??Nose Protection??

[mwh98]

Has anyone spent the money on a "Boomerang", the SS bar that protects the vunerable nose from road damage? I notices that there is also a PVC version that covers more of the front bumper than the SS type, but I don't belive it offers the ridged protection for the radiators as advertised.

When I went shopping for a pre owned Boxster, the 1st place I looked was the nose and the wheels. If they were torn up, I knew the prior owner was an IDIOT! He/She could not tell where the car was and no telling what else on the car they failed to care for.

Mark
01 Boxster that eats feeder U-Turns

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by mwh98

Has anyone spent the money on a "Boomerang", the SS bar that protects the vunerable nose from road damage? I notices that there is also a PVC version that covers more of the front bumper than the SS type, but I don't belive it offers the ridged protection for the radiators as advertised.

When I went shopping for a pre owned Boxster, the 1st place I looked was the nose and the wheels. If they were torn up, I knew the prior owner was an IDIOT! He/She could not tell where the car was and no telling what else on the car they failed to care for.

Mark
01 Boxster that eats feeder U-Turns

I don't have a Boomerang but I know that the long term R&T Boxster had one and they reported good things about it. If heavily "used" however, it will need replacement from time to time. From what I've seen, they don't appear to be cheap either. But then, what is on a Porsche?

Ummm... Just curious, but if you're thinking about a Boomerang does that also make YOU an idiot (or maybe just a future idiot)?

[986Jim]

Why not this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-Boxster-S-03-04-3M-Clear-Bra-STD_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50457QQitemZ8063985 870QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

I just searched Boxster 3m. It's basically clear vynal that covers the whole front end of the car like a big sticker. You can not tell it's there even but really protects against stone chips and stuff...

[tqtran]

Unless your car is brand new and never driven or has fresh paint, I would advise against Clear Bra. When I first got my 3M clear bra I was an avid fan of Clear Bra. Now, I wish I had never done it...

[Rondog]

tq--- i just bot a 2005 with a clear bra--- so far i love it--- please elaborate on your experience...

[insite]

Originally Posted by 986Jim

I just searched Boxster 3m. It's basically clear vynal that covers the whole front end of the car like a big sticker. You can not tell it's there even but really protects against stone chips and stuff...

the boomerang and the 3M film are designed to protect against completely different types of damage. the boomerang is a metal plate that gets fasened just under the nose. it's designed so that if you bottom out the nose on a speed
bump or one of those concrete parking curbs (since the Box is so low to the ground) or even a steep driveway, you won't tear up (or evan tear off) the nose so easily. the metal boomerang will glide over the ground rather than allowing the bumper and ground to touch (high friction, scrapes off paint, etc).

it also acts like a structural doubler, reducing potential stress cracks, etc.

if your nose touches the ground in any of the aforementioned situations, the friction between the nose and the ground can actually stress the mounting points for the bumper. eventually, you may wind up with a larger than usual gap between the hood and bumper. if you have a GT3 nose or if your car is lower than stock, a boomerang is a very good thing to have.

finally, i'd avoid the PVC version. i bet it doesn't reduce the friction between bumper and road as much as the metal versions. if the metal one gets trashed, you can just take it off and polish it up.

[mwh98]

Originally Posted by denverpete

Ummm... Just curious, but if you're thinking about a Boomerang does that also make YOU an idiot (or maybe just a future idiot)?

Funny...................Originally I thought I would comment on the reason why I was considering a Boomerang, but figured why bother.

I hope I don't step back in evolution and become one of those idiots that beat there car to pieces and then wonder why it looks or runs the way it does. Or their resale is so low.

I was thinking about the one time I miss judge a speed bump or inclined driveway and peel the paint off the bottom of the bumper (I'm sure it feels similar to peeling the skin off your thigh). It would also be handy for my girlfriend or a valet, since they are not that familiar with the car.

mark

[tqtran]

Originally Posted by Rondog

tq--- i just bot a 2005 with a clear bra--- so far i love it--- please elaborate on your experience...

Check out this old thread Carbras.

[porschegeorg]

I just had the 3m "clear bra" installed by my Porsche dealer. Actually the Porsche dealer subs it out to a third party. When I got home I noticed that there are a few spots where they installed the 3M material over dirt specs (like tar)...so it's raised a little bit. On the hood, when the light catches it correctly, it a few "creases" show up.

Is this normal? Should I expect it to be perfect? I'm pretty anal about my paint, and I understand that I would see some lines, but I didnt expect some of the flaws I see.

Also the bumper piece is very fragmented...not 1 single piece of material. There are many seams (where one piece of 3M ends and another begins). Is this normal????

Thanks for your comments/opinions
Georg

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by porschegeorg

I just had the 3m "clear bra" installed by my Porsche dealer. Actually the Porsche dealer subs it out to a third party. When I got home I noticed that there are a few spots where they installed the 3M material over dirt specs (like tar)...so it's raised a little bit. On the hood, when the light catches it correctly, it a few "creases" show up.

Is this normal? Should I expect it to be perfect? I'm pretty anal about my paint, and I understand that I would see some lines, but I didnt expect some of the flaws I see.

Also the bumper piece is very fragmented...not 1 single piece of material. There are many seams (where one piece of 3M ends and another begins). Is this normal????

Thanks for your comments/opinions
Georg

Hi,

The 3M Clear Bra (officially known as: Scotchgard™ Paint Protection Film) is the outgrowth of a urethane film product 3M initially made for the Military to their Spec to protect rotor blades on Helicopters which were getting damaged on the leading edge from sand and other debris. It's purpose was functional and not cosmetic. It worked well for it's intended purpose.

Fast forward several years and this Helicopter Tape was adopted by Race Teams to repair Body Damage during a race without obscuring the Sponsor Decals.

From here, people started using it to protect their street cars, Detailers started doing custom installations and 3M responded by offering it in greater widths, laser-cut to fit a specific application. It is made up of many pieces because it would be very difficult to apply it as a single piece, even for the Pros.

But, there are some issues with it. First, it will absorb some impacts, while for others, the impact is sufficient to chip the paint. Although the tape holds the chip in place making it unnoticeable, when you remove the tape, the chip(s) come with it making a respray a necessity.

Second, the urethane will yellow slightly with time, while not so noticeable on darker cars, on lighter ones this can be quite visible. Also, being urethane, it is relatively soft and scratches easily. After a couple years, it can be more visible as it scratches easier than the surrounding paint just from Wash and Wax cloths. It will also accumulate dirt/dust along it's edge which does not come off when washed. On lighter cars, this Dirt Line can be very visible. The final issue is that it provides some UV protection to the paint underneath it. Consequently, this paint does not fade at the same rate as the rest of the Body, and with time, or if it's ever removed, this difference in color can be quite visible, especially with a Car in the Sun Belt, or one which is parked consistently in Sunlight.

For many, it provides a better alternative to respraying the nose every couple years or doing touch-ups, albeit a fairly spendy one. If you're only going to keep the car a couple of years, it can be a good trade-off. But if you plan on long-term ownership, there will eventually be a reckoning.

My late Father was a senior executive at 3M for 30 years and was involved in it's initial development for the Military. Consequently, there were abundant samples of the stuff around our house. I used it on a couple cars in the '70's, but decided that the trade-offs weren't worth it. I get pretty bad stone-chipping on the extreme slanted nose of my Lotus Esprit. I show this Car, getting 1st Place in every show it's ever been entered in, but I also Track it. To me, the Clear Bra would detract from it's appearance. So I just touch-up the chips (easy and invisible once you get the knack) and do a nose respray every few years. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[denverpete]

Good info. Of course, this thread was somehow previously hijacked from a question about the "boomerang", a part which supposedly protects the front spoiler chin from damage and cracking.

P.S. - I invented "sticky notes".

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by denverpete

Good info. Of course, this thread was somehow previously hijacked from a question about the "boomerang", a part which supposedly protects the front spoiler chin from damage and cracking.

P.S. - I invented "sticky notes".

Hi,

Good Point! I think the Boomerang is useful, but as you pointed out, somewhat spendy.

I have some bad news for your self-proclaimed invention though...

Post-it Notes® were invented by Art Fry and Spencer Silver in 1974. More Fry than Silver. They were both acquaintances of my Dad, in fact, Art was one of the Pallbearers at my Dad's funeral.

Spencer developed an adhesive for 3M in '68 which didn't really work - it was too weak, so it was shelved. Art, a 3M Chemist, was also in the Choir at the St. Paul Cathedral. They had just purchased new Hymnals because the old ones were all torn up from marking the pages. Art wondered if there was a way to mark them without damaging the new ones.

Being a scientist, Art started thinking about the problem and came up with the idea of a marking tab which could stick to the paper, but be removable. He would need an adhesive strong enough to stick, but not so strong that it was permanent. 3M gave all their Lab people the freedom to devote 10% of their Lab time to basic research of their choosing, so Art went over to the Chem. Adhesive Div. and discussed it with Spencer who brought out his failed adhesive. They made up a batch and they worked. Art then went to the Marketing Dept. at 3M and pitched it as a useful, sellable, product but they rejected it.

Undaunted, on his own initiative, Art had a case of notepads made up and delivered to the Secretaries (Admin. Assts. in PCWorld) in the Marketing Dept. who started using them for everything. A month later, their supply ran out and they were clammering to get more, but their bosses had no idea what they were talking about.

Then they realized that this was the greatest Ofc. Supply since the eraser and could be a bonanza for 3M. They patented it and had sales of $44 million in Post-it Notes® the 1st year alone. Unfortunately for Art, as with most Corporations, 3M retained the Patent Rights. He got a nice Bonus and was named Corporate Scientist (highest position for a Chemist at 3M), but it was a pittance compared to the $ Millions in profit 3M made... and so it goes...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[denverpete]

Oh you mean the guys I let pretend to invent them? Common mistake.

P.S. - I invented velcro.

[docdyh]

Hey Denverpete...your first comment was quite funny....

[986Jim]

Someone in this thread sounds like a know-it-all but I won't say who J/K.

Thats pretty awesome info Jim, thanks for that. Too bad he couldn't keep the paten but then again he was working for 3M when he invented it and was being paid to acctually do just that, so I guess thats how it goes.

[xclusivecar]

When I purchased my Elise I was pushed to get the clear bra...but declined due to concerns MN has stated. My concerns were verified when many, many people on elisetalk.com began having problems with their clear bra applications. And these applications were supposedly performed by some world renowned clear bra applicator guru. I figure a re-spray on the bumpers of these and other sport cars is pretty normal every 2-3 years or so. It's not as if a major panel was damaged.