Clear Bra - Ever Had One - Opinion ?

C

CJ from Granite Bay CA

New member
I am looking into the application of a clear bra on one of my vehicles. If you have used the clear bra were you satisfied with the results and if you had one and removed it was there any damage to the paint?



Thanks
 
We have one on our Acura. Thus far, I'm pretty happy with it in that it's prevented stone chips in the paint.



The only downside is that over time, the separation line does become more noticable.



However, I still much prefer the look of a clear bra versus a bug guard or leather bra.



I'd definitely have it applied again and next time, probably on the bumper as well as I only had a 1/4 hood application done.



Paco
 
Got one. Love it. Should have done it earlier. I've been told by the installer it easily removes with no damage. Mine is the 3M material.

I would expect to install clear bras on any new cars I buy in the future.
 
Same response as above. I have the 3M and I love it. It's on a metallic gold Odyssey minivan that we just took for a trip to GUlf Shores, AL. After looking at the dead bugs on the bra, as well as the potential for stone chips, I am very happy with mine. WIsh I'd gotten the larger size to cover more of the front.



SamIam
 
I have it and love it. I believe there are 2 companies that make clear bra materials. Avery (spelling) and 3M. 3M I was told is a thicker material but for heavily contoured areas Avery is the way to go. You might also consider have it done by a pro. Once again I have the 3M hood and light kit on my truck and love it.
 
I have had xpel on my BMW, Porsche and my Explorer and will always have it installed in the future. Great product!
 
I also have this on both my cars. When I bought my car it had a broken bonnet protector and didn't want to buy another one and have that one crack also. After searching the web for something different I came across these invisible films and I liked it so much I am now the Brisbane agent for company in Sydney (about 1,000 klms away for you non-AUS people). The plastic protectors don't protect your bumper which I think is the part most prone to stonechips. The best part about the film is that unless you know it is on the car, you can't see it.
 
My friend has it on his Subie STI, Its awesome. He does a ton of highway driving. You obivously can wax right over it and the protection is definately worth it.
 
kevganzon said:
Whats the difference between X-pel, Avery, and 3M? which one prevents rock chips better???
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From what I understand X-pel uses the 3m film.



I had the xpel kit installed on my car about 1 1/2 years ago and it's holding up great. The only thing I regret is not having the hood completely wrapped. I decided on the standard which is only the front 1/3 of the hood along with the front bumper,fenders, and side mirrors.



Most people agree that you only need the front 1/3 of the hood done but when they do the whole hood they wrap the film underneath so that there is no edge exposed. This makes it almost impossible to notice. Also it makes applying a wax/sealent a lot easier.



I got it done at Envisage Design Labs in torrance.
 
hadboosttroy said:
how long would you have to wait after having a fresh paint job to put a clear bra on?
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I would wait at least 6 weeks for the paint to cure properly. I had my bonnet and bumper resprayed due to the stonechips and waited almost 2 months before applying it.



After applying there was a problem with the paint and after discussing this with the spraypainter it looks like the previous owner had some damage on the bumper and had it bogged up and resprayed. I took the film off and it left no trace it was even there (although it was only on for 2 weeks). After a replacement bumper and 2 months later another film was applied to the bumper again (lucky for me I do the installation).
 
I have X-pel clear bra installed on my car's front end (front portion of hood and fenders, front bumper, and side mirrors). It works like a champ. It gives me a peace of mind that my car is at least protected from inevitable flying rocks or debris. I put on SG on the clear bra as I do the rest of the car. If you treat it as you do your paint, it won't get scratched. This "peace of mind" give me some therapeutic effect as I want to keep my car as neat as possible.
 
Back in the 80's, I went to a Missing Person's concert and saw Dale Bozzio wearing a clear, fish bowl top. Clear Bra????? HMMMMMMMM? lol
 
Yeah. I have a clearbra on my car. It covers the entire front, 1/4 of the hood, the sides of my car upto the front wheel well, and the side mirrors. There's also a clear bra on my front side of my rear wheel wells, where the side body tapers out a bit.



I'm happy with the results. You really don't notice it. But, being a novice detailer, I've had wax lodged on the top, and I haven't figured out how to remove it. It's not so bad, but kinda annoying to a detailer!
 
Just to note, Xpel came out with a new film about a year ago that was optically perfect, meaning no added orange peel. That always bothered me about clear bras. I will probably get one for my next vehicle.
 
I had the 3M tape installed on my wife's '03 Acura MDX as a dealer option for about $300 cdn. I was never happy with the install especially around the hood centre line. I could always tell the difference between paint and plastic.



I did not have it installed on the new Volvo (again a $300 dealer option). IMHO the depth and shine of paint (properly maintained, of course) will never be matched by a plastic film. I want to apply the same treatments to the paint on the entire surface of the car. I will deal with paint chips and touch-ups.



$300 I saved pays for a gallon of touch-up paint and a new PC!
 
BMW645 said:
Yeah. I have a clearbra on my car. It covers the entire front, 1/4 of the hood, the sides of my car upto the front wheel well, and the side mirrors. There's also a clear bra on my front side of my rear wheel wells, where the side body tapers out a bit.



I'm happy with the results. You really don't notice it. But, being a novice detailer, I've had wax lodged on the top, and I haven't figured out how to remove it. It's not so bad, but kinda annoying to a detailer!
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I recently had my SL55, black, wrapped and it much better than the "non-wrapped" kits. You still have the same problem at the edges. What I do when polishing or waxing is to tape off the edges so that you won't get any build up. Wrapping is the only way to go in my opinion.





__________________

Lou K
 
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