Help! Plastic over paint

[Firstvette]

Ordered a C7 in Sunset Orange. The Plastic cover (film) over the paint was not available. I think it was about a $1300 opition. Does anyone know what the problem is with the plastic overlay and what is the consensus on the value of having it or not.

 

[catbert]

Protective film is an aftermarket item. I've never been a fan, but that's just MHO. Like a number of other expensive Vette outlays, the subsequent owner will be happy you spent the money. I found a lightweight stretch mask will do fine when I really worry about chips, and it's way cheaper.

On the other hand, some owners film every new Vette they buy.

 

[Firstvette]

Thank You for your input. I Plan on taking a trip from Wisconsin to Arizona, then on to w.coast - E. coast. I'll research the stretch masks. Any suggestions on brand/supplier.

 

[catbert]

Thank You for your input. I Plan on taking a trip from Wisconsin to Arizona, then on to w.coast - E. coast. I'll research the stretch masks. Any suggestions on brand/supplier.

I don't know the brand, but I got mine at the National Corvette Museum. 10% off if you are a member.

 

[94C4-Vette]

There are many theories about film on paint and no film. Here is some truth that is often overlooked. Todays paint is applied with fewer coats than cars of old. Todays paint is also an environment friendly paint that can absorb bug acid faster than older cars. Dull bug stains will never come out. These two items are the main reason why people cover the paint. Todays paint chips faster, scratches faster, and will dull out faster if you don't spend a lot of time waxing the car. The spider webbing is also non existent on wrapped cars. Sandblasting the paint is real easy with the newer paint. Arizona is a desert that occasionally has sand storms. Not good for the paint. I would recommend covering the front of your worthwhile investment so you will not have to worry about the critical areas again. Look up Clear Guard paint protection and give them a call or send them an e mail. Very knowledgeable about paint chip protection. The custom made a pattern for my C4. Awesome job.

 

[Firstvette]

Thank You for your input. I will certainly pursue the Clear Guard Paint Protection if not offered by GM. I plan to put some miles on this car and this should help keeping the front end in good looking condition.

 

[radmrjg]

Paint protection

Thank You for your input. I will certainly pursue the Clear Guard Paint Protection if not offered by GM. I plan to put some miles on this car and this should help keeping the front end in good looking condition.

I am a bit late to this discussion but I will add my 2 cents anyway. I have a 2009 Corvette (atomic orange - z-51). I found someone that installs the 3M clear film near me in Florida and had the film installed. It covers the front, headlights, rocker panels, mirrors, wheel wells, door edges, and recessed door openings. The total cost was $800 installed. It took one day to install. 3M has special die cut molds for just about any car. It looks very good. You can notice a small line on the hood if you look real close. I have been very happy with the result. None of the film has lifted over the nearly 6 years I have had the car. The car does not have one ding or scratch anywhere.
A friend recently bought a 2015 Corvette. His dealer sold him some type of clear coat paint that the dealer claimed would protect against chips and scratches. It cost him $1000. Is anyone familiar with this type of protection for the paint surface?

 

[catbert]

I am a bit late to this discussion but I will add my 2 cents anyway. I have a 2009 Corvette (atomic orange - z-51). I found someone that installs the 3M clear film near me in Florida and had the film installed. It covers the front, headlights, rocker panels, mirrors, wheel wells, door edges, and recessed door openings. The total cost was $800 installed. It took one day to install. 3M has special die cut molds for just about any car. It looks very good. You can notice a small line on the hood if you look real close. I have been very happy with the result. None of the film has lifted over the nearly 6 years I have had the car. The car does not have one ding or scratch anywhere.
A friend recently bought a 2015 Corvette. His dealer sold him some type of clear coat paint that the dealer claimed would protect against chips and scratches. It cost him $1000. Is anyone familiar with this type of protection for the paint surface?

The dealer sold him something, but it wasn't clear coat paint, that's for sure. There are a million dealer add-ons that promise to do whatever you want them to do, but really only add to the dealers net profit. It may be my cynicism stemming from decades of dealing with those kind of dealers, but I'd say he's been had. You really don't see the old "interior/exterior protection" packages that much these days. The dealers now just add from a couple hundred to 800 bucks to the agreed on price of the car and call it an "administrative fee."

 

[LLC5]

The dealer sold him something, but it wasn't clear coat paint, that's for sure. There are a million dealer add-ons that promise to do whatever you want them to do, but really only add to the dealers net profit. It may be my cynicism stemming from decades of dealing with those kind of dealers, but I'd say he's been had. You really don't see the old "interior/exterior protection" packages that much these days. The dealers now just add from a couple hundred to 800 bucks to the agreed on price of the car and call it an "administrative fee."

Unfortunately it is still out there. 7 year paint protection plans guaranteeing the customer will never have to wax the vehicle, for a starting price of (you got it right) $800.00, but of course if the buyer is really shrewd they could negotiate a lower price point. The plan comes with a bottle of "product" in the boot area of the sold vehicle that needs to be applied to the paint buy the owner every 6 months..........

 

[Tom Martin]

Plastic paint protection

Protective film is an aftermarket item. I've never been a fan, but that's just MHO. Like a number of other expensive Vette outlays, the subsequent owner will be happy you spent the money. I found a lightweight stretch mask will do fine when I really worry about chips, and it's way cheaper.

On the other hand, some owners film every new Vette they buy.

I had an installer put the best grade of plastic on my Vette. I just isn't worth the money. I have four or five places where my car suffered rock hits and it discolored the plastic to the point that they are quite easily visible. I'm leaning toward buying a "Speed Lingerie" color matched bra for my car. The dealer said they would strip off the plastic forward of the hood and repaint the front end for $707.55. I've only had the car for only a couple of months. I suppose they'd like to do it quarterly. A stretch bra won't work for me because my car is Lime Rock green and the rock hits show up as a grey color to almost white and would definitely show through the mesh of the bra.
Has anybody else on the forum had any experience with the "Speed Lingerie" bra? I understand that they're really hard to get on the car properly but once they're on they look great, I'm just worrying about the color match to my car.

 

[Tom Martin]

Clear bra

Unfortunately it is still out there. 7 year paint protection plans guaranteeing the customer will never have to wax the vehicle, for a starting price of (you got it right) $800.00, but of course if the buyer is really shrewd they could negotiate a lower price point. The plan comes with a bottle of "product" in the boot area of the sold vehicle that needs to be applied to the paint buy the owner every 6 months..........

Unfortunately the clear bra sure didn't work for me. The front end of my Vette is really marred from rock hits on the clear bra! I guess the answer would be either a stretch bra or a paint colored bra like Speed Lingerie's. Expensive but maybe worth it. They're about $700.

 

[Dsrtrmance]

Plastic coveing

I had the entire front end of my 2016 Corvette covered from the front end lower grill to up and over the hood, side fenders, and mirrors... everything covered to the edge of the front door because I live in Arizona and we get some pretty radical dust storms.
Can tell you for certain... best $1400 I ever spent. It is self healing so when a rock hits... just set it out in the sun and it fills itself.

 

[doingMach1]

I have a question....I'm not necessarily against it, but I think we could agree that the film is to protect the car for resale purpose. I bought a 2014 just recently with only 3000 miles. It has this plastic film but only at the front of the rear quarters, just in front of the rear wheels. It looks terrible. Doesn't look the same color (Artic White) and it's obvious that there's a piece of plastic film there. So yes, that area of the car will be protected and will not have any kind of scratches or small chips. But the whole time that I own the car, it will look like crap. I can't imagine doing that to large areas of the car such as the front bumper.

So the question is this… Is it really worth spending the money to protect your car, while it looks less pristine, but protect the paint for the next buyer? Or would you be better off enjoying your car looking as beautiful as it can, and use that money to repaint any small chips when you go to sell it???




~Tony

My Build: Lorie R2 Droid Build

 

[LLC5]

I have a question....I'm not necessarily against it, but I think we could agree that the film is to protect the car for resale purpose. I bought a 2014 just recently with only 3000 miles. It has this plastic film but only at the front of the rear quarters, just in front of the rear wheels. It looks terrible. Doesn't look the same color (Artic White) and it's obvious that there's a piece of plastic film there. So yes, that area of the car will be protected and will not have any kind of scratches or small chips. But the whole time that I own the car, it will look like crap. I can't imagine doing that to large areas of the car such as the front bumper.

So the question is this… Is it really worth spending the money to protect your car, while it looks less pristine, but protect the paint for the next buyer? Or would you be better off enjoying your car looking as beautiful as it can, and use that money to repaint any small chips when you go to sell it???




~Tony

My Build: Lorie R2 Droid Build

You bring up an excellent point. I would say that the next owner will probably benefit the most since the plastic film is going to degrade and get hazy from road debris like a clear coat, and you are stuck with the hazing and scratches since you cannot buff and polish them out. On clear coat you can buff the small scratches out, unlike the plastic film, and polish and protect it and have it look better than new again.

 

[doingMach1]

You bring up an excellent point. I would say that the next owner will probably benefit the most since the plastic film is going to degrade and get hazy from road debris like a clear coat, and you are stuck with the hazing and scratches since you cannot buff and polish them out. On clear coat you can buff the small scratches out, unlike the plastic film, and polish and protect it and have it look better than new again.

Exactly… That's what I tend to think as well. I'm very seriously considering pulling off the little bit of plastic film that is on my C7 now, since it annoys me to no end every time I walk up to the side of it and see these patches of a darker, kind of yellowish, hazy white. Not to mention, I would also think that over a number of years of UV rays from the sun, that the paint could discolor at a different pace with and without the plastic so that you end up with some patches of a different shade of whatever color your car is.


~Tony

My Build: Lorie R2 Droid Build

 

[94C4-Vette]

Hello first vette.
I am a clear film installer. I have been doing it for 13+years. The material has evolved greatly over the years. All of the negative stuff you hear is old stories that won't die. Putting a thin fabric over the car for short trip is OK but you do have to remove it to free up the micro grit that gets caught under the material. I have had many customers come to me after they have spent monet on other covers and masks. They all have said the same thing. It is such a pain to clean up after it gets wet, dirty under it answer sometimes they won't go back on right after they have been streched. Not to mention....you are hiding the beautiful lines of the car the attracted you to it.
I live in the Chicago area and I can refer you to many happy vette customers that live in Wisconsin who have had several cars done by me.
Contact me.
andy@clearguardforcars.com

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[94C4-Vette]

Unfortunately the clear bra sure didn't work for me. The front end of my Vette is really marred from rock hits on the clear bra! I guess the answer would be either a stretch bra or a paint colored bra like Speed Lingerie's. Expensive but maybe worth it. They're about $700.

There are different miles thicknesses of the Clear film. Some have a hard surface coating that can be polished if slightly marred some don't have a surface coating at all. Some are self healing.
BUYER BEWARE!
If you are very very price concious.. you will get what you pay for. Find someone that is passionate about cars as you are about yours. Pay a little more for the product and you will be happy.
andy@clearguardforcars.com

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[94C4-Vette]

I have a question....I'm not necessarily against it, but I think we could agree that the film is to protect the car for resale purpose. I bought a 2014 just recently with only 3000 miles. It has this plastic film but only at the front of the rear quarters, just in front of the rear wheels. It looks terrible. Doesn't look the same color (Artic White) and it's obvious that there's a piece of plastic film there. So yes, that area of the car will be protected and will not have any kind of scratches or small chips. But the whole time that I own the car, it will look like crap. I can't imagine doing that to large areas of the car such as the front bumper.

So the question is this… Is it really worth spending the money to protect your car, while it looks less pristine, but protect the paint for the next buyer? Or would you be better off enjoying your car looking as beautiful as it can, and use that money to repaint any small chips when you go to sell it???




~Tony

My Build: Lorie R2 Droid Build

There are companies that can replace the aged material on your car. Then it will look new again. First things first. Tire dressing destroys the material. Dust and dirt eat away at the material. The edges are also very visible. Since the front tires are constantly blasting the impact material, you will see the ware. Try glass cleaner on the material then follow up with a very soapy wash. If the edges are very dirty, use GOO GONE on the material edges only. Take a micro fiber rag. Wrap a finger tip in the rag and get it very wet. GENTLY wipe the edges and it will clean up. Then use the soapy water and wash it clean. This will help the material to slightly disappear again.
andy@clearguardforcars.com

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[94C4-Vette]

You bring up an excellent point. I would say that the next owner will probably benefit the most since the plastic film is going to degrade and get hazy from road debris like a clear coat, and you are stuck with the hazing and scratches since you cannot buff and polish them out. On clear coat you can buff the small scratches out, unlike the plastic film, and polish and protect it and have it look better than new again.

If you have some aged material on the car, you can park it in the sun, slowly and gradually pull it off. If you take it slow all of the adhesive will come with it. This is what you WILL find after a successful removal. The paint under the film is fallout, contaminant free and will look better than the rest of your paint. Proof that the material does more than everything everyone complains about. Now you need to buff an wax the rest of the car to make it look as clean and pure as the protected paint.
andy@clearguardforcars.com

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[94C4-Vette]

Exactly… That's what I tend to think as well. I'm very seriously considering pulling off the little bit of plastic film that is on my C7 now, since it annoys me to no end every time I walk up to the side of it and see these patches of a darker, kind of yellowish, hazy white. Not to mention, I would also think that over a number of years of UV rays from the sun, that the paint could discolor at a different pace with and without the plastic so that you end up with some patches of a different shade of whatever color your car is.


~Tony

My Build: Lorie R2 Droid Build

TRUTH...The factory covers as minimal of an area needed to protect that part of the rocker so they won't have to do warranty paint work. On a white car, tire dressing and the road dirt thrown from the front tires will outline the material. You can clean it so it won't look so bad. Also you can replace it with a full coverage kit and you won't have to see any lines or paint chips.
Clear Guard for Cars - The Ultimate in Paint Chip Protection
See the on line catalog.

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