This month, Dale Barkalow (aka The Invisible Bra Man) became one of just a handful of professionals in San Antonio who have completed training to become a certified installer of Reflex Enterprises’ X-Pel^TM Auto Protection systems. 

The system uses a nearly invisible urethane film developed by 3M to protect auto and truck bumpers, hoods and headlights from flying stones and debris that can chip paint and crack plastic. Using a proprietary process, the film is cut using information from a database containing measurements of the curves and contours of more than 9,000 models. The controlled cutting means that X-Pel^TM protection fits individual cars and trucks with no folds or wrinkles.

Although the product is offered by BMW as an option at all of its North American auto dealerships and Porsche routinely uses it on demo cars, it is not exclusively a high-end product. Reflex’s COO Craig Clement says that the product is popular with many because people are keeping their cars longer and want to keep them looking good, too.