Care and feeding of my new Boxster S?

[z12358]

Don't know the quality of 1JB's old clear-bra installation and what material was it made of, but I have only praises to say about mine (installed in May). People never know I have it until I tell them about it. I think it helps that I minimized the amount of visible edges as much as possible. I covered the whole hood, front bumper and front fenders to where they meet the doors. Only visible are two 3" edges on each side right below the windshield -- as they don't make rolls wide enough to cover the hood in its entirety. Really easy to maintain and clean. Just wash with soap and spray with Plexus. Bugs, dirt, etc wipe off really easy. I can only hope that I'll be as happy with it years from now but no one can tell.

Do follow the break-in procedure religiously. It will be in the manual. I bought mine in May now at 3000+ miles (driving it only on weekends) the car starts to really loosen up. The engine sounds smoother, revs easier. I never crossed 4200 rpms during the first 2000 miles. Crossing it after that was like driving a different, new car. You will LOVE the car.
Z.

[1JB]

My installation was of the 3M Clear Bra by an authorized dealer/installer of pre-cut materal for an Acura MDX, deep red color. It looked great for the first couple of years but has shown a marked decline over the last year. It was installed in 2002 and the car is garaged most of the time. It has become slightly more opaque at the edges and in the tiny wrinkles that were present here and there. On the mirrors it is particularly noticeable and looks pretty poor at this point. I am confident however that my paint will look good as new when I take it off. I'm not knocking the product but my experience has been that it does show signs of age which is to be expected I would think. Installation cost was roughly $800.00 US.

[1JB]

On another note, another product I installed at the same time as the Clear Bra were the Stonguard headamp protectors. These were barely detectable up until the past year or so as well when there was a noticeable breakdown of the adhesive visible through them. Many small bubbles and "orange peel" was apparent on the adhesive side. Pulled them off and the headlamps look good as new. Again, I'm not knocking the product but it also showed definite signs of age as would be expected. So I would anticpate having to replace the bra every few years but the cost is still less than repaint of the front end. My logic in not doing it is that in 5-7 years I'm going to have to replace the convertible top too and will have the whole car repainted then as well. I just love the look of a perfectly Zaino'd car with no bra. My 2@s for what it's worth.

[z12358]

1JB, were there wrinkles on the clear-bra at the very beginning or did they start to appear with time?
Thx.
Z.

[1JB]

There were just a couple of tiny wrinkles when they installed it in a couple of spots. Virtually all of the wrinkles disappeared after a couple of weeks but a few minor ones did not. Unless you knew they were there though you wouldn't notice them.

I'll tell you one thing for sure though you will have real peace of mind driving your car with the Clear Bra installed. The first time I got behind a truck that was kicking up dirt on the highway in my new Boxster without the bra I quickly ended up a half mile back in the right hand lane wondering if I should have had the bra installed.

[drburton]

Couple of things I do for my car:

1) Apply Ragg Top to the top to help protect it from the 'elements'
2) Apply a leather conditioner to the seats on a regular basis (every 4-5 months)
3) Break-in period is 2000 miles, keep RPM under 4000 (some say 4200)
4) Stand in the garage and stare at it alot

Have fun! You will love it

[1JB]

"1) Apply Ragg Top to the top to help protect it from the 'elements'
2) Apply a leather conditioner to the seats on a regular basis (every 4-5 months)
3) Break-in period is 2000 miles, keep RPM under 4000 (some say 4200)
4) Stand in the garage and stare at it alot"

This is excellent advise. I use Ragg Top and the Zaino leather products. Great look at great smell for the leather.

I also take the recycling to the garage several times an evening and stare at the seductive beast sitting next to the old newspapers, Corona bottles and milk jugs. Then it's time to return to the house, open another bottle of Corona and start the process all over again.