Preeble

I just purchased a Panamera (CPOed from dealer) - it was a Porsche USA corporate car and is 2 years old with low miles. The car came with a clear bra already installed on it - I suspect that it was wrapped when new.

As-is, the car needs a good paint correction and detail. The bra is holding up fairly well - there are a couple of lifted corners in the lower front valence (which are not easy to see), but the main places where the bra is still look good.

I had originally thought of removing the bra before the detail as I feared that if I waited much longer, I could risk damage to the paint if I removed it at a later time. I wasn't planning on putting a new wrap on.

However, now that I have driven the car for a while, I'm starting to value the bra when I drive behind trucks that like kicking up rocks into my car.

Obviously the best thing to do would be to take the existing bra off, paint correct/detail the car and install a new one. This however is a pricier option and I'm not sure I want to spend that much. As such, if I am not going to get another bra, is it better to leave the existing one on or is the risk of damage in leaving it on to the paint too high?

Marine Blue

A bra that's 2 years old should still have a few years of life left in it. I removed a 10 year old bra from an MB a few years ago which was still protecting the car but looked awful. Paint underneath was perfect and other than the bra being brittle and breaking apart during removal I had no issues. I would keep it on and ask the detailer to perform the minimal paint correction to the hood and fenders (assuming a partial coverage bra) so the paint won't look uneven when the bra is eventually removed.

In a couple of years you can remove the bra, have the car detailed again and then have a new bra installed.

Oakes Detail

That is certainly an early age for a bra to need replacement. Is it a full front end or partial set up? Also, did the car come with a previous warranty card for the film? The lifted edges are not ideal, but that is up to you to determine if they are livable. Do you have any pictures?

Preeble

There is really nothing wrong with the bra that is on the car except for a couple of lifted corners on the lower front valence (which are very small and don't bother me at all). Unfortunately there was no warranty paperwork that came with the car.

My main question was if there if any harm in leaving the bra on in terms of paint damage. It was encouraging to hear from the first responder about his experience when removing an old bra.

I think I will keep mine on for a while.

djantlive

Bra can be removed after years of use. The cars that do have issues is usually because the bra was put on right after nose is repainted. A repaint need a minimum of a month for paint to fully breathe and cure. Heat lamp, baking and IR lamp help but not completely unlike what most body shops say.

rloggie

I bought a TT with a clear bra that had been on for eight years. The car was very low miles but had swirl marks from poor washing. I had the bra removed by an excellent installer, the paint corrected and a new full front and more expel film installed. The eight year old bra came off with no problems whatsoever to the paint. Also, the original bra was a partial.

Preeble

Thank you to everyone that responded. I'm keeping the bra for a few more years!

Detailed Designs

If you're in PA, take it to Nick Oakes and let him inspect it. Likely, the whole of the film will be fine. But may be able to help you with the lifted edges.