Clear Bra opinions needed

[23109VC]

My car is a 2000, with about 75k miles....it *just* had a minor fender bender and I recently had the body shop complete the estimate. The car is going to need the entire front bumper cover removed/repainted as well as the fender and a blend into the hood. I am making arrangments to pay the "extra" and just have them redo the entire hood instead of the blend...

I never considered a clear bra as my car had tons of rock chips. I did a Dr. Colorchip repair job and got it looking as good as I figure it would - now that I am having some body work done, my car - SHOULD - look like NEW when I get it. I will have new paint all over the front of the car - so IF I am going to clear bra it - THIS is when I have to do it.

I have seen them on cars - and don't mind the way they look, and I understand how they keep rock chips from getting on the paint - the rocks hit the clear bra and knick that, not your paint..

one thing I don't now - is clearbra removable and replaceable? so a year or two down the road, with freeway usage, do you get tons and tons of little "rock chip" like dings/divits in the clear bra material?

do you see those? basically - are you trading one eyesore for another? or are the litle knicks in clear bra hard to see?

then, if you do get a bunch of surface damage on the clear bra - can you just have it peeled off and a new one put on to replace it?

I only drive this car 3-5k / year max...but it does go on the freeway - and I plan on having this car a while - so anything I can do to keep it looking great is money well spent - and now that my car is going to look "new" I want it to stay that way.

I just don't knwo fi there are downsides / cons to clear bra that I'm not considering.

thanks.

[yimmy149]

You can replace the bra. If the car is your daily driver, you'd probably end up wanting to replace every four years. Sooner if you let the car sit out in the sun, or if you don't keep it waxed. You also need to be careful to remove bugs and sap, otherwise they can stain the material.

I bought a kit online and applied it myself - I wouldn't recommend doing that, you don't save much money, and a pro is going to do a much cleaner looking install IMHO.

-james

[husker boxster]

Find other P-car owners who have had it done and find out who they had apply it. Shops may say they can do it but may have trouble with the complex curves. I had one put on my previous box (01S) by a reputable company. The guys attempted it 3 times. Always got "laugh lines" by the outside edges of the headlights. After the 4th unsuccessful attempt, they politely said it won't get any better, gave me a 25% discount, and asked me not to come back. My current ride came with a clearbra that was perfect but they did it by sectioning the pieces. The section lines are hardly noticable and it looks way better than having crinkles.

I haven't notice a lot of pock marks in my cb. I think the material is hard enough to take the "normal" rock shots. Only the nasty hits will leave a mark.

A clearbra is well worth the investment, as long as it's done correctly.

[mts]

Mine has been on the car for 5 years/20,000 miles and there are really no chips/marks etc on it and it's as clear as the day it went on. It's really been a fantastic product. The car is always garaged and only gets driven 2-5k per year though. No sure how things would hold up if were a daily driver that sits outside a lot.

[Johnny Danger]

If you are going to spend the time and money repairing the front end of your boxster, then installing a protective film is an absolute must ! I have had it on my vehicle for years, and I can tell you from experience, that when its properly installed its virtually indistinguishable, and most importantly it does an amazing job of protecting the vehicle. I am sure in California there must be numerous, highly qualified shops or individuals that do this kind of work. Again, if properly applied there is no downside to doing this.

[Jaxonalden]

I'm all for clear bras, been tring to get my wife to wear one for years.

[Dave S.]

The original owner of my 03 Boxster had a clear bra installed. It got discolored from some nasty tree sap so I had it removed and replaced. No issues what so ever. I have been told that you should wait for 30 days after having a car painted to install a clear bra as the paint should fully cure first. By putting one on too quickly you risk that the paint could peel up if you ever try to remove it.

I also clear bra every car i buy. I have a guy I always use and he is great. On my Boxster, I did the hood (20.5 inches up), front fenders above the headlights and down the sides, front facia, headlights, fog lights, windshield frame, side mirrors, a small are behind the front and rear wheels and the inside edges of the wheel wells all for $550. It will keep the car looking like new for a very long time. While some of these may seem like overkill, I live in Colorado where stone chips can be very severe. Doing the windshield frame and headlight/fog light lenses are a must.