Rayysmans

Have anyone try the Clear Bra on their ZR??? can you post some pix here wiith Clear Bra ??

WRZ

I've had one on th e Z now for about 5 months. I does stop the rock chips. The company that did mine included the mirrors and the head lights along with a piece aroud the door handle so the wife doesn't scratch it there with her rings. Sorry no pictue yet, it's to cold here lately. Not above 12 for the past week
Cost was a little under $500.00.
you can not tell it's on unless your within 2 feet of the car.
The car is Nogaro Red.

CaliBoy

iTrader: (4)

if you are thinking of getting it i would say 100% good idea. it works great, my last Z had the front bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors and the splash guards. will save your car from lots of chips.

mx48

Do it as soon as you can,money well spent.
Wanted to show a picture that allows you to see the line between paint and film.Don't worry it rarely ever shows, like other pic.

Rayysmans

how much did you pay for the clear bra and for them to install???

jmark

iTrader: (1)

Worth every penny. Where are you located? I have a great installer in the NE Ga area.

mx48

Like WRZ stated anound $500 more or less.
Do some on-line looking in your area,look up authorized applicators for 3M,or venturesheild. When I had mine installed in 2007 they(venturesheild) had a
good, and better(thicker) product,I paid a little bit more with a non-yellowing
guarantee.Get three bids over the phone,many install for new dealerships and can charge expensive prices.
I had four quotes ranging from 300-to 1100.I went with a installer($525) that had a track record with installs,cutting machine was in good shape,and a installer who had experience on a z.

spankey167

iTrader: (2)

Hey bro. Not to go against the grain, but just stating my opinion or actually a couple of friends who own paint shops. I asked them about the clear bra for my front bumper and to be honest none of them recommended it. They have mentioned that eventually the clear bra turns yellow and if you end up removing it, your paint goes with it. hat is due to the heat/baking of the sun. So you have to repaint the part of the car again. Good luck on it, but I would also other people's opinions.

mx48

Spankey
Clear bra's are installed daily on Lambo's-Bmw-all types,I was told that the newer matrix mix of film doesn't remove paint,and like I stated, the thicker,and more expensive offer a non-yellowing warranty.I know that you can spray a clear film on,not sure of the durability,or warranty's.

radiologue

I currently have ArmorCoat™ on my front bumper that I am very happy with. I originally had the clear film, but was very unhappy with the quality of install on my bumper cover. My unhappinesss was mainly due the ability to see the edges of the film. Note that install was a custom job (not a factory bumper cover).

I have another car that had the film that was very yellowed and very obvious on a white car. The film was likely an older product.

spankey167

iTrader: (2)

I am no expert with the clear bra. Just stating my experience with them. I understand what you mean by lambos, bmw's use them... What does that prove? That doesn't prove that the paint won't come off if the clear bra is removed. Just means people who have money install them. The Yellowing usually takes some time... With the non-yellowing warranty... That's not a non-yellowing guarantee right? So are those companies willing to pay for the removal and also painting your bumper if the paint comes off due to removal? If they are willing to... Then I would consider buying one for my front bumper.

G-Man.uas

Dang, that sure is expensive! Anyone use those cheaper ones made of black material? Have seen them for around $80.

WRZ

I've seen a couple of these material bras and they seem to leave rub marks in the paint because they do not fit tight and move a little when going down the road.

y2kmaven

Since my Z is new off the showroom floor I decided to take a flyer on protecting a pristine (more or less) finish. The clear bra was highly recommended both on this site and by a local installer (go figure!?). The installed price quote from this installer was almost $700. InvisibleMask offers the "bumper" piece for just under $100 and the hood/fenders/mirror kit for about $125. They also throw in an installation kit (razor knife, squeegee, spray bottles, micro fiber towel, how-to CD, etc.), free shipping, and free door edge strips. I had never put one on before but at the same time I'm not helpless or clueless, so I went for it. You can select 3M film or InvisibleMask film (same price), each 8 mils thick. I chose 3M simply because I'm a sucker for brand names.

The how-to CD was informative, helpful, and gave me a sense of confidence that I could handle the job. It was a challenge at times (curves, corners, etc.) getting a good fit, as you have to stretch the film in places to get the best fit. The biggest tip I can give you (beyond studying the installation CD and following their directions) is to work as quickly as possible while at the same time exercising patience. It's only about 50 degrees in my garage (it's been below freezing outside for a month) and I had to go over some of the work numerous times to get good adhesion on a few edge spots, then it took days for the moisture beneath the film to dry away and become clear, but you literally can't see the film from more than one or two steps away from the car (it's black). The patterns are pre-cut precisely for your make/mode when you order them (careful - no returns), and the coverage on exposed front end surfaces seems adequate. Sorry, no pictures yet. It took me about four hours start-to-finish and I was quite satisfied with the results. For the approximately $450 savings I can live with the miniscule flaws in my work (OK, I'm ****, so sue me). It looks great snuggled into my garage under flourescent lighting, but sunlight (c'mon Easter!) and starlight will be the real acid test as far as how good it truly looks.

I still haven't had the car on the road yet (it usually stops snowing in NE Ohio by about Easter) but I'm hopeful my efforts will be rewarded. I think it's a worthwhile trade off, slapping a big piece of clear plastic on the car to preserve the finish from rocks, cinders, pieces of cold-patch, etc. (Don't know what cold-patch is? - move to Ohio). I'd do it again, I guess (time will tell), and I'd quit my day job and go into the installation business if I thought I could do two every day at $450 profit. I say go for it.

G-Man.uas

I like the look of that Invisiblemask stuff - lifetime warranty too. Think I'll go for it once the weather here improves.

Rayysmans

Just to let you guy known that I got the clear bra done on the car today...I was very happy with his work....It's cost about $900.00..for 1/4 of the hood and bumper and two side mirrors and head lights. it look great you have to look at close to see the line. I will post some pix..later

spectorbassguy

iTrader: (1)

I'm not loving mine. I just bought an '05 Z with the clear bra and it has a big bubble about the size of a silver dollar in one spot on the front bumper. Also some spots that just don't look great. No chips in the paint but the lines are quite noticeable IMO. It's probably been on since new. Does anyone know how to remove without causing any damage to the paint?

spankey167

iTrader: (2)

Not sure about the removal, but I would go to a professional clear bra installer and ask. As other memebers said, the older clear bras would yellow. Is yours yellow at all?

Please update us if you do end up taking off the clear bra and the results of it.

Thanks!

sluggoZ

iTrader: (129)

I have to agree with spankey167...clear bra's will definitely turn yellow in time, plus other defects will appear.
Last Spring I went Ferrari shopping with my cousin who did end up buying a '04 360 Modena, we spent the whole day shopping, from Naples, FL to Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach & West Palm Beach, well I must of seen at least 3 Ferrari's & 1 Lambo that had the yellowing problem. My cousin ended up buying from a individual owner just outside of Palm Beach....w/9k miles and it was immaculate.

In regards to the guarantee of non-yellowing, just hope & pray the guy is still in business four or more years from now to honor your guarantee.

Also, the way I see it....it really dosen't cost that much to repaint the front bumper...keep the front end heavily wax sure helps a lot too! You never know, one day you just might want to buy a whole new after-market bumper!!!!
Just my 2 cents worth!

HTP AutoWorks

Spankey, nothing personal but you do not have any experience with clear bras. You got your knowledge from friends who own body shops... and make money from repainting bumpers when they get chipped up. I have been installing this stuff for over 5 years and have only once seen the film lift paint. That was due to the owner having film installed on a fresh paint job... one that had not fully cured. Baking in the sun (or whatever you said) has absolutely nothing to do with it. If the paint is fully cured (and it is a good paint job) it will not lift the film.

As far as the warranty goes, yes it covers the film and any damage that may occur. If it was lifting paint every single time then how would they stay in business??? Dont you think the word would get our to the Lambo, Porsche, Ferrari owners and they would stay away???

Getting a clear bra is a very good investment if you want to keep your car looking new. Using a good film (VentureShield or ClearMask... both have lifetime warranties) along with a good installer is key to getting good results.