to clear bra or not to clear bra

I am on my third RX with a clear bra on it and so far I have had no complaints. I have seen cases of them yellowing which of course looks terrible but so far I have been very pleased. I have had some chipping prevented by the bra and therefore was pleased I had it in place. If it is not done by a trained installer then you could expect some deficiencies. I'd do it again. Good paint costs large these days.
 
I have clear film on all my cars. Some cars have pretty extensive coverage, others just for high damage-probability areas. I love it. The installer is key. Look for the best.
 
RaskyR1 said:
Yeah, I guess I had no issues maintaining my own car...it was the clients that came in with trashed black cars that annoyed me. In most cases you simply have to polish over the edges and deal with cleaning it out as taping off leaves a very noticeably line.
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I hear you... On custy vehicles it is a pain!
 
Yes. Do it.



My car came with one from the previous owner. The whole front end (first 1/3), door edges, sills, gas filler area, mirrors were covered in this stuff. She drove on the interstate everyday and when I got I removed it. The paint is pristine underneath. Easy to remove, and you could recover it for five more good years of protection.



I'm not going to reinstall it since I drive my "garage" car on nice days to work or on the weekends for errands, which is all city driving (paint chips/bug splatters unlikely).



If I were to buy a new car I'd probably have the WHOLE hood, half of fenders, bumpers, lead edge of roof, mirrors and sills done. Maybe rear bumper. It is awesome stuff. It removes easily (if you get the rubbery kind - I think someone mentioned urethane - I think that is what I had - it removed super easy but hazed badly recently).



It is really awesome stuff to have. You won't regret purchasing it after removing it in a few years.
 
I am doing the whole hood and front fenders of my next new car for sure. I don't like the lines so I think whole panel is the way to go with clear bras.
 
David Fermani said:
Spot on. Your opinion is worth much more than $.02. Clear Bra prices have gotten out of control. Unless you're protection some pretty valueable paint that is a bi*ch to color tint, I would go riding bare back.
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Strongly agreed! I tried to get my custom front bumper clear bra'd after I payed $700 for paint from my shop that is one of the best in the area. It looks amazing, but I'm always worrying about it chipping since I didn't get the bra. Now why didn't I get one? Well one of the shops I was recommended in my area from this board, wanted almost as much to bra it. At that point, I figured like everyone has said, just repaint it when necessary. Now I'm revisiting the idea once again because I have since changed to my stock bumper while I'm down at school because it's not worth the amount of chips I get just driving from home to school or back. I'm going to try one more highly rated shop in my area, but if they want any more than $400, I'm going to walk.



BTW, I know every car is different, but what are you guys generally ballparking for a front bumper, and potentially half the hood and fenders?
 
I paid $335 for the front bumper up to the grille and backs of two sideview mirrors. I'm in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Prices may vary in different cities.
 
I felt this thread needed an update since I had a car come in this weekend that was a prime example why I feel clear films suck.



Where and how you drive does play a large role in how well your film will hold up, but the same is also true with the paint on your car. If you do a lot of highway driving and like to tailgate you no doubt will see more chips and pitting then someone who drives on city street with lower speeds. I think roads in the snow belt will be worse too.



Below is a 2009 Audi A5 with 30k miles on the car....boy this film looks awesome!:clap2:





Pitting! Who said PPF doesn't pit?

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Boy those pre-cut film lines sure do look great!

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Wow! Love it!

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More edges!

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Nice texture difference!

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This is the crap I see on every car that comes in my shop with PPF! :rolleyes1:
 
Someone on here posted a clear bra wrap on an M5 IIRC. They wrapped the entire front end of the car without any lines. It looked very nice, however it was definitely not the same caliber of job you'd get from the dealer's pre-cut packages.
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
Someone on here posted a clear bra wrap on an M5 IIRC. They wrapped the entire front end of the car without any lines. It looked very nice, however it was definitely not the same caliber of job you'd get from the dealer's pre-cut packages.
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Yeah, when it's done like that I don't mind then at all...but then you are also paying a left nut to have it done too. ;)
 
RaskyR1 said:
Yeah, when it's done like that I don't mind then at all...but then you are also paying a left nut to have it done too. ;)
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Haha amen to that, and with my luck I'd get hit in another hit and run after picking it up from getting the wrap done.
 
I just tries to install an Avery Nano Fusion bra on my Mustang. Watch several videos from the sellers web site, and Avery Dennison's site, and I was quite certain I could do it. First thing, it didn't matter how much slip solution I sprayed, it kept sticking to my paint. Had to peal it back numerous time to get everything alligned correctly (1/8" all around), tacked the ends, started from the middle, and had two spots where it was impossible to get it to lay right, without a giant finger which would only crease. No way was that going to work, and at this point it was a waste. Don't know if it was cut wrong by the seller, but I had to remove it, and that was $125 down the drain.
 
I have a pre-cut kit on my car - it is holding up pretty well but the edges can be kind of annoying. The clear bra is doing its job so - after three years of driving I have hardly any stone chips.
 
thanks for all the responses on this thread. i actually have my camaro ordered and am waiting a couple of weeks for it to come in. my first mod--like as in the first week of ownership--is going to be a 3M clear bra. the car is black so i feel like it is definitely worth it. i have also heard complaints that GM's paint is sub-par so i feel this is a good move on the front bumper and side mirrors. hood and fenders i think i can skip.



so it looks like i don't really need to do any buffing/lsp prep on the parts being bra'd, since the bra covers up marring/swirls itself, and since you can polish the bra after it's installed? would it hurt to do a little prep just for peace of mind?



last question--can anyone recommend me a place in the DFW that will do a great install? thanks again for the posts. i found this place on 3M's website as being a certified installer. anyone ever use them? the prices look considerably lower than the $600+ many of you have paid.



Modern Armor Clear Bra Application Process - p1
 
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