:16 PM   #8
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Get it if you care about the rock chips on your front bumper and front hood. I have the 3M clear bra on my F30, but not X3. Reason is the X3 is a 36 mo lease and I am not planning to keep it afterwards.
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      08-15-2014, 04:41 PM   #9
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Clear Car Armor

I got it installed but rather than have the dealer include in price I went and got it done directly by the same people who do it for the dealer and was able to save about $100. Love it just keep wax away from seams and you will never see it. Make sure the people who install know what they are doing, it is tricky business. http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/images.../happyanim.gif
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      08-16-2014, 03:31 PM   #10
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I wish I got the clear bra. My 2014 X3 is the main vehicle used whenever I head up to the mountains to go Snowboarding during the winter season and now the front bumper has quite a few rock chips due to salt, etc. Probably going to run me anywhere from $600-$1000 to have them all properly touched up, sanded down and polished. I might have to learn how to do the touch up and sanding part myself since I already know how to compound and polish, but its scary to do.
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      08-16-2014, 05:30 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pcheninhk View Post
I want to know your thoughts on Clear Bra / Paint Protection Film on X3.

It is pricey over a grand for coverage in front of the windshield and I just want to know if everyone thinks it is a worthy investment.

I know the advantage to having it but any drawback from your experience.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks
I love it! I got it on the front edge of my hood the edge of my doors and rear view mirrors. Really helps
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