AIO before a clear bra?

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dmcphee07SI

New member
I am gettting a clear bra installed tomorow, and i was wondering is it ok to use AIO before the install. I gave my hood and bumper a good polish but they are beading like they still have oils on them, and thats after i gave it a good wash. I was thinking of using AIO to make sure the paint is clean. I know wax is not allowed but anyone know about AIO.
 
My buddy who installs clear bras uses a mixture of IPA and water BEFORE he starts the work. He sprays the area liberally with that stuff and proceeds to wipe down with a microfiber cloth. Suffice it to say, almost ANYTHING you have on there will be removed. This is done to ensure the best adhesion to the paint.



HTH,

Mike
 
mixx is correct....I had a 3m clear bra installed and my installer used IPA and water to clean the area before install. A good product to use after you get your clear bra is Plexus to maintain..........:bigups
 
No need because when the clear bra will be installed, any protection will be gone because he has to prep the finish prior to installing.



I know the guy did an alcohol wipe down before.
 
Does the clear film get marred up during the install? if so how can you get them out? Also how visible are deftects under the bra? I have it 95% right now but the hood is a re-spray and is crazy soft so i am worried about the installer getting some marks on the paint during the install.
 
dmcphee07SI said:
Does the clear film get marred up during the install? if so how can you get them out? Also how visible are deftects under the bra? I have it 95% right now but the hood is a re-spray and is crazy soft so i am worried about the installer getting some marks on the paint during the install.
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If it's marred up during install, tell him you want a new peice. WATCH HIM INSTALL THE CLEAR BRA. If you're just dropping off the car, then fully inspect any damage or scuffs on the clear bra. You might see some "bubbles" but that should go away after a week (just like window tint). If not, call the installer and they will put another peice on for you.



As for any defects in your paint, under the clear bra... you can't really notice anything. In fact you will see marring on the film itself. If there's a peice of dirt, you won't see it, however.. that peice of dirt can cause the film to bubble up in the future... and that calls for warranty work.



You can polish the clear bra with a PC, but use a mild polish. Just be careful not to get your finger nail caught up around the clear bra because the film can scratch easy, and it's very had to get the scratch off 100%.





I have few small bubbles on my bumper area, but no biggie.. it's better than having a rock chip.



Glad you're investing in a clear bra... it's the best car option IMO.
 
i would do any paint correction that is needed and dont bother with any protectant type product. I just did some menzerna micro polsh on mine before i took it in to get it installed, nothing for protection.
 
the installer on my C6 (which had 20 miles on it) used spray wax before the install. before i took my CTS to get done i corrected and waxed the areas. did the same with the avalanche. the IPA will remove it BUT the paint should be unblemished at that point. yes, the material ca be "scuffed" during the install. this happens doing compound curves. i have a few (the C6 is for the most part perfect) but it does not bother me at all. you really don't see it on white which all my vehicles are. you will love the protection. :D
 
dmcphee07SI said:
Does the clear film get marred up during the install? if so how can you get them out? Also how visible are deftects under the bra? I have it 95% right now but the hood is a re-spray and is crazy soft so i am worried about the installer getting some marks on the paint during the install.
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It's good you mentioned that the hood is a respray. How long has it been since the respray? I ask this because my friend who had his M3 resprayed waited 6 months to install the Xpel. This is so that the paint has time to fully harden.



Depending on how long it has been, you may want to hold off.



Just my $0.02 worth of advice.



Good luck,

Mike
 
well i got it done, it looks good right now, but i havent hit it with the lights yet. My hood was repainted 3 months ago. I the body shop just told me to wait a couple of weeks because they baked the paint so i should have been fully cured after that time frame. I waited 3 months but could not wait any longer brcause i needed to drive my car and i got a lil chip aready and thats with no high way driving. I am happy now other than it looks like my hood had OP on it :(
 
dmcphee07SI said:
well i got it done, it looks good right now, but i havent hit it with the lights yet. My hood was repainted 3 months ago. I the body shop just told me to wait a couple of weeks because they baked the paint so i should have been fully cured after that time frame. I waited 3 months but could not wait any longer brcause i needed to drive my car and i got a lil chip aready and thats with no high way driving. I am happy now other than it looks like my hood had OP on it :(
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Had my clear bra since August 2005. I had my hood peice extended up nearly half way...



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You can't really tell it's there because I keep it clean all the time and I prevent dirt build up where the film ends. As for the OP look, it's not bad at all IMO..
 
that looks really good, the protection on my hood goes up about halfway too. yours looks like it has no OP. I think mine just has some right now because it was just done and and the installer said it takes a few weeks with black to really see what it looks like, kinda like tint. I am really happy i got it done, i can drive without fear of trucks and other cars on the highway now lol.
 
dmcphee07SI said:
that looks really good, the protection on my hood goes up about halfway too. yours looks like it has no OP. I think mine just has some right now because it was just done and and the installer said it takes a few weeks with black to really see what it looks like, kinda like tint. I am really happy i got it done, i can drive without fear of trucks and other cars on the highway now lol.
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Just stay away from them. They can kick up rocks and hit your windshield, or upper hood. It has happened to me. A huge rock chipped past my clear bra into my upper hood. The chip was almost half an inch long!



I got the hood repainted, and then did the extention of the clear bra a few days later after the repaint. When I drive on the highway, I give extra space to construction trucks.
 
was your clear bra perfectly clear rigt after it was done or did it have some OP too? again i am happy with mine but i do hope it smoothes out abit because you can see a big difference with the reflection from the un-protected part of the hood.
 
dmcphee07SI said:
was your clear bra perfectly clear rigt after it was done or did it have some OP too? again i am happy with mine but i do hope it smoothes out abit because you can see a big difference with the reflection from the un-protected part of the hood.
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It was done right. The film itself seems to have the OP look to it. In the sun I can see a perfect reflection, but up close you can see the differance between the protected, and naked side. Nothing bad, but you know that there's plastic on the paint.



After it cures... go ahead and use an AIO product to at least clean the film, and protect.
 
I do have a few bubbles on my bumper and hood, but it's nothing too bad to worry about. If the edges start to peel, consult the dealer and they might do warranty work on it.
 
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