Hi Guys

The car is getting the stripes painted on now as I write this and the car will be ready to get from the painter on monday.

I was seeing if any of you have used the 3m clear bra's to help save the paint from rock chips and stuff. I'm in So.Cal. and drive on the freeways and I know little rocks get kicked up all the time. Plus I have the Grabber orange mustang that with a Rock chip will show black.

Do you guys think this would be a good thing to add?

What are the goods and bads of the clear bra's?

Thanks.

 

Im a big fan of the clear bra. It has saved the paint on my Subaru many times. Since you are also having custom paint work done it would be well worth the investment.

Rob

 

Can I get it done right after the car is back from paint do you think? I know
how people say you should not wax a car with fresh paint?

 

I would ask your painter how long he suggests letting the paint cure before you have the clear bra installed. Im curious to know the answer to your question too, Im sure Ill be having some type of stripe put on my car when I get it and I definetly want the clear bra.

Rob

 

I had to wait about 2 weeks after I had my hood painted, but I can tell you the money spent is well worth it!!! I drive it everyday and made it Knotts Berry Farm and to Colorado and it does not have a nic or scratch. They did my lenses on all the lights too>

 

What brand film is best? What should you get covers with the clear bra
when having it installed?

 

They will cover what ever you want. Here is the web site for the co. They use the 3M Material.
www.atlasarmor.com

 

A rock found my hood after 2 wks of ownership... and chipped it down to the bare alum. After I fixed the chip, I put on BSM stripes and and X-PEL clear bra over that. Had the stripes/clear bra on for 8 months now..looks like it did day 1.. perfect. The 8mil bra is tough and rock bounce right off. Don't try installing yourself.... contract with an authorized installer. Here's a couple of pics of the bra. As you can see, it blends nicely. Kit pieces cover the hood, fenders, bumper, side mirrors, door cups, headlamps, foglamps, turn signals, and chin spoiler (my installer custom fit the chin spoiler). No problems with it whatsoever (no peeling corners... no discoloring... no air gaps).

 

hmm.. not sure what happened to my attachments... second attempt.

 

It all depends on where you live and the temperature and such. When I got my stripes painted on, I was told to wait 3 months for the paint to cure, before I could wax it, since it was done in the winter (late January). If its in the summer, I'm sure the wait time is much shorter.

 

Thanks for the info.

Rob

 

My wife's redfire 04 has had a clear bra since day 1 (bought new). All the wonders of leaving in South Florida and there has been no yellowing, peal, uneven paint wear or other issues. Quite worth it.....

 

I had a 3M clear bra professionally installed on my 07 V6 Pony right after I bought it last summer. I have been really happy with it until last weekend.

My wife drove the car to VA to help her sister get settled in & on the way back home had an acorn fall out of a tree, striking the hood & resulting in a quarter sized dent. The dent is within the coverage area of the clear bra.

I've always used Colgan vinyl bras on my vehicles without any damage & feel the vinyl bra would have offered some protection in this particular case. I ordered a Colgan this week & will be making a trip to Dent Wizard soon.

IMO, the clear bra is great protection against bugs, sand, bird crap and small stuff but doesn't help much as far as larger stones, etc.

 

I love the stuff. You will need a professional to install it. Pay more and get the headlight covers.

 

I have it on 2 of my cars. Have it professionally done, you'll be much happier with the results. The company that I have do mine won't put their product on the headlights, so I just take them a pair of headlight protectors from RockBlocker and they put them on for me. It's not cheap, but it's well worth it.

 

Do you just wax right over it with the rest of the car?

If it needs to be replaced for some reason, do they just peel it off?

 

I have been using them since 2002 on daily drivers a special use cars and would not leave the garage without the clear protection.

 

You can wax over it, and I do, but the shop that installed mine also recommends treating it with Plexus every few months to help keep it in good shape. They said it should last for 5 years easily, and depending on how the car is maintained (garage kept, washed and waxed, etc) it could last longer. I'm sure it wouldn't be easy to remove, and it won't just peel off, but it can be removed.

 

Sounds like a good choice, too bad it doesnt last a little longer. 7-10 years is prime time for the second painting, and Im sure to get the stuff off, theyd have to use some chemicals... Is it sprayed on, or like a clear vinyl sticker?

 

I think to remove the clear bras, you just use a heat gun, and peel it off the car. The heat helps soften the adhesive up and makes removal much easier. Again, this is just a guess.