Cilajet/Clear Bra Question

[dsmithpdx]

Hi all,

I just bought my 2016 FiST last night. Naturally, the dealer is pushing "add-ons" on me, two of which are the Cilajet paint sealant and Clear Bra. I know I want to do the Clear Bra, but I'm not sure if their price is good or not. I've been reading reviews of Cilajet, and they are all over the board.

They are asking $775 for the Clear Bra, and $575 for the Cilajet. Has anyone else had either of those done to their cars? How do those prices look? Is the Cilajet worth it in your opinion? On the Clear Bra, I'm not sure which body panels will be covered for that price (I will ask for clarification).

Thanks for any input!

Doug

 

[Turbo65]

I went with a local bloke and did there "half hood" which is about 3/4 on a fiesta. He used expel ultimate and it cost $268.00 which I thought was real good. It looks so good you can barely see it. They offered a front special hood/bumper and half fenders for $700 I think but I didn't have the cash to spring for that.

 

[MKVIIST]

Haven't had any experience with Cilajet, but on the clear bra what areas are they doing?

 

[dsmithpdx]

Haven't had any experience with Cilajet, but on the clear bra what areas are they doing?

I'm not sure. I'm going to find out, and then get a quote from a local shop that also does clear bra.

 

[MKVIIST]

I'm not sure. I'm going to find out, and then get a quote from a local shop that also does clear bra.

I would suggest getting the entire hood, partial fenders, bumper, door handle cups, mirrors and partial rear bumper.

 

[dsmithpdx]

I would suggest getting the entire hood, partial fenders, bumper, door handle cups, mirrors and partial rear bumper.

So they do 24" up the hood, the bumper, partial fenders, door handle cups, and mirrors. I don't think he said they do the rear bumper at all, but I may have forgotten...

 

[MKVIIST]

So they do 24" up the hood, the bumper, partial fenders, door handle cups, and mirrors. I don't think he said they do the rear bumper at all, but I may have forgotten...

Then that's not a good deal at $775. Having the entire hood done saved my FiST many times from rock chips and I would really recommend it. Any idea what brand film they are using?

 

[dsmithpdx]

Then that's not a good deal at $775. Having the entire hood done saved my FiST many times from rock chips and I would really recommend it. Any idea what brand film they are using?

They are using 3M film. They also do the trailing edges of the doors... I will call the other local shop on Tuesday and get a quote from them. Unfortunately, I think he discounted the Cilajet because I'm bundling the Clear Bra in with it...

 

[MS67]

Cilajet is a ripoff and is known to be snake oil. Avoid it. In fact, I tend to avoid any add ons from dealerships. Just find a reputable local shop and have the clear bra installed, because that is worth it IMO.

 

[dsmithpdx]

Cilajet is a ripoff and is known to be snake oil. Avoid it. In fact, I tend to avoid any add ons from dealerships. Just find a reputable local shop and have the clear bra installed, because that is worth it IMO.

I have seen very mixed reviews on it. Many are VERY positive. I'm not a guy that washes and details his cars a lot, mostly because I don't live in a place where it's easy to do so. Many people say that the Cilajet treatment makes washing the car much easier because debris literally just sprays/wipes right off, so I'm very intrigued by it. Do you have any links to the claim(s) that it's "snake oil?" At this point, I'm leaning heavily toward doing it based on the POSITIVE reviews I have seen. The auto body shop manager at my Ford dealership is apparently extremely anal when it comes to applying this stuff, and he will make SURE that the paint is absolutely perfect before applying it. Most of the complaints I read stemmed from poor paint prep beforehand.

Ugh...tough call...

 

[MS67]

The source from which you're reading will play a big part in what type of reviews you'll read. I worked for Autogeek for 6 years and know the detailing product industry very well. Get some Wolfgang Uber Ceramic Coat or Optimum Opti Coat for around $100 and you'll have an actual paint coating that will last for years. Cilajet is nothing more than a paint sealant...you can get better results from an $8 bottle of Duragloss or a $15 bottle of Collinite 845. Cilajet and xzilon are nothing more than money makers for dealerships.

Check out autogeeks forum...lots of good detailers there who know their stuff.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cilajet+site:autogeekonline.net

 

[hydrix]

I am a professional detailed and also agree with MS67, cilajet is nothing more than a polymer sealant that you could buy for $10. It is applied like wax, and you could easily do this yourself.
As for clear bra, 3m isn't known for being the best. Source out a local detailer who can apply xpel, or suntek. Those films are superior to 3m, I'd recommend both.

 

[dsmithpdx]

Well, I called two highly regarded local auto detail shops, and they both recommended that I proceed with the Cilajet, believe it or not. One of them used to apply the product for dealers, actually. They said for the price ($575), and the fact that they will fix any blemishes that occur during the warranty period (they said it really is all about that), it's worth it. They'd charge me $150-$200 to apply a sealant that would have to be re-applied within a year or less, and they'd charge me to remove any tar/bugs/blemishes, of course. That's not what I expected to hear!

 

[MS67]

Still a rip off. $575 to apply a sealant and basically clean bugs off when the car gets dirty? What else are you expecting them to "fix"? It's not going to prevent rock chips or etching. Something like Opti Coat will do a much better job at a mere fraction of the price. $575 is a lot of money to throw away for basically nothing in return.

 

[dsmithpdx]

Still a rip off. $575 to apply a sealant and basically clean bugs off when the car gets dirty? What else are you expecting them to "fix"? It's not going to prevent rock chips or etching. Something like Opti Coat will do a much better job at a mere fraction of the price. $575 is a lot of money to throw away for basically nothing in return.

I suppose it depends on your situation. Neither of the detail shops I spoke with offer Opti Coat. Yes, I could do it myself, but again, I don't live in a place where I can wash/detail my car myself, unfortunately.

Incidentally, one of the detailers I spoke to used to apply Cilajet for auto dealerships, and he was impressed with it. He said it always makes the paint very "smooth" and "soft." One of them did say that if I had a light colored car (like silver or white), he'd avoid it, but since I have a darker color (Kona Blue), he'd recommend it.

 

[MS67]

If this detailer thinks that certain sealants will make lighter or darker colors look better or worse, I'd probably avoid his advice altogether, because there is no truth to that.

Not trying to be a dick, but after all my experience working in the industry and my general distaste for dealership scams, I'd hate to see you throw that money away. You'd seriously be better off going to Carquest and getting a bottle of Duragloss for $8.

Opti Coat is ridiculously easy to apply yourself. If your car is new and fairly defect free, you could take it to a car wash bay and do it all in a couple hours. Shit, you could even get a spray sealant like Sonax Brilliant Shine. I apply it after every wash...it keeps the paint slick and beads like crazy, plus it lasts for months on its own.