I have done the clear bra thing on 6 cars. I always work with the installer on them and have done some easier kits myself. Here is what I have learned.
FYI Xpel makes the patterns only.
The patterns can be use to cut what ever film you want. If your installer has the ability to cut the patterns in his shop, you have found a higher volume installer.
The software also allows for the person cutting it to add material to the original pattern. This allows for a wrap of the edges. They will charge more for this and it is not insignificant. The extra time to wrap the edges is where it adds up. The software change is a new feature this year.
That said, if you have a light color car it will show more dust/dirt in the edge of the film line. I would advise that a wrap be considered where possible and it would make sense. Rear fenders, the area under the rear scoop, etc.
If you have a Tungsten car, Black car you won't even notice it. The light colors could use this. I like the protection but really hate this part. I have a Machine Silver Z06 and it's invisible. On the White GT you will see the lines when it gets dirty. I clean the lines with a Q-tip and some Plexus Plastic Spray cleaner. Did I mention how much I hate cleaning the lines. To be fair, you won't notice it from 8' away. People do say I can be a bit too anal retentive.
You might also consider doing the Fender Wells on the Clam itself. It's just raw carbon fiber, so it will get rock chips over time. I thought this was a good investment, especially if you have sticky tires on a track day.
I also like to to do the top leading edge of the roof. It seams to be an area prone to chips on other cars.
The painted stripes on our cars have a raised edge. The bra material will not be perfect here as it cannot make that sharp of a bend. But it does not look obvious or bad.
some folks like to do the rear bumper as well, I guess the diffuser kicks stuff up can can chip the under side. I did not do this. I heard about it after I did mine.
Since I plan to track the car once in awhile, I also did the bra over the stripes on the side up to the edge line on the door and into the front fender. After driving through some water on the street I could tell where rocks may fling. I used the water spots as a reference point. I had also noticed cars with noggies in the stripes in my search for some used cars.
3M - I have this on a couple cars. They are over 3 years old and the product has been updated since then. Both have yellowed. One car sits outside most of the time. The other is in the garage and only has 6k on it. The protection is great and has paid for itself IMO. Sacraficial Barrier.
This was all that was out a few years ago. The orange peel matches the orange peel in the factory paint jobs on many cars.
The installers like this film and the new Avery film as it is a tad thicker, but also softer feeling and easier to install in complex areas than Venture. It is clear coated so it has some protection.
Venture - This stuff actually makes paint looks better than the orange peel on many cars. Makes you want to wrap the whole car. It has more orange peel than the GT has but it is the best of the majors IMO. Again the installers don't like doing some complex areas with it. Venture has patterns like Xpel for high end installers. These patterns may differ. Installers may tell you that Venture does not have a clear coat and requires more maintenance. Many only recommend the Plexus on this film. I believe it looks better than the Avery and 3M on the GT or other cars with super nice paint finishes. I think some installers would rather do it with 3m for the ease of install and try to get you to lean that direction. Some will charge more for a Venture install.
A good installer will have acess to all the patterns available. When he downloads the pattern he pays a fee to the pattern makers. Look closely at these and you will see differences. The cutter does not care which film it is cutting. So you can pick and choose patterns from Venture, Xpel and others. Example: One pattern for the nose wraps the lower flat area of the radiator opening. Another does not.
Installers are now starting to get come comebacks from the Lifetime Warranty days over the yellowing issues. many have reduced the warranty limits. The installer that did my first car will not re-do it for free as his warranty states, he wants me to fork out the cost of the material. This is in writting and I even kicked him some work. Ask up front and even then beware. The last 5 cars are from a different guy.
All the Mfg's recommend Plexus Plastic cleaner and polish spray to maintain the film. It works pretty good. Some say you can wax it, but note not to use a wax with a pigment. On light color cars I would just use the Plexus product.
Can you do it yourself, yes. Do you want to?, maybe. It's takes a full 8 hours with two guys to do a GT nicely with some extra wraps.
