Hank Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Man, I didn't expect it to be that much! Local company quoted me $995 to put a clear film on my nosecone and hood for my Westfield Megabusa. I don't even think the product is that great either, Digishield. Only other 2 I've heard of is 3M and Xpel. Anyone have thoughts on which one I should go with? Keep in mind I'm a road racer so I don't think there is any option in NOT running a clear shield on the nosecone and hood. The front cycle wings + mud flaps might protect the sides of my car. I ordered carbon fiber rear arch protectors. Anybody else deal with putting a clear shield on these 2 pieces? I'd like to see what you paid for it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB6 Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 (edited) $1000 is nuts,a friend with an Elise removed his due to problems with it. How much can it be to just replace the nose and bonnet with new if needed? Edited April 6, 2009 by DB6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pksurveyor Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 The rear wings will have a lot more wear and tear from gravel spray than the nose cone. $ 1,000 can pay for several new nose paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Problem is the entire body is gel-coat fiberglass so it isn't painted. Am I to worry that if I paint the nose and hood it won't match the body which is unpainted? I have to keep reminding myself that it's a race car first and a street/show car second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I had my complete Caterham covered with 3M clear bra. The tech did not cover the louvers in the bonnet nor the space between them. I had it done in stages and don't remember the exact total but I think it came in around $1,200. There are visible seams but most people don't notice them even when I tell them the car is covered with clear bra. Everything that was painted blue on the car was covered including the scuttle. I removed the windscreen so the part under and behind the screen is also covered. After the first year on the road, I had the stainless steel rear wing stone guards rhino lined as they were extensively pitted and dented from the rocks. I also had the underside of all 4 wings rhino lined to prevent star cracks. After about 3.5k miles there are a couple of places on the side panels where sharp rocks have actually cut/gouged through the plastic. I'm certain those panels would look a lot worse had they not been covered. One thing I learned about clear bra, there are several levels of pricing. Shop around and if you have a friend in car sales business ask for a referral as if you had bought the car from them. I think had I paid the total retail price it would have been closer to $3k. Moonlighting is also a possibility, I knew the tech from previous jobs and called her directly. She gave me a great price and like most in the business came to my shop to do the work. I'll do it again if I ever need to respray my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mondo Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I've found that with a black car all you need is a black sharpie (98cents) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNlotus Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 i have a 3M clear bra on my lotus, but it came with the car so i dont know how much it cost. i have to say it works great and has kept all the rock chips off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 10, 2009 Author Share Posted April 10, 2009 I'm definitely going to get a second quote on the clear shield as soon as I finish fitting the front cycle wings and minor body alignment this weekend. Damn this takes forever! But, the more time I take aligning the body the better it will look, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilteq Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I had some repair work done to my Elise, including the clear film. I bought the pre cut stuff from the Lotus dealer for the rocker panel, and then my body guy bought a roll of the same 3M material for a lot less (I think it was $70). He repaired the rocker panel and behind the rear wheel, painted those areas chrome orange (a perfect match from every angle), clear coated it, and applied the 3M film for $1000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 14, 2009 Author Share Posted April 14, 2009 Good news, I just talked a local rep into swapping clear shield paint protection for a website. No money out of pocket, and I get to advertise my car on his website for custom work. I'll post up the link when the website is done. FWIW, his quote was $900 (hood, nosecone, front cycle wings) before I talked him into a website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlumba81 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Are your rear wings going to be covered too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 I ordered carbon mods rear arch protectors for the front half of each fender, and the remaining part of each arch will be covered in clear shield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breezy7 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Seventweeks in the UK sells precut shields for paint protection. I didn't add up the cost but looks less than a $1000. Here is the link: http://seventweeks.co.uk/armafend.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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