Anyone here attempt to do a DIY clear bra installation?
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From: Yea
There's this Invinca Shield place that sells a kit for the S2000.
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.a....asp?kit=1831-B
This one's for the '04 model. Priced at $326 for the deluxe kit which covers almost everything on the front end.
There's also additional pieces to cover even more..
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.a...sp?kit=1831-B-1
I was wondering how easy it was to do.
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.a....asp?kit=1831-B
This one's for the '04 model. Priced at $326 for the deluxe kit which covers almost everything on the front end.
There's also additional pieces to cover even more..
http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.a...sp?kit=1831-B-1
I was wondering how easy it was to do.
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 37,305
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I installed my own Xpel kit 3.5 years ago. It is "doable" but not a "cake walk" and you need to be a handy kinda guy. You will need a small squeegie, a small soft plastic scraper, some absorbant scratch free clothes and lots of "RapidTac" to spray on everything.
The hardest piece is the main big piece that covers the front bumper. The easiest piece is the one on the front of the hood. Do that one first to get a "flavour" for what's to come. Then do the other little stuff like the mirrors and around the headlights. Leave the big one till last and have one or two other sets of hands to help out.
It takes patience and constant "kneeding" to get the film to stick to the valleys. You'll need the little plastic scraper to smooth out the "bunching" on the "hills". this will take time and repeated scraping to smooth those out and I guess a hair dryer set on low heat will help but be careful.
A clean working area is a must. You'd be surprised at how many little lint fibers end up underneath right in the middle of an area you just stuck down. Handle the film as least as possible after you peel off the backing and wear surgical gloves. Your fingerprints will be a permanent signature just like on a new cement sidewalk. The more you have to peel it off and replace, the more difficult it will be to make it stick.
If you drop any of it on the ground, you may as well kiss it goodbye. You will never get all the dirt and grit off the sticky side. And that big main front bumper piece is hellish expensive.
You will also find that the pre-cut kit is just a hair too small for each panel. You need to stretch it as you squeegie it, so another set of hands will be useful.
Oh and when you are done, you are not done. Leave the car in a warm place over night or in the sun for a few hours to get the rest of the moisture out from under the film. This is called the "cure time".
The hardest piece is the main big piece that covers the front bumper. The easiest piece is the one on the front of the hood. Do that one first to get a "flavour" for what's to come. Then do the other little stuff like the mirrors and around the headlights. Leave the big one till last and have one or two other sets of hands to help out.
It takes patience and constant "kneeding" to get the film to stick to the valleys. You'll need the little plastic scraper to smooth out the "bunching" on the "hills". this will take time and repeated scraping to smooth those out and I guess a hair dryer set on low heat will help but be careful.
A clean working area is a must. You'd be surprised at how many little lint fibers end up underneath right in the middle of an area you just stuck down. Handle the film as least as possible after you peel off the backing and wear surgical gloves. Your fingerprints will be a permanent signature just like on a new cement sidewalk. The more you have to peel it off and replace, the more difficult it will be to make it stick.
If you drop any of it on the ground, you may as well kiss it goodbye. You will never get all the dirt and grit off the sticky side. And that big main front bumper piece is hellish expensive.
You will also find that the pre-cut kit is just a hair too small for each panel. You need to stretch it as you squeegie it, so another set of hands will be useful.
Oh and when you are done, you are not done. Leave the car in a warm place over night or in the sun for a few hours to get the rest of the moisture out from under the film. This is called the "cure time".
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From: Big Box suburb, IL
The local 3M installer here takes the S2000 bumper right off and puts it on a 'work horse'
He charges more for the pre-cut kits, but I've seen his "brand" of kits and would rather go his route. What he does is just cut a big sheet of 3M to cover the whole bumper.
He works from the middle (bumper plugs for license plate) to the outer edges. As he hits the bends, he cuts and slices as needed. When he gets to the edges of the bumper, he cuts the material slightly longer and wraps it around the edges. He then give the bra some time to adhere and dry after he's smoothed out all the bubbles and wrinkles.
Once the glue is dry, he goes back to the edges and with an hobby knife, he free hand cuts the wrapped around portions, and then peels them off.
He charges more for the pre-cut kits, but I've seen his "brand" of kits and would rather go his route. What he does is just cut a big sheet of 3M to cover the whole bumper.
He works from the middle (bumper plugs for license plate) to the outer edges. As he hits the bends, he cuts and slices as needed. When he gets to the edges of the bumper, he cuts the material slightly longer and wraps it around the edges. He then give the bra some time to adhere and dry after he's smoothed out all the bubbles and wrinkles.
Once the glue is dry, he goes back to the edges and with an hobby knife, he free hand cuts the wrapped around portions, and then peels them off.