zee

Ok ladies and gentleman this is not what it seems. As a new rennlist member I would never post a non car related thread and seek the wrath of my colleagues.

I am talking about the Invisible Car Bra, this product and similar ones on the market are made of a clear 8mm film (made by 3M) and get glued to the hood, bumper, & side mirrors forming a transparent and protective shield against bugs, tar, and stone chips. The product company claims it is very effective, safe and does not damage the cars finish even if removed at a latter date.

I am considering this invisible bra over a regular Bra for my newly purchased red 1986 911 coupe which is in excellent condition.

Should I go with Regular Bra vs. Invisible Bra vs. nothing?

epbrown01

A regular bra is an excellent compromise, in my opinion, as long as you use it proeperly (i.e., take it OFF for normal city driving and during wet weather). I don't trust the invisibles, but I'm keeping an open mind to see how they do over the long term.

Emanuel

pearldrum944

How do the invisible bras look on the car? How hard is it to take them off?

epbrown01

With good paint and professional application, they are darn near invisible; you can only make out the seams of the plastic when close up and directly in front of the car. They don't look as good if you've already got chipped or faded paint. I also worry that the plastic has a different UV rating and so will cause the paint to fade unevenly.

Emanuel

Cliff Leve

I have the 3m bra and have enjoyed it thus far. I have not taken it off yet, but was assured it would not damage the paint. I think it looks much better than a regular bra as it is nearly invisible. It has definatley protected the car from rock chips.

ehljags

I have a 3M product, marketed and installed by AutoSupershield (Boca Raton FL). It has been on my car ('01 986, Lapis blue) for ~2.5 years. Absolutely awesome! The only visible part is the "line" or interface at the edge. I have a complete custom application (hood, fenders, full bumper cover, mirrors, door seels, and door handles). The material can be waxed, buffed (not power), and allows the suns uv rays through and thus, in theory, allows even paint fading (what a horror concept!!).

The product can be removed with isopropyl ("rubbing") alcohol.

tkerrmd

3M bra is way to go. Only can see the very edge people sometimes think its a scratch other wise it is awesome.

911

Can anyone post a picture of their 3M bra? Thanks.

ehljags

OK, here are a couple of pics of the 3M product. Both the 986 and 996 have the product, applied by Autosupershield of Boca raton, FL.

911

That's pretty amazing stuff. You can't even notice on the pics. Thanks, ehljags.

cobalt

I have first generation clear bra on my car and it is showing its age. The car is garaged and I was told that long term exposure to UV will cause the adhesive to damage the paint. I am going to remove it next weekend and have new product applied to both my Porsches. I will let you know how it works out. The early stuff had a tendency to show excessive orange peal that was not in the paint it also yellowed over time. I was told they have corrected this. But all in all it works great, saves the paint from most pelting. It has yet to get me a deduction at any Concours.

911

Anthony,

Thanks for the info. Quick questing regarding rock chips & the invisible bra: If a rock/stone does hit the front of your car with the invisible bra, what type of mark does it make on the car? Or, does it not make any scuff marks?

The reason why I ask is that I plan on tracking my car (one day) and I know the front is going to get a lot of chips on it. I raced with the POC a few years ago and my '86 Carrera suffered many front rock chips on the hood.

Thanks.

Rich

cobalt

Rich,

For the most part the product works well. It absorbs about 95% of all rock chips. I have one chip that made it through the film and it is very minor. If the film was not there it would have been significant. Eventually over prolonged use the surface of the film will show signs of blasting from all the impacts. I notice it more on the rear rocker panel sections than i do on the front bumper. The great part about it is when it gets that bad (several years or thousands of miles) you can just remove and reapply the product without a need to respray or most any signs of damage from the impacts. I will know more this week after removing the old film, I will post results.

The product will not protect you from larger sharp objects. Unfortunately this will cut right through the film and potentially damage the paint underneath, however it will reduce the overall size of the damage, but will require the removal of the film to repair.

Although pricy and the cost to install is comparable to a good quality respray, I prefer to have the car in original condition and opt to spend the money now instead of later.

Will know more by next Monday. I will post what I can for all to see.

911

Thanks, Anthony. I look forward to your report on Monday...

Btw, what's the cost of having the invisible bra installed by a good professional? Thanks, again.

Rich

cobalt

Actually the install will be on the 11th. I will be removing the old over the next week. I plan on taking my time so i do not damage the paint.

The local guy I am dealing with is charging $720 installed for the complete Cayenne Kit which has a very high difficulty rating.(5 out of 5 stars) Retail cost of the kits come to $675. The dealership wanted $1500 for the same work. We are still working out the pricing for the 3.6T. There are somethings I want covered that he has to make custom. I will know this week for sure. From what I can tell the retail pricing for the 993 kit is something like this, installation not included:

Hood fender and Mirror kit $169.95 with a 4 out of 5 installation difficulty
Bumper Kit $249.95 same difficulty.
Rear wheel impact area kit $119.95 with a 1 star rating.
wheel opening kit $19.95

I would say based on difficulty a fair price would be about $600+ to do your car.

The guy I am using comes to your house and works in your garage. Should take an entire day to do both cars. Apparently they use a roll of the film and have a machine that cuts the film by software. The cost is probably not very high and there is no reason why they should charge you much over the kit costs since they are not paying close to retail for this stuff. It is somewhat complicated to do but can be done by the average competent person, but I can't find anyone to offer an significant discount on the kit prices therefore might as well have an experienced pro do it for you.