Kinda confused as to what a clear bar is? I been reading other threads regrading this...but can someone break it down as to what it really is? Some people have said that the "bra" turns yellow (color of the car i am getting is Black) or something over time...is this true? Will i be able to see the "bra"? And there is a pre-cut piece and the non-pre-cut piece...What is the cost of having these thing installed? and how much is it? Are there any good locations in Bay Area (Cali)? Should this be the fist thing installed after getting the car?

Thanks!

 

think clear bra as a thicker version of saran wrap. it's just stuck onto your car. There's a lil piece of it that comes stock on the car, it's on the lower rear fender. It's also on the roadster where the top connects to the tonneau cover.

it doesnt really turn yellow yellow, just not as clear as before. Kinda clear w/ yellowish tint.

if you dont tell people you have clear bra, 99% of the time they wont know. Even if you told them, you really have to point out the edges of the clear bra from them to notice. Even the driver wont notice it 90% of the time.

whether or not it's pre-cut varies by brand. If you have a body kit, you can't get the pre-cut ones.

and yes, get it ASAP.

 

Where would I be able to get a clear bar? The dealship? How much is it?

 

you can find some thru http://www.xpel.com. Xpel is just one of many clear bra companies. You might want to do a search on clear bra from more info.

My bumper and rear view mirrors have clear bra installed for $400...

 

I've got a clear bra on my bumper and about a foot up the hood. Great investment to protect your paint. Check w/ your dealer or look through the phone book. Most places that install window tint are now doing clear bras as well.

 

My dealer claimed he could do it for about 300... but I have to see a service rep first to be sure.

I hate dealing with service reps...

 

great investiment. Make sure to get the 3M product.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/care/112_0401_cc/

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/_...1/_s.155/98905

 

How do you think the clear bra will look after 5-10 years?

Is the clear bra removal? If so, does it leave marks?

The other day, I noticed a 97 Camry that looks like it used to have a clear bra, becuase it left behind disgusting damage to the paint. It was a red car, and where the clear bra used to be, that area had turned whitish.

 

Jeremy in San Rafael does a great install. I had one put on my husband's new roadster (they also did tint's). It looked horific, with dirt marks under the bra. I remembered a post from this web site and did a search. Found Jeremy's number and called him. Jeremy took off the cruddy bra for us and installed an invisiguard bra. Great Installation! Highly recomend. Jeremy Phone:707-328-5865. He will install on weekends. I think he is also mobil.

 

Oh Yea, one more thing. The only thing that looks cruddier than a red 97 camero with whitish color is a red 2003 Z with white rock chips everywhere. I didn't get the bra put on my coupe and I wish I would have. When we got my husband's roadster I made sure he got one. He love's it. His bugs wash right off. With a black car those rock chips are going to look bad as my red. The Z is so low they do get on the bottom of the hood. I will have to have the bumper and the lower part of the hood touched up. Tell Jeremy you got his number from this web site, I think he'll give you a discount.

 

The clear bra usually has a 3-5 year lifespan / warranty.

It can be removed completey with a heat gun without ill affects to the car. I removed some custom pieces I didn't like without the heat gun and had some glue that I needed to clean off. No big deal.

I lived in D.C. where rock chips where a way of life... the clear bra saved the car. I now live in a small town and "probably" wouldn't get clear bra if I bought a new car.

I also have super black and it looks pretty good after 2 years. It tends to show water spots more if you don't keep it "waxed".

I say "waxed" because you're better off using a non wax (non whitening) product like zaino or klause that doesn't leave a white residue when it dries.

It comes in two thicknesses that I've seen 3 mil and 6 mil. I have 3 mil and it seems sufficient.

The application is really an art form... expecially on the front bumper which is one huge piece. Get the installer on a bad day and you get a bad install.

Also, go with someone that has a die cutter for cutting his own patterns. The other two options are he orders pre-cut kits and if he messes up he has to reorder another kit and 2) he cuts it by hand with a razor while it's on your car which can also cut the paint if he's not "perfect".

 

I installed the headlight covers. It wasn't that difficult, but at the same time, it wasn't easy. They look fine, but I'm afraid that if I had to cover the entire hood with the same plastic materials, I'm not sure if would look good.

Here's my question - if the installation cost plus the cost of the cover is $300. to $400. - and might not look that great after 5 years, how does that compare with getting the car detailed 5 years later once all the dings appear? In other words, I'm thinking of skipping it, and just planning on doing the detailing / painting 5 years down the line once the chips appear. Does that make sense, or would most people still say just get the cover?

 

good question!

 

There are actually many options on the market as far as paint protection goes. By far the best known would be 3M due to its vast marketing expenditure. We've used 3M before and it yellows over time. Generally, about 3 yrs the film will either fade or yellow, which was why we chose to go with Venture. Venture is much clearer, does not have the orange peel that 3M has, twice as strong as 3M, and does not have a clear coat to maintain its gloss (clear coat scratches very easily).

Keep in mind, the quality of the film is only as good as the installation. There are many companies jumping into the paint protection industry as an addition to their existing business. It is a benefit to the customers when there is a lot of competition, but clearbra installation is not that simple. Especially when it comes to vehicles with compound curves. For proper and a "clean" look, every installation detail matters.

For example: dust particles, over-stretching of material will create stretch marks and very visible lines, peeling of the film, finger prints, mis-alignment of the kits, etc.

We have been using Venture for 3 yrs now and have not had one warranty claim. In retrospect, we used 3M and a host of other films (Avery, Llumar, Clearshield) and have had problems with them. With proper installation, our Venture installations is almost invisible - even on black vehicles.

Here are some pics and links to reviews of our work:


http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...light=flint330

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...hreadid=139660

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...hreadid=139049

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/show...light=mach+iii

http://g35driver.com/forums/showflat...=&Board=Buyers Feedback&Number=327152&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&part=

http://g35driver.com/forums/showflat...=&Board=Buyers Feedback&Number=252497&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&part=

http://g35driver.com/forums/showflat...=&Board=Buyers Feedback&Number=253043&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&part=

http://g35driver.com/forums/showthre...age=&view=&sb=



http://forums.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=87106

 

..

 

While no film is perfect, I have been using 3M for almost 5 years and the clear coat is a plus. I don't want to get into a big debate over what film is better because any of the major brands will protect your paint, its the skill of the installer that will make the biggest difference on how the finished product turns out.

 

Are there any good places in the BAY AREA? How much should I expect to pay?

 

Speed 2000 is right on the mark. We have seen many poor installations on the market and it doesn't matter what type of film is used, the typical end-results are wrinkles, "dimples", stretch-marks, etc. Getting the film to come out right takes a lot more in experience and attention to detail to have it come out right.

WickedKE - we service most of Northern California and also travel out of state for group buys, large meets, etc. I'll shoot you a pm.