[Bill Sz.]

We just had clear bras and xenon headlight protectors installed on our CVT Cooper and Cooper S.

The relevant facts:

1. The kits came from X-Pel Automotive: (http://clearbra.com) and they included the hood, front bumper, mirrors, headlights, running lights, fog lights, and the grill on the Cooper S ... (Basically, I think that all the protective material is pretty much the same ... it comes from 3M ... the various manufacturers just have their own patterns.) The kit for the MINI is so new that it isn't even listed on the X-Pel site yet.

2. The kits from X-Pel appear to be well cut/designed. There are no seams in the individual pieces, but the pattern does have several pieces.

3. No matter what you think (unless you are incredibly talented or lucky or both) DO NOT attempt to install these clear bra kits yourself! The professional installer came to the house at 8:00 am and he worked (without stopping for lunch) until 5:00 pm! That was for 2 cars ... and he has done nearly 100 cars, according to him. After watching him for 10 minutes, I'd never think of trying to install the kits myself. These were the first MINI's that he ever did (so maybe there was a learning curve) but he went on to say that because of the curves and angles of the MINI hood, it was one of the more difficult instllations that he has done. (And he showed me pictures of the Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris that he has done in the past.)

4. So far, the protective coating is nearly invisible, but not quite. You can obviously see the edge of the film and there are slight (and I mean very slight) random lines/grain patterns in the film, which, according to the installer is normal until the film finally sets in place in several days. (You have to really "eye-ball" the stuff up close to see it.) He advised against washing the cars for 48 hours. After that, the coating can be washed and waxed with no special precautions.

5. Not cheap! To have both cars done ... with tax, etc. ... it was $1,200.00. But ... from what we've heard ... the cost to replace a xenon headlight is big $$. There is a warranty/indemnity scheme with X-Pel to cover the cost of a headlight that breaks from a rock or stone chip after the film is applied. And, in case you haven't noticed, it seems that the paint on the MINI's is ... shall we say ... "soft" or at least prone to rock/stone chips. We've had the CVT Cooper for over 3 months now ... and we've already picked up more than our share ... so we figured ... enough is enough.

The clear bras may not be for everyone. But, we plan to keep the cars for a while and we thought that, in the long run, they would be a worthwhile investment.

I'd post some pictures ... but honestly ... there is not much to see!


Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[msenkbeil]

Bill -

If I recall, you've got a DS MCS... I'm concerned about how the edge lines of a clear bra on that color. I'd have to expect you'd see quite a contrast, especially when the car's well polished. I want to get a clear bra to avoid chips, but reassure me it won't ruin a view like this:

[Bill Sz.]

msenkbeil: Before answering your question, I went downstairs into the garage and took a good look at both cars, (the yellow CVT Cooper and the DS Cooper S) from about 2 - 3 feet away. (It is still less than 24 hours since the coating was applied.)

From that distance, the edge lines are nearly invisible. Obviously, the closer you get, the easier it is to see the edge lines. If the picture you posted was taken 2 - 3 feet away from the car, I seriously doubt you would see much, if any, of the edge lines. (That is one of the reasons why I didn't bother posting any pictures ... not a hell of a lot to see!)

What you really have to decide is: Do I want a car with nothing on the paint ... but with the eventual stone chips? Or, do I want a traditional black bra that hides the front of the car and protects against the chips ... but ends up scratching the paint itself or resulting in uneven oxidation of the paint? Or, do I want a clear bra that is the "next best thing" to nothing on the paint, while still protecting against the chips? You can't have it all!

And ... what about those pricey xenon headlights? Chips you can live with ... have a rock blow one of those xenons out, and you'll be one real unhappy camper! If nothing else, you can always just get the xenons covered with the coating.

If you do decide to get the coating (whether on the paint and/or on the headlights), just make sure that you have it professionally installed.

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[msenkbeil]

Thanks for the detail, Bill. I was worried that the farther you get away from the MINI, the more noticeable the film would be. I'll bet my local window tinting shop will do the film as well as the windows. Thanks.

[kshapiro]

What we really need is a spray-on coating that won't leave a seam and still protect our paint. Oh yeah...it's already been developed...it's called clearcoat. Oh yeah...we have it!

Really, it's just my opinion but I wouldn't put that hi-tech clear contact paper on a car of mine if it were free. A really hard (or fast) stone will scratch or tear the film anyway, and how do you do paint repair when the area is wrapped in that stuff?

[Bill Sz.]

Quote:

Originally posted by kshapiro
What we really need is a spray-on coating that won't leave a seam and still protect our paint. Oh yeah...it's already been developed...it's called clearcoat. Oh yeah...we have it!

Really, it's just my opinion but I wouldn't put that hi-tech clear contact paper on a car of mine if it were free. A really hard (or fast) stone will scratch or tear the film anyway, and how do you do paint repair when the area is wrapped in that stuff?

Like most things in life ... the only things that are really guaranteed ... are death and taxes!

I, too was somewhat concerned about wrapping the front end of the cars with what amounts to sticky plastic wrap!

And, indeed, it is possible that a hard or fast stone will scratch or tear the film. However, under the X-Pel warranty the real question is whether that hard or fast stone also dents the underlying metal. If it does, then there probably isn't any warranty coverage. If it doesn't, then there is warranty coverage for the scratch. The warranty states, in relevant part:

"X-Pel™ $1,000 Paint Protection Guarantee
Terms and Conditions. Available only in the USA and Canada
In the event that the paint on your vehicle sustains any rock, stone or bug impact damage and such damaged area was completely covered by a properly installed, pre-cut X-Pel kit when the damage occurred, AND such impact DOES NOT cause the sheet metal beneath the impact area to bend, crater or dent, or DOES NOT cause the composite material or fiberglass to dent, crater or crack, whichever may be the case, then Reflex Enterprises will refund to you (the original purchaser of the X-Pel paint protection kit), up to $1,000 toward your insurance deductible for repair of the damage caused by any such impact(s) through the X-Pel material..."

If you think about it, if the stone is big/hard/fast enough to dent the underlying metal ... it really doesn't matter what you have to stop or deflect it, (a regular bra, a clear bra, or nothing), since you will end up with either a dent or a dent and/or a chip.

Quite simply, we have decided to take our chances with the clear bra. As I said, they are not cheap and they may not be for everyone! (As a side note ... the film on the xenons is considerably thicker than the film on the paint.)The bottom line is this: no protection whatsoever, a traditional bra, or a clear bra ... it's "whatever floats your boat!"

As to how you paint or repair an area that may become scratched ... real simple ... you heat the film with a hair dryer and peel off the piece that failed. (It doesn't hurt the paint.) Then, you simply touch-up or air brush the chip and re-install the piece.

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[Bill Sz.]

Here is a picture of the Evil Twins taken this morning showing (or I should say ... not showing), the clear bras. As I said earlier, there really isn't much to see.

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[chiph]

Bill -

Did the X-Pel kit have pieces for the grill? Besides the leading edge of the hood, bumpers, & headlamps, what else did you get covered?

Thanks.
Chip H.

[Bill Sz.]

Quote:

Originally posted by chiph
Bill -

Did the X-Pel kit have pieces for the grill? Besides the leading edge of the hood, bumpers, & headlamps, what else did you get covered?

Thanks.
Chip H.

Chip H. : Yes, the kit had pieces for the grill for Cooper S, since the grill is painted. The CVT Cooper has a chrome grill, so there were no pieces for that car. Surprisingly, the Cooper S kit did not have a piece for the hood scoop! (I think I may have received one of the very first MINI kits from X-Pel ... since the installer said that he was going to contact them and have them include the hood scoop in their subsequent kits ... and their web-site doesn't even list a kit for the MINI.) In any event, the installer was so good, that he just hand-cut a hood scoop piece on the spot and it fit perfectly.

The kit included the xenon headlights and the running lights, but not the fog lights?? Again, the installer simply cut two small pieces on the spot for the fog lights and installed them in about 2 minutes.

Finally, the kit also included pieces to cover the mirrors ... not the entire mirror, but just a large oval piece that covers the back of the mirror that would be most prone to chips.

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[chiph]

Thanks, Bill.

It seems to me that the difference between the various companies offering this are:

1. Skill of the installer
2. Fit & completeness of the kit.

The material (3M product) is the same for all of them.

Chip H.

[Bill Sz.]

Here are a few more pics taken by the installer:

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[jakearama]

Anyone know if someone installs clear bras in Montreal and if so, who?

Thanks for any info.

Jakearama.

[Bill Sz.]

Quote:

Originally posted by jakearama
Anyone know if someone installs clear bras in Montreal and if so, who?

Thanks for any info.

Jakearama.

Check with one of the manufacturers, (X-Pel, Invinca, Stone Guard, etc.) They should be able to refer you to someone. That's what I did.

Liquid Yellow Cooper CVT -w- white roof & mirrors and sport package, leatherette, xenons and 16" 5-Star alloys (in our hot little hands) and,

Dark Silver Cooper S -w- white roof & mirrors, premium & sport packages and lapis blue/leather (also in our hot little hands).

Bill

[jakearama]

Anyone know if someone installs clear bras in Montreal and if so, who?

Thanks for any info.

Jakearama.

[jeffers]

Quote:

Originally posted by msenkbeil
Bill -

If I recall, you've got a DS MCS... I'm concerned about how the edge lines of a clear bra on that color. I'd have to expect you'd see quite a contrast, especially when the car's well polished. I want to get a clear bra to avoid chips, but reassure me it won't ruin a view like this:

Hadn't previously checked this thread due to bra conversation, but that's one of the best DS/B with stripes shots I've ever seen.

[msenkbeil]

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffers


Hadn't previously checked this thread due to bra conversation, but that's one of the best DS/B with stripes shots I've ever seen.

I took that with my Canon S40 digicam at my local MINI dealer. Check out all my DS pics at http://minicooper.idlegames.com/Exterior/Dark%20Silver/

[jeffers]

Thanks - you've added quite a few since last time I checked the site out.

[eltel]

Quote:

Originally posted by msenkbeil


I took that with my Canon S40 digicam at my local MINI dealer. Check out all my DS pics at http://minicooper.idlegames.com/Exterior/Dark%20Silver/

Nice snaps, but that slide show !! Is it not possible to provide thumbnails rather than crawling through 104 large downloads?

Regards, ElTel

[msenkbeil]

Quote:

Originally posted by eltel



Nice snaps, but that slide show !! Is it not possible to provide thumbnails rather than crawling through 104 large downloads?

Regards, ElTel

Sure! If you go to the URL and wait for a few seconds, the slide show link moves to the center of the screen (don't ask me why... it was a free slideshow program from MS). If you click the link after it moves to the middle of the screen, the slideshow will have three options on the top of the screen: Slideshow, Filmstrip, Previews. Previews is the thumbnail view. For some reason, if you click the link early, it only shows the slideshow.

BTW, DNS2go.com is down (again ) so until it's back up and running, you can substitute minicooper.servepics.com instead of minicooper.idlegames.com.

[eltel]

Well thanks. I'll be more patient next time.

Regards, ElTel