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Rolling the Invisibra material over the leading edges of the hood is very important. After all, why get Invisibra paint protection if you still get chips on the front of your hood?!?
1. Why is an Invsibra better than other car bras or no protection?
Paint protection increases the value of the car when it comes time to resell it. Rocks, insects, and debris can significantly show wear on your paint job within a short period of time. This is particularly true in harsh winter areas where sand is poured on the roads for traction. Vinyl bras can catch dirt and debris between it and the hood causing scratches and discoloration. A properly installed clear bra can solve both of these problems. Click on the pictures to the left to compare.
2. What is Invisibra?
Basically, it is a relatively thick, pliable film that has a strong adhesive on one side and a chemical resistant layer on the other side. Once it is properly applied to the car's painted surface, like the leading edge of the hood, or front bumper, it is a strong protection against rocks thrown up by vehicles on the highway in winter and bug splats in summer keeping the paint underneath in perfect condition. An additional bonus is the material's nearly invisible protection, not changing the look of your car, like an ugly black vinyl bra or bug deflector.
3. I've never heard of it, so where did it come from?
Well, during Operation Desert Storm, the jets and helicopters were getting a lot of damage from the desert sand, so the military contacted 3M to come up with a solution, and that is where the paint protection film came from. Improvements were made to adapt it to automotive use and since then other manufacturers have developed their own paint protection film.
4. Can the film be removed if needed?
Yes, the film can be removed if damaged in some way or if it is starting to look rough after several years of protecting your car from flying rocks. Then a new piece can be installed keeping your paint looking good for many years. To the left is a picture of the material being removed. In this case, something really big damaged the film, so we removed it and put a new piece on. The paint was not damaged at all.
5. How should I care for the Invisibra once it is installed?
First, you should give it several days to finish drying before you wash the car. After that, treat it just like it wasn't there. When using a pressure washer, you should make sure to keep the nozzle at least 18" away from the Invisibra, as 2000 psi of water can damage just about anything, and will damage the Invisibra material. When waxing the car, wax right over the Invisibra. You may notice a buildup of wax along the upper edge of the material, and a soft toothbrush works well to clean that edge.
6. What is the expected life of the film?
Companies producing high quality films have tested them under adverse weather conditions for years with no adverse effects. If a big enough stone hits the film at a high enough speed it may take a small nick out of the film. Over time, there may get to be more and more nicks and you might decide to go ahead and have the film replaced. If you spend a lot of time on the highway, the material may need to be replaced more often. Generally speaking, most Invisibra installs will be good for 5 to 10 years or more.
7. What materials are used at Invisibra?
We, at Invisibra, pay close attention to the entire paint protection film market to find the highest quality films available. Feel free to ask us which films we have found to be the “best” in the current market. At present we can use 3M, Xpel, Llumar, Ventureshield and Avery, all of which have great warranties for the consumer.
8. How long does it take to install?
This mainly depends on how much coverage you are going for. A simple hood and fender tip install should take an hour or less; but a full bumper, hood, fender, rear view mirror, tire splash area install can take many hours to complete.
9. What parts can be protected by Invisibra?
Here are just a few ideas:
- Hood: Rock chips show most noticeably on the front of the hood, making it the most popular part of the car to cover. The most common coverage on hoods are 12”, 18” or 24” from the leading edge. However, full hoods can also be done.
- Front Bumper: Again, the forward facing painted surfaces are most likely to be damaged by flying rocks.
- Side mirrors: The mirrors catch a lot of damaging stones and insects.
- Headlights/Foglights: Headlights are getting to be VERY expensive to replace, so protection is a must.
- Roof edge: The leading edge of the roof also gets hit often by high-
flying debris. - Sides of roof: A lot of people use ski-
racks in the winter, and clear bra material can keep the rack from scratching. - Back bumper: Have you ever scratched up your rear bumper putting luggage into the trunk? Clear bra is the answer.
- Door handle inserts: Long fingernails, rings, or keys can scratch up the paint around door handles...but not with clear bra protection.
- Tire-
splash: The bottom section of the fenders can be damaged by your own tires throwing rocks up.
10. What else can be protected with Invisibra paint protection?
- RV’s
- Campers
- Motorcycles
- Utility Trailers
- Anything with a painted surface!
