I've seen pics and posts concerning clear bras. Are these aftermarket wraps? And do they prevent the normal dings which seem to be common? Thanks Drake
I have a 3m product that was sprayed on my front bumper. Spent about 1,200.00 on it. I would'nt spend that kind of money on it again I still have paint chips from rocks on my bumper granted not like it was before they repainted and applied this product. But still spending that kind of money? could of bought a speed bra...less money and more effective
I have a 3M clear film applied by hand on all three of my cars. Really happy with the light color car. There are a few spots on the darker cars that need to be sucked out. However, the person who did the job won't come back now that he has my money. He is one I would not recommend to anyone here.
Clear bras are not spray on applications... they are a film. Not sure what you got bospike but it sounds like it was the sealant the dealers try and sell customers. Way over priced and doesnt hold up well. Clear bras on the other hand will take a lot of abuse through every day driving and will protect the paint. Finding a good installer is key as they can make or break your experience in getting one. I also recommend going with some of the better films out there; Avery Nano Fusion, Xpel Ultimate, and VentureShield Ultra are all good.
I'm considering putting one of the mentioned products on my 355. My question is this: my front bumper would certainly need to be re-sprayed prior to application, but I also have a number of nicks and such on the upper hood lid which have been syringe filled-in by dealers during previous services. This creates a non-continuous surface. Would that cause any issues with application? Should any part of the car with the clear bra applied have a fresh coat of paint on it for the best look?
We offer clear bra to every car sold, and I've never heard of a complaint. Of course cars can get rock chips when they are driven, but the film drastically reduces the amount of damage versus if there wasn't that barrier.
We had the 3M clear Bra put on our Acura when new, before any chips. Looks great 4 years later at 30K miles. We did the entire front end including the whole hood and front fenders, mirrors, door sills, door edges, trunk sill, door handles and door handle wells. We are getting another Acura in a few months, and will repeat the process before it gets home.
I had the entire front of my Audi S5 done by a subcontractor of the Audi dealership before I took delivery. I was not satisfied with the hood, so the installer agreed to a do-over at a later date. Took him almost 2 months to find the time to do it, when I picked the car up the hood was badly spotted; the dealership detailer tried to remove the spots and scuffed it. After raising unholy hell the subcontractor did another reinstall, it looks fine now and seems to hold up well. Be careful who you use for the installation and ask for references.
Per Drake's OP: Is this something you are looking for on a new car or existing? That may help feed the response... A full clear bra film kit usually includes other areas for wear and tear as well: Front bumper, lamps, fog lights, portion of hood, area in front of rear wheel well, grab area of door handles, door edges, leading efge into trunk/cargo space.
This pertains to an existing car which I don't have as yet. I had a 330Gt 2+2 years ago and never drove it for fear it would get all dinged up. I don't plan to make that mistake again. I feel Ferraris ought to be driven and enjoyed. Thank you all for your responses. I understand better that with a clear bra normal road wear and tear can be minimized. Drake
Most clear bra installations come as a pre-cut kit. If you are thinking of an older car w/o an available kit it will have to be custom cut. Makes your choice of installer all the more critical. All the best.
With the right installer and right material, a clear bra is a must. I would not leave the dealer without a clear bra under any circumstances. I have material on my Scud and Mas GTS the is self healing - My Scud is a 2008 and has been tracked extensively. The original bra would still be good if a hauler had not scrapped the front end
Surely applying a film to the front of the car is going to look far worse than a few stone chips that can easily be rectified? Dont see the point.
I think that may have been the case with older generation films. But the new films are simply fantastic. 1) They are thinner and do not impart a yellowish tint to the paint color 2) They have a very high-gloss finish; if the car is detailed correctly (i.e., paint correction if needed) prior to installation, the overall luster is amazing! 3) A soft polishing compound can be used to remove scuff marks, but routine maintenance is simply two-bucket wash (I use ONR) and colorless detail spray. 4) If installed by a true professional and craftsman he/she will not likely use a kit, and instead will custom cut the film. Why? So that it can wrap over the edges of the panels. 5) The better films are available in wider rolls making it possible to protect larger surfaces without seams. I have the entire hood, front bumper, front fenders, headlamps, mirrors, side skirts covered on my Scuderia. My bumper and hood are done in single pieces and the film is wrapped around the panel edges. You'd be hard pressed to tell there was a film covering the front of the car. Although I don't track my car, I do enjoy group drives where from time-to-time you do tend to ride up close to the rear of another car. Clearbra is thus a requirement! As others have said, the secret is quality film and an expert, artisan installer. As I said, the best guys probably won't use a pre-cut kit. Also if "easily rectified" implies respraying a bumper & hood, I'll take the Clearbra anytime! Cheers, DL
This is so true. I did lots of research after my first clear bra yellowed and cracked years ago. I found that there are many very good quality films out there. Use an installer with lots of knowledge about them. Some installers can only use one film because they are in contract or "certified" by one film company. Find an installer that has knowledge about all films and chooses to offer only the best ones. I found a shop that has 15 years of experience doing this. They're in Addison and the shop is called Speed Shield. I think their website is speedshieldusa.com. I have their number programmed into my phone so I always just call. (469) 522-7777 Since I found them I have had them do 3 cars for me and they are all flawless. They did Full Front "hand trimmed" clear bras on my cars because I hate seeing the line across my hood that the precut kits leave and the half hoods leave a lot of hood vulnerable to rock chips. They even cover FULL CARS! They had a Bugatti Veyron in their shop that was getting one. These guys know their stuff. I do remember there was some spray on stuff years ago and I asked Speed Shield about it. They were very familiar with it and explained that the problem with the spray on is that you cant take it off later. The whole benefit of a clear bra is for it to take the punishment and then remove it later. Don't waste your time with precut kits. Do it right and it's an investment that can save you a TON on resale value.
Im going to repair one of their jobs this weekend. By the way getting a precut kit from a company such as Xpel will be much better in MOST cases as there are only a hand full of installers in the country (Permier and Detailing Dynamics ...) that can properly custom cut film on cars. Most of them cut through to the paint and you, the customer, wont know it until the film is removed. Just as there are good and bad films there are good patterns (with wrapped edges and minimal seems) and there are poor ones that only do a basic job of protecting the paint... and should not be used on a Ferrari.
When it comes to paint protection film, there are many things to keep in mind. First and foremost, there is a drastic difference between vinyl and paint protection film. Some believe that clearguard or clear bras are the same as vinyl. They are not. Vinyl is generally used for aesthetics (color changes such as matte or glossy colored) purposes. Vinyl is about 3-4 times thinner than paint protection film. When seeking out installers for clearguard, look for experience. There are many new installers on the market that would make claim of expertise. Perform some research in installers and look at the work in person if at all possible. Here is an example of a bad installation: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/997/265550-oh-snap-clear-bra-install-decade.html
Can't even tell on our 2008 car. Undetectable, unless you get real close on the mirrors or trunk sill. Can't see it on the hood or fenders. The car is Carbon Bronze Pearl, and the covered areas look the same as the uncovered. No lines across body panels helps.
Finding a qualified installer is key. I had my 355 done in Texas prior to being delivered to me. The film has yellowed, and bubbled, and is not holding up well at all, especially considering the minimal amount of time it has spent in the sun and on the road. I had my Carrera S done locally at Ultimate Shield, and couldn't be happier. He did the whole front clip and wrapped the edges so it is seamless and virtually invisible. It cost 4 times as much, but the protection is fantastic. I had my 355 windshield done as well, and took a rock that certainly would have broken the windshield had it not been in place. Instead I was left with a small imperfection in the film. Granted, the clear coat on the windshield is slightly more visible and less clear than just the glass, but saving the the $2000 windshield is more important to me. I highly recommend it!
