So yesturday, my installer was removing the clear bra and reinstalling a new one (the first one he put on had too many lines so he offered to fix it) on my 997.2 and in the process took some of the clear coat off. At first, he started to blame the fact that the bumper was not factory paint etc and thats why this happened...He saw that I was getting really annoyed so he offered to take it to his body shop to have it re-sprayed while I am on a business trip!

So luckily he is getting it fixed but he said I wont be able to put the clear bra back on for a couple weeks until the paint settles. Now I just hope the car doesnt get damaged more while I am on my business trip at the body shop (i.e. door dings) since I obviously have bad luck. You guys think I should call this body shop and warn them to keep the car somewhere on their lots where it wont get more damaged? I dont know anything about this body shop but supposingly he works on a lot of Porsches.

This is what I fear most about clear bras. Problems with installation and the damage when they try to correct it.

And the other thing I fear is my Porsche sitting at a body shop with all the airborne crap that ends up on it.

Be careful as to which body shop. All are not alike. Sorry for putting a bit of anxiety on top of what you are feeling but just make sure YOUR carrera is going to a highly respected shop.

Mark

Most clear bra installers will tell you that an aftermarket paint job may come off with a clear bra removal. I've never heard of a factory paint job having that problem.

Remember that Porsche has been using clear protection on their paints since the 90's (993 rear flares) and no one complains about paint removal on those cars when changing out the protection.

As far as the body shop, I would bring pastries or something to help break the ice and then mention in conversation how much you love the car. Most guys will pick up on that and offer to do what they can to protect the car while it's there.

Good luck with the repair.

do some research on the shop you are taking it to. ask them to cover the car with plastic to avoid contaminates. if the clear is all you need, they can wet sand the clear and reshoot it without shooting the color paint. putting the car in an oven for a couple of days to accelerate the process doesn't do the trick regardless of what a body shop tells you.

after respray, the paint needs to be cured for at least a month prior to applying clear bra. this should not be hurried.

you should look at the paint to be sure you are satisfied with it before the film is applied.

lastly, if the old film was applied on resprayed panel, it is possible that the resprayed panel can peel. it's not necessarily his fault. if the previoius respray didn't cure fully before the old film was applied, you know now why.

i would specify where YOU want YOUR car to go for the installation mishap. If the work is not done properly or not documented you could be on a nasty slippery slope.

who did the work??

Take a note of the mileage of your car after dropping it off. Make sure u check it again when u pick it up.

This^^^ been told this several times due to curing of the cure coat. Same goes for badges that are applied too soon, when removed can remove some of the clear.

my entire car has been repainted (except for the roof), 12 months before full clearbra... the clearbra on the hood was not done satisfactory, lines, watermarking, contaminants. It was removed and redone by my installer. Round two was somewhat better. Thankfully there was no damage to the paint and the installer warned me. Made me nervous. I wouldnt want to remove this stuff myself, even leaving it to the pros, and still hope they do it with extreme care.

risky, but id have rather taken the chance than allowed a poor clearbra to ruin the appearance of the car. hopefully this shop where its going will do a fantastic job and it will be good as new.

your not buying the bra, your buying the installer!

Repaints have to cure and offgas for at least 30 days, even more if possible.

If they used the actual German clear coats, you are OK at 30.

Just did this on my C4S.

Good luck!

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your responses. Luckily, he is making good on the issue and getting the bumper fixed and then he will re-install the clear bra in a month. I don't want to give him too much issues on this (ESP since he promised to fix everything) because he can turn around and do the blaming game (I.e dealer had the bumper re-painted so it wasn't factory paint and not his fault) and then we will get nowhere. I checked the body shop and they do work on a lot of Porsches. At least this isn't a complex job since its just the bumper re-spray.

How many days will it take for body shop to fix the issue with the clear coat?

work should be a couple of hours, followed by buffing in 2-3 days. so the car shouldn't be in the shop more than 3-4 days once they START the work.

I installed my own 3m clearbra on my 997 and also removed one from a VW. The key thing with removing a clearbra is to make sure the body panel is warm and to use a blow dryer to warm up the clearbra as this will soften the clearbra. It also helps to spray a soapy solution under the material as you start peeling

As others have noted, if your car has been repainted , you can expect some peeling. The factory uses a electrically charged painting process to promote better adhesion and uniformity that just cant be attained by an aftermarket paint job.

Thanks everyone. I called the body shop that the clear bra installer will be taking the car. He actually does work on a lot of Porsches. He even gives a PCA discount which I am not paying for. I even Google mapped his shop and did a satellite view and there was a Porsche on his lot ready to get fixed! I feel much better. I also spoke to the owner and mentioned to him that this car is coming to his shop in mint condition (except for the bumper LOL) – so no door dings etc… Overall, this disastrous issue will slowly get itself fixed. Then I need to come back to the installer and have the bra put back on since I already paid for it!

My dealer has someone that comes in and does it right from the first place! No mistakes at all! Always use clear bars on P-Cars

Wound never put a clear bra on any car of mine.