I spotted a couple of these on eBay, it's the hood piece, front bumper piece, and small pieces for the front wings and mirrors.

The big difference was that they were around $30 shipped, whereas the 3M one I've seen is closer to $300.
I know you get what you pay for and all that, & I'm a bit skeptical that they can be any good for $270 less than the thing they're imitating.

With that said, anyone had good/bad experience with these cheap ones?

____

 

I don't think there have been many experiences with them b/c I don't think many people dare. It sounds like plain clear vinyl - whereas the 3m and others are a thicker, heavier material that will actually help.

 

I have actually purchased this already and have yet to put it on. I have checked out the material though and it seems pretty thick, I am sure it wont be as awesome as the 3m or any other brand, but for a fraction of the cost, it is worth it. I just hope that the install doesnt give my dad and me too many issues. I will def post some pics when I get it on, but I would say go for it if you think you can install it yourself. If it goes on easy then you just saves a ton of cash, if it looks horrible, you are only out 30 bucs.

 

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with installing it :D

 

Well just posting to update my experience w/ the ebay clearbra in question.... I am sure it comes as no suprise to anyone that it was a total and utter failure. I cant really say for sure if it was the product itself or my inability to manipulate it to get it on. I only tried to put it on the side mirrors to see how it was ganna work and had no success so decided to give up there. I am sure I could have did the hood, but that is proly it being anything with major curves to it makes it near impossible with the material they supplied, didnt seems to be cut right to get around the bends very well. Anyways, the verdict is... Pay someone to do this for you, I am only out like 30 bucs so I dont feel too bad about this.

 

Thanks for sharing, sometimes ebay can be your best friend.... or your worst enemy.

 

Thanks a ton for letting us know Sorry it didn't work out. Sounds like the expensive film and a professional install is (unfortunately) the way to go.

 

Yea, unfortunetley it is not worth your time to try and do yourself, but I would say paying for a professional is worth the money for sure if you can afford it. Does anyone know of if anyone does the clearbras for around 200? Or is there a diffrent material out there, say some sort of spray on stuff? Or how much good and how much would a few more layers of clear coat cost?

 

The geniune 3M ones come in 3 types I think, at least from the place I'm looking at.

The short hood and mirror set (3 pieces) is $140, or the long one (reaches a few more inches up the hood) is $190.

The bumper piece is $216, and I have no idea if this is any harder to fit with the factory ground effects kit.

Their site says that installers typically charge 250-350 for installation.

That ends up being pretty expensive (around 700) considering it's for something you don't even see, and I'm sure you will still get rock chips in other places on the car like further up the hood.

Would be neat if there's something which has an inbetween cost.

 

I bought mine from paintprotectionfilm on ebay. Cost was 225. Geniune 3m film. It was the bumper, hood (short), and mirrors. Installation was $310, but that also included both the full length of the rocker panels. So total for everything was $535. Was it worth it, absolutely. With out the rocker panels, it would've been 250 to install.

 

Looking at the install video for the invinca-shield kit, it doesn't actually look that bad to do. The film stretches and you use liquids to slide it perfectly into place, then another liquid to (I assume) activate the adhesive, then squeegee it out, finishing it off with a heatgun around the edges.

I would probably attempt the hood piece myself with this film, not sure about the bumper though.

 

wolfe, if you have not had any experience with this type of film before I wouldn't attempt it. The people that install this stuff have to go through 3m classes and such. I watched the woman install mine and it looked like a _____ to do. The also have a rating system on the install, it is the hardest to do (that also determines the price of labor)

If you want to install this yourself, the place I bought mine does have all of the liquids and parts to do it.

 

The hood would be the only thing worth even trying to do, everything is way too curvy and let me tell you from my failure, is near impossible. I didnt try the hood because its not really what I wanted covered, i mainly just want the front bumper done. I bought some touchup paint the other day and put it on insted of the clearbra and it turned out very nicely. I can find too many other uses for 500+ bucs, although I am sure it is worth it and very nice to have.

 

FYI: I bought that clear bra off of eBay. Totally SUCKS. My dad knows how to do all that kind of crap with bras, etc, and well... For one, it definitely was NOT an exact fit, and two, it did not conform to the car's bumper - even WITH a blow dryer. Basically it looked like crap and was thrown away. Do not waste your money on eBay clear bra IMITATIONS. They suck, and are a huge waste of time and money. If you're still thinking about buying one after my post, I mean go for it. You'll find out yourself - the hard way.

I just bought an actual tC bra off of McGeorge Parts. Yeah, it'll make my RS 2.0 look bad, but I definitely will need it once college starts. I'll be driving the highway daily, and my last car had so many rock chips. I'll take it off every summer. That's my plan.

 

as a word of advice, get these installed professionally.

this is one thing i would not buy off ebay and install myself.

they may peel, fade, discolor, or even damage your paint. you never really know what you are buying on ebay. its not worth the risk to ruin your OEM paint. find a shop that will guarantee and warranty their work. professionally installed may even pay for any damage caused by rocks if the product didn't protect it as designed.

 

http://www.rockblocker.net/store/35349.htm Here check this out.

 

My installer made it look easy, but he had 4 years of experience plus professional training. On most cars with paint chips it usually happens within the first third of the hood, which most ventureshield clear bra kits do cover.

 

Only buy this from them if you are in the AZ area or have an installer lined up already that knows 100% for sure what they are doing. You are better off finding a local shop in your area that sells the product as well as installs it. I purchased the full kit from them and assumed it would be no big deal to find an installer. I am going to drive 300 miles this weekend to get the install done. Hopefully it will go well. At least this installer deals with the same product so if something goes wrong, he can easily replace it with matching 3m product.

Also, you can always check on the 3m website for installers in your area. Be sure to check with more than one installer on pricing though. I had one in my hometown quote me $1200 for a full install with new product (they refused to work with the rockblocker product) and then one outside of my area quote me ~$300 for the install and said if I bought it all from him it would be under $1k easily.

BTW, nothing against rockblocker itself...just a PITA to find an installer if you aren't close to them.