ClearPlex Windshield Film Review

[Xcentric]

BLUF: Fail. Should be illegal.

BLUF, Bottom Line Up Front, is how we briefed Army Generals with short attention spans. Lots of ADD in that cadre.

I had a new windshield installed recently. Considering the trauma of watching that happen along with the rapid deterioration of the glass for those of us who drive our cars, I don't want to repeat the experience any time soon. So, I had ClearPlex installed, with the hope that it would perform as advertised.

I know several forum members have ClearPlex and say they like it. Others say they hate it. Yet, I have found no explanation of the reasons for the likes and hates.

This is my preliminary evaluation after two daytime drives. I say preliminary, because it may be possible that the ClearPlex needs more time to cure.

Also, this ClearPlex was installed as a sheet, not as a pattern. It may be possible that the installation is the cause of my issues. I don't know. However, I don't think the patterns are available anymore. Anybody who gets ClearPlex will get it by the sheet, and the installer will be heating it and stretching it to make it fit our windshields.

Further, I asked for this stuff. Nobody recommended it to me. I just took a chance based on, well...hope I guess.

With that as background and caveats, my first drive...

Immediately, I was shocked by the amount of distortion. The best description I can think of is heat shimmer. You know what it looks like when you are sitting at a traffic light on a warm day, and you see the heat shimmer rising from the radiator vents? It looks like that, but to a lesser degree. It's like driving on a desert highway in the summer. Heat shimmer. Road sign text is no longer clear. Cars appear to be coming at you out of a mirage. Not as extreme as a mirage, but nevertheless immediately noticeable and very distracting.

Today was cloudy and many cars had headlights on. This was the next shock. The oncoming headlights were broken into two prisms. A spectrum of color at roof level and again at ground level that merged as the cars approached. I would describe this as hallucinogenic, and I know whereof I speak. My windshield took me back to the '60s.

The effect of the ClearPlex is somewhat like a diffraction grating. I could probably get photos, but not while I'm driving. I took this photo of a plastic bag to give an idea of what the ClearPlex looks like. The ClearPlex is NOWHERE near this extreme, but imagine this effect on a MUCH more subtle basis. Barely noticeable at first, but then immediately noticeable as the scenery starts moving by.

So, back to my bottom line up front.

This product as installed on my car is so bad, I believe it should be illegal. Anything that reduces and/or distorts vision should be illegal in my opinion. If it doesn't improve dramatically with curing, I am going to tear this stuff off. ClearPlex? No. It should be called ShimmerPlex. :thumbsdow :thumbsdow

 

[bonehead]

I got my film from Trent. Don't recall if it's Clearplex. Initial distortion/bubbles is expected until the air/moisture from under the film can escape. I thought it was crap when I first got it, too. Now I sometimes don't even remember it's there. Depending on the light and angle, I can sometimes see faint distortion, but I'll take that vs. a peppered or cracked windshield.

 

[GKW05GT]

I was going to have Clearplex installed by local dealer who has a great reputation on high end cars. I was quoted about 600 installed which seems high but watching Denis remove just 1 fender I sure would hate to pay for a windshield replacement. Keep us posted Gary I am on hold after your evaluation.

 

[junior]

Key is installer experience and product selection, I can't remember what was installed on my windshield (3M or Xpel), noticed few small waves across (sideways) for a couple of days and then the sun took care of the minor distortions, Dr. anal retentive.com here can now hardly see any imperfections :biggrin

 

[2112]

Nice write up.

I look forward to your review on Butterfly doors. :thumbsup

 

[SteveA]

I don't have it on my car but have ridden in Floridaho Chris's many times which has windshield film and it was actually not that noticeable. He had it installed '06 or '7 when many members were doing it and I do believe there was a pattern. If I could guarantee his results I would install it at the time of any glass replacement.

 

[Wwabbit]

It has to be the installer. I have it on two race cars and two street cars. In my experience, it is absolutely transparent and distortion free. I've removed one and replaced due to track rash, that fine spray of asphalt on tracks, and the underlying glass was perfect. It did it's job. The installer mentioned something about letting it cure for a couple of days before I installed graphics or any decals over it. So, review your installer I guess.

 

[Xcentric]

The car has been outside all day for two days in the Florida sun, and no perceptible change. Still shimmer and rainbows.

I can't blame the product when it seems the installer skill is critical.

Nevertheless, I think anyone going into this (fairly expensive) item would be wise to reach an agreement with the installer about clarity.

 

[Not 4N]

Install is critical and I believe the rainbow effect you are referring to is a bi-product of the soap film between the clearplex and the windshield.
Like Ed's, mine took a few days for it to dry out but I never did have the rainbow effect. Like window tint a small amount of dish soap (4-5 drops per litre) is required to be able to position the film. I have found a better solution is Johnson's baby shampoo as it is way milder.

The striations you are seeing could be caused by using "flat" film and trying to form it to the windshield. All films have a memory and the only way you can get rid of it is to bring it to a high temp. evenly. This temp. varies from film to film based on thickness and manufacturing process - cast - calendared etc.

Windshield skins are pre-cut to fit, placed over an actual windshield and then heated to the desired temp. This gives a pre-formed, pre-cut skin for each specific application. It is possible the one on your car was "off the roll" and had to be formed on the car which would leave striations based on the uneven heating.

Mine has been on since new and is still perfectly clear although I don't get the sunshine you do & my car hibernates for 6-7 months of the year.

 

[Xcentric]

It is possible the one on your car was "off the roll" and had to be formed on the car which would leave striations based on the uneven heating.

Yes, it was off the roll. Based on your comments, what I am seeing may be a combination of "stretch marks" and soap film colors.

A couple of photos of the windshield in the garage with ceiling light reflected. Looking down at the windshield from outside with the dash underneath. I increased the color saturation to make the colors more visible on the web. Again, this is an exaggerated view, but the purples/yellows are clearly visible by eye. It looks to me like I would expect soap film to look. Like the colors you see in soap bubbles.

 

[fjpikul]

A less humid environment is probably more helpful in the water film evaporating. Move it into the living room with the AC. BTW, tooth paste makes an excellent cleaner for these things. Mine has gotten very buggy in the past, and on the the trip to VIR some axle grease got all over it. I was beside myself, but toothpaste worked great in removing everything.

 

[RALPHIE]

You might contact Mike at Clearplex - (800) 497-7119 or mike@clearplexdirect.com

 

[Not 4N]

Yes, it was off the roll. Based on your comments, what I am seeing may be a combination of "stretch marks" and soap film colors.

It can be done off the roll but the film needs to be evenly heated and checked with a digital thermometer to get the entire skin up to heat. After that it can be laid down as you have "erased the memory" in the film. I have used i.r. Heaters over the car and monitored the temp.

Basically when the film is manufactured the adhesive is polarized(all of the molecules lined up in the same direction) which is what makes it optically clear. Once you heat and stretch portions of the film to form it you disturb this polarity resulting in a blurry effect in that area.

The rainbow effect, in my opinion, is definitely the soap just like your reference to the soap bubbles - same idea.

 

[STORMCAT]

Let's talk Film..

I think I can add some information to this discussion. I can guarantee I have the most experience with this product on a Ford GT. I had the very first windshield skin supplied to us by the Bray group. I stayed involved with the development the product and know the history and issues.

Clear Plex developed this this product and debuted at the 2006 SEMA Show via the Bray Group. They wanted to be a manufacturer and not a rep to the public. The Bray group was thier first industry supplier. I met The Bray group at the 2006 SEMA Show and convinced them there would be a market for the Ford GT and put together a group buy.

They had to purchase a Ford GT windshield. All of their skins were thermally formed to the shape of our windshield. I just bought my car at the time of the 2006 SEMA show and I would not drive my car until I have this installed. I received the very first one the first week in January of 2007.

Helenor's still wearing your original " windshield skin" after 20K miles, its been beat up and peppered by small rocks and hit 3 times by large stones.. Many people have been in my car and have never even said anything , they don't notice it. Even the other GT owners that have driven my car have never mentioned it..

The clarity of this product really comes down to the fit and curing. This product was new on the market in 2007 and it took some time to ensure that it was installed properly. The Bray Group informed me they would not allow any dealers to install it unless they had an infrared dryer because people were upset with the curing process with normal heat and evaporation.

I can attest to this. I had to install it on my red car which never goes outside and the visibility is not as good as the gray car. I think some good exposure to some hot sunlight would cure that.

installation can be tricky. This film is very rigid it is not like clear bra and will not stretch. That's why the thermally formed pieces are critical. Some of the forum members had issues because it was never meant to be a DIY project and it took a skilled installer to get it right. Window tint guys did it better than clear bra guys.

. I had a lot of clear bra experienced and installed my own. I have the thermally formed units but it was a challenge because of the rigid film.

ironically a few years ago I was at the SEMA show again and I saw the people from clearplex. I met some of the top management and told them hey I had the first one for a Ford GT which led to some further discussion.

They're the ones that told me they didn't want to be involved originally with direct marketing. They said the new film is actually better but they did not have access to a Ford GT windshield to make the specifically thermally formed units.
Again it's a great product if it fits and it's installed and cured properly. If this is done properly you look through the glass you won't even know it's there.
It would be nice to follow up with clearplex and see if they could ever get some thermally formed units together. I had a early email exchange with one of the top managers when he was looking for a guy in Florida to do some work on some jags that were going to the track in Florida . I gave him the guys name who did Chris's car but I never heard back from them.

. I still have a backup of the original Bray Group " windshield skin" that I'm going to put on Helen or when I find it necessary. .The skin on my Gray car has taken some severely major hits. I actually saw one coming. ( A large rock throw by a Lambo on an exotic car outing.. ) Two of them went through the plastic but the windshield was not harmed.

Back in Dec 2006 I was joking with the guys from the Bray Group because I would not drive my car until I got this on my car and they were good about rushing the first one to me.
As SteveA mentioned you can't notice the one on Chris's car , he had one of the thermally formed units from the original group buy... Bottom line for me.. I wouldn't drive a GT without it !! If it's done right That is !!!

 

[fjpikul]

StormCat is totally right for once, and not telling his usual kitty tales. He set up the group buy for us and I bought two-one as a spare. I hada window tinet guy do it and it is damn near perfect after all these years. I had mine installed by window tint guy November, 2007 and unless I tell you it's there, or show you the edges, you would never guess. It has saved my windshield numerous times. I hope the shelf life on my spare is a long time.

 

[GKW05GT]

I would like to have a formed skin if they ever become available again

 

[MAD IN NC]

StormCat is totally right for once, and not telling his usual kitty tales. He set up the group buy for us and I bought two-one as a spare. I hada window tinet guy do it and it is damn near perfect after all these years. I had mine installed by window tint guy November, 2007 and unless I tell you it's there, or show you the edges, you would never guess. It has saved my windshield numerous times. I hope the shelf life on my spare is a long time.

+1

 

[Xcentric]

I met The Bray group at the 2006 SEMA Show and convinced them there would be a market for the Ford GT and put together a group buy.

Brian, Do you recall the minimum number Bray needed to make the thermally formed units?

 

[RALPHIE]

I have had ClearPlex installed on 2 GT Windshields, due to the unfortunate accident of the #2 car at Rally IX. Unlike Brian (Stormcat) and Frank (fjpikul), both of mine were cut from sheet and then installed. They were done by Shadow Art Window Tinting, contracted by The GT Guy. I have been very satisfied with both the installation and protection of the windshields by the ClearPlex product.

For those interested in Shadow Art, they are located in Royal Oak, Michigan - (248) 767-4818. The salesperson at the time of my installation was Brett LeBlanc. Or, you could have it installed while your car is being serviced by the GT Guy.

Also, I chatted with ClearPlex last November at SEMA - and if we need to have patterns made, perhaps I or one of the guys in the Bay area could volunteer their car for the period necessary.

 

[TO AWSUM]

Why don't we send Bray Group one of the windshields that are being replaced? Then they would have a permanent form for molding their product. Another suggestion is maybe a group install before, during, and after Rally 10.