I just brought home my new car a few days ago. I want to protect the front-end and headlights as much as possible against rock chips. I'm considering a Clear Bra or similar paint/lense protection system. What is the general concensus on items like this? I know it would protect the paint amd headlights, but how does it look? I have a silver car and I don't want to be able to see the outline very much. Also, i worry about the product yellowing/wearing over time. Are any of these things removable? Also, how much can I expect to pay? Thanks in advance.
Opinions on ClearBra and Similar Products
- Thread starter TN9thSi
- Start date
TnM6i said:
I have had it on several cars --- all dark in color. It does show on dark colors and much less on lighter colors. It will stain and scratch easily and marks are near impossible to remove. It will also haze over and will collect dirt and wax in the edges. As you can probably tell I am less than impressed with it, to the point where I finally removed the junk from my cars.
I would however do the headlights since it is fairly invisible.
You can expect to pay anywhere from $500 and up depending on your vehicle.
I really like my clear bra that I have on my silver Accord. I find it makes getting bugs off a lot easier and I don't have to worry about them etching the paint.
I can guarantee you that it has saved my paint from rock chips, etc. I'd rather have a dinged clear bra than a dinged car. The clear bras are removable and will not hurt the paint (if done properly). They often come with nice long warranties as well. In fact there is some bubbling on mine, so it'll just be reapplied completely. The warranty is for 10 years or something like that. It cost me around 200-300 -- I can't quite recall exactly.
It can be waxed just like any other part of the car. Honestly -- I love the thing. If it gets too beat up, I'll have a new one put on (that kind of stuff is not under warranty) -- I don't mind paying it. It's a great thing. I'll probably do it on all my new cars in the future as well.
I can guarantee you that it has saved my paint from rock chips, etc. I'd rather have a dinged clear bra than a dinged car. The clear bras are removable and will not hurt the paint (if done properly). They often come with nice long warranties as well. In fact there is some bubbling on mine, so it'll just be reapplied completely. The warranty is for 10 years or something like that. It cost me around 200-300 -- I can't quite recall exactly.
It can be waxed just like any other part of the car. Honestly -- I love the thing. If it gets too beat up, I'll have a new one put on (that kind of stuff is not under warranty) -- I don't mind paying it. It's a great thing. I'll probably do it on all my new cars in the future as well.
roaringmouse
New member
Add me to the fan club. I've have the 3M Clearbra on my car for about a year. Looks great, no stone chips or love bug marks. Most people don't even know I have it. I do have to spend extra time cleaning the wax from the edges but I gladly do it to keep my ride as nice as possible.
roaringmouse
New member
TnM6i said:
I had my headlight and fog lights both protected. I located my installing here: http://www.xpel.com/ Just enter a zip code.
I actually had 2 kits installed an x-pel and an invinca-shield http://www.invinca-shield.com/. invinca-shield made me some custom pieces that weren't available from x-pel including my mirrors. My x-pel installer installed both kits.
Anyone else have any experiences with these products? I'm in a hurry to decide if it's worth the cost. I know my front end will be dinged up before too long. I want it protected while the car is still young. I have less than 500 miles on the car and not a single blemish. I want to keep it that way.
Krautfed 03
New member
I will show stains, especially on white cars, but they fade away after a few days in the sun. I have hit pieces of tires at 70mph and had absolutely no damage. My car is a year old, and I have no chips on the front paint , and one VERY small nick in the clear bra, which would have been a HUGE chip in the paint. I feel that it is well worth the investment.
Dr. Peters
New member
Call around to a few body shops and see if they do Armorcoat. This stuff is amazing. It doesn't leave lines like clear bras and definitely won't change colors like clear bras. It's worth a shot. The front end should be around $200 to spray.
http://armorcoat.armorauto.com/
http://armorcoat.armorauto.com/
deadlock32
New member
Dr. Peters said:
As awesome as this is... it is easier to just replace the film after its spent if you have a daily driver.
But then again you do have more clear paint thickness to work with a polisher... :hm
imported_Blake
New member
Have it (on Silver) and it has saved me numerous chips. If I had to do it again I'd vbe first in line.
I have 3M and it is an extremely good product.
I have 3M and it is an extremely good product.
I've had it a year and 14K miles and the front end looks like the day it rolled off the showroom. (Installed bra 2 days after car purchase)
The clear bra material is showing some wear. Scratches (most noticable on the headlight protection) and I had a nasty rock chip that penetrated the clear bra.
I can just imagine what it would have done had I not had one! You wax and apply sealant over it and it has the same gloss as the rest of the paint. Whatever you do, don't clay or polish the bra, I learned from experience. Clay sticks and makes a mess and polishes damage it.
It is more noticable on dark cars. Mine's a silver metallic so it is barely noticable.
The clear bra material is showing some wear. Scratches (most noticable on the headlight protection) and I had a nasty rock chip that penetrated the clear bra.
I can just imagine what it would have done had I not had one! You wax and apply sealant over it and it has the same gloss as the rest of the paint. Whatever you do, don't clay or polish the bra, I learned from experience. Clay sticks and makes a mess and polishes damage it.It is more noticable on dark cars. Mine's a silver metallic so it is barely noticable.
Dr. Peters
New member
deadlock32 said:
I'm just not a fan of clear bra's and having adhesive placed on my paint. Even if you replaced, I'm sure there would be some discoloration after removal.
Dr. Peters said:
While I haven't taken mine off, there's not supposed to be any discoloration or damage to the paint. That's what the different manufacturers and dealers say. Also, I haven't found anything on the boards or on the net where this is the case (with the newer stuff).
Ben Kenobi
I hear the '55s are in
Do a search on here, we've discussed this a few times. I have the Avery Dennison StoneShield and love it. It has taken a few hits and no damage to the paint. I have applied sealant and wax to it and bugs wipe right off. I'll definitely be applying it to our next vehicle as I hate stone chips. Do it and do it now while your paint is still in good shape.
I've been searching around for this product, but there seems to be several different brands. ClearBra, Xpel, InvisibleMask, etc. Which one is best? Also, an article on motortrend.com states that under certain lighting, the clear bra looks dull. Is this true? Would it stand out on my metallic silver car?
Ben Kenobi
I hear the '55s are in
I've looked at mine in all sorts of lighting and it never looks dull. I've had AIO and SG on it, P21S, OCW and Reflections and none have changed the look or feel of the film. I have friends with the Xpel and they like it. I don't think it'll be that noticeable on silver.
Well, I'm ready to get this done. But I'm having trouble finding a local installer. Xpel's site recommends a factory trained shop, but upon searching BBB records for the company, they have had their membership revoked in Dec 2005 for non-resolution of customer compaints. Very disappointing. How should I go about finding an installer I can trust? I have a Mazda6 which I hear is a difficult car to install the film on. I want it done right, as any Autopian would. Any advice on how to proceed??