Finally bought my 2013 G37xs. It will be picked up from the dealership tomorrow and should arrive to my place tomorrow night or the next day (bought from out of state).

I hear the paint on these cars are very weak and so I want to buy the clear bra for this car. I never used a clear bra before, so I need some guidance.

What clear bra do you recommend for this car AND how much should I expect to pay for the clear bra and having it installed?

I would want the clear bra on the front bumper and partially up the hood, where rock chips usually occur.

 

I use a guy here locally that can install anything, but prefers Xpel because he can warranty it for 10 years (even if he is not around, the product and install will be honored via the warranty card they give you).

Here’s the website: Auto Armour - 40 Photos - Auto Detailing - Mission Valley - San Diego, CA - Reviews - Yelp

$450 cash: Front bumper and lights (minimal, a must have)
$750 cash: Front bumper and lights, mirrors, bikini hood, door handles, rear luggage area near trunk (said he would throw in other areas as well)
$1200 – Everything above plus full fenders and hood

 

I think XPEL gets the best reviews as far as the brand of film, but the actual installer would be what you really want a solid review for. G/L should be money well spent, and congrats on your new G.

 

Where are you located?

My original front bumper had Venture film on it for the past 6 years and it has held up VERY well, but has yellowed just slightl over the years.. So when I did my front end conversion i had XPel self healing film installed and it now looks perfectly transparent again. The self healing actually works for minor scratches as well, so that's another plus to the XPel film. Both installs were done by Sean at Ultimate Shield in Orange, CA. I highly recommend them to anyone.

 

I wish that I would have gotten the bikini hood as well. The slopping design of the hood invites lots of chips.

 

Yeah, I agree. I have the front 10" or so of my hood done and I'm sure it's saved me a ton of chips... My car is now 7 years old and I don't have a single chip on the entire front end so it's definitely done its job well.

 

What do I google to locate a shop that does the clear bra's? Do I look up auto window tinting shops, are they the ones that usually do the clear bra? Or is there specific shops that only do this?

 

Might ask your Infiniti dealer who they recommend, just don't let them "send it out".

 

If your interested in doing an XPel clear bra then just go to their web-page and search for local installers in your area. Here's a link:
http://locator.xpel.com/search/clear.../United_States

Often times these same installers will also carry other brands of clear bra's... For example, Ultimate Shield, in Orange, CA that did my XPel clear bra also handles 3M film for both clear bra's and window tint... so they may be able to offer you other options that may better fit your needs (lower cost, etc...).

 

I started with the dealer recommendations, then Yelped those guys to see how they were classified. I then compared them to others that were ranked higher. Called about 4 of them and went with the one I gel'd with on the phone. I also wanted a mobile service as it is not practical for me to sit in a shop for hours during the middle of a work day (very few around here have legit waiting areas with Wi-Fi). Pricing is pretty standard, but some of them throw in extras like the top portion of the rear bumper. I think because it comes with the kit and is easy to install.

 

^ +1 Yelp is an excellent tool for finding a reputable shop for work like this.

I would be reluctant to use a mobile shop for a clear bra installation, though, as the clear bra install really requires a VERY clean environment for proper installation. One of the most important factors to a nice clean install with minimal dust and bubbles is a clean surface to work with and that's going to be very hard to do if they have to work outside especially if there is any wind (think about trying to install a giant screen protector on your cell phone outdoors with the wind blowing)... Not saying it's impossible, but the likelihood of getting small dust particles under the clear bra will be a lot higher. The shop I went to is VERY clean and holds the entire shop at a slightly positive pressure to keep out outside contaminants. Just something else to think about when picking an installer.

 

^ This. Like a lot of things concerning auto body work, a majority of the work is in proper prep (and controlling the environment).

 

I have the "A" pillars, roof, and mirrors done. Well worth it.

 

The job turned out perfect, and the gentleman who did the car had a portfolio of much nicer cars that he had done in a similar manner. I am located in San Diego, where the weather is +/- 5 degrees from perfect year round and I also keep my car fairly spotless, so that may have helped.

I did go back to him 6 months later and ask to have the bikini hood installed and he said that he prefers doing the entire hood as opposed to the bikini since you can see the line across the hood. I'm not interested in covering the fenders and entire hood as it's still just a daily driver, not a Countach.