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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
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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
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