Clear Bra
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,746
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From: Burbank, California
Clear Bra
I'm kind of sitting on the fence about clear bra. On one hand I don't like them, but on the other hand, I intend to keep my Macan for a very very long time so it may be a good early investment. So I have a couple of questions:
1. How easy are they to take off? When the time comes? Do they take the paint off with them?
2. Do they cause any paint discoloration? Or different shades when removed?
3. Does anyone have them and can you please post some close up photos of the ends of the bra so I can see what the junctions/ends looks like on the hood and fenders?
Thanks.
1. How easy are they to take off? When the time comes? Do they take the paint off with them?
2. Do they cause any paint discoloration? Or different shades when removed?
3. Does anyone have them and can you please post some close up photos of the ends of the bra so I can see what the junctions/ends looks like on the hood and fenders?
Thanks.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 677
Likes: 3
From: Minnesota
I'm kind of sitting on the fence about clear bra. On one hand I don't like them, but on the other hand, I intend to keep my Macan for a very very long time so it may be a good early investment. So I have a couple of questions:
1. How easy are they to take off? When the time comes? Do they take the paint off with them?
2. Do they cause any paint discoloration? Or different shades when removed?
3. Does anyone have them and can you please post some close up photos of the ends of the bra so I can see what the junctions/ends looks like on the hood and fenders?
Thanks.
1. How easy are they to take off? When the time comes? Do they take the paint off with them?
2. Do they cause any paint discoloration? Or different shades when removed?
3. Does anyone have them and can you please post some close up photos of the ends of the bra so I can see what the junctions/ends looks like on the hood and fenders?
Thanks.
I would take a picture but you would not see anything as there are no lines and it looks the same as the rest of the car.
If I didn't tell you you would not know it is there.
I did my 997 a few years ago with 3M and I'm almost thinking of redoing the partial with a full front end. Go with the full front end and do Xpel instead of 3M you won't be disappointed.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,452
Likes: 145
I just can't do it. It reminds me of covering a couch in plastic. I can always make out the plastic look, it always affects the shine, and even a little bit bothers me, and it's outrageously expensive, IMO. You have to keep the wrap up as well, there can be issues with installation, wraps discolor after time, and if something happens to the wrap, you have to pay another huge amount to get it reapplied. Touchup paint is better and cheaper, unless you live in an area with a massive issue in this regard. You can even get probably 2 to 4 resprays on your front for the price of a clear wrap, and IMO that'd look way better between the two.
I hate rock chips as much as or more than anybody, but I just can't get into clear bra, or the cost.
I hate rock chips as much as or more than anybody, but I just can't get into clear bra, or the cost.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 10,482
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From: NE Florida
The Macan is the first vehicle I've gotten a clear bra on, all my previous vehicles have seemed to be a magnet for rock chips. If they had just hit the bumper I could justify not getting the bra but they haven't, I had nice healthy chips in the hood and front fenders too and I don't want to be respraying the whole front end. This may be the last car I get it on but I'm giving the clear bra a try.
Race Car
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,530
Likes: 29
From: New York
I didn't get it on my Macan - never actually had any rock chips on any car. I think it offers some protection, but often at the cost of the film itself needing to be replaced, at least that's my experience on my sports cars.
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Burbank, California
I posted the same question to the 996 forum. The problem with the clear bra is that when you take it off it takes off parts of the paint with it. So I'm tossing and turning if I should do it. The cost in my opinion is a good investment. But if something happens and you have to take it off, a repaint is in order.
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Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: NE Florida
I posted the same question to the 996 forum. The problem with the clear bra is that when you take it off it takes off parts of the paint with it. So I'm tossing and turning if I should do it. The cost in my opinion is a good investment. But if something happens and you have to take it off, a repaint is in order.
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Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,746
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From: Burbank, California
Something seriously wrong with that. My dealer (Brumos Porsche) is the one that arranged the clear bra install on my car, if there is a history of clear bras removing paint I seriously doubt any dealer would recommend (or facilitate) installing it. In addition, clear bras have been around and installed for well over 10 yrs., if paint removal was a common problem I think we would have heard a lot more complaints about it.
Instructor
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 181
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Time spent finding a quality installer with a good reputation is key to a good wrap more than anything else. You want someone that will wrap around panel edges so you don't have easily visible seams. Ideally this might mean the installer pulls panels, pops out headlights, removes badges, and does other things to limit seams and fully cover the area. Ideally you probably also want someone that has worked on a Macan before, or at least has done current line-up Porsches.
With regards to the film itself, Xpel seems the most popular with SunTek also in the mix. It really shouldn't matter the make, but I know several guys that have wrapped their McLarens with Xpel Ultimate and have been real happy with the results and the protection... The self-healing is hard to beat!
Also, removing the wrap should in no way take the paint with it. If it was installed correctly, and then removed correctly, you should not see any impact to the paint.
-nh4.
With regards to the film itself, Xpel seems the most popular with SunTek also in the mix. It really shouldn't matter the make, but I know several guys that have wrapped their McLarens with Xpel Ultimate and have been real happy with the results and the protection... The self-healing is hard to beat!
Also, removing the wrap should in no way take the paint with it. If it was installed correctly, and then removed correctly, you should not see any impact to the paint.
-nh4.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 544
Likes: 200
From: Nolensville, TN
There were no issues whatsoever on the removal, and you can really only tell the XPel is there if you know what to look for. Minor scratches/swirl marks, should there be any, stretch completely out and disappear in the heat of sunlight. I clearly (pun intended) believe in this protection.
With that said, I know Porsche has been constantly upgrading and improving their paint systems, mostly in response to European paint emission standards -- which means they are forced to change their paint chemistry fairly regularly. (This happens here in the U.S. to our own company as well.) While paint adhesion is a prime attribute that gets tested to death, who knows how it will react under a clear bra without up-to-date experience?
My other issue is cost. Covering as much as I did costs somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, probably closer to the latter. That's a little bit of a shock for something you really never even see.
But the stuff really works for me. It gets torn up over time, but based on my experience replacing it, the paint underneath remains unblemished -- far longer than with no protection.
My new Macan will get a clear bra, and after the pain of paying for it, I won't think of it again. I don't see it as a risk at all.
Now, tell me about experiences with ClearPlex for the windshield . . .
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Burbank, California
...There were no issues whatsoever on the removal, and you can really only tell the XPel is there if you know what to look for. Minor scratches/swirl marks, should there be any, stretch completely out and disappear in the heat of sunlight. I clearly (pun intended) believe in this protection.
With that said, I know Porsche has been constantly upgrading and improving their paint systems, mostly in response to European paint emission standards -- which means they are forced to change their paint chemistry fairly regularly. (This happens here in the U.S. to our own company as well.) While paint adhesion is a prime attribute that gets tested to death, who knows how it will react under a clear bra without up-to-date experience?
...
My new Macan will get a clear bra, and after the pain of paying for it, I won't think of it again. I don't see it as a risk at all.
With that said, I know Porsche has been constantly upgrading and improving their paint systems, mostly in response to European paint emission standards -- which means they are forced to change their paint chemistry fairly regularly. (This happens here in the U.S. to our own company as well.) While paint adhesion is a prime attribute that gets tested to death, who knows how it will react under a clear bra without up-to-date experience?
...
My new Macan will get a clear bra, and after the pain of paying for it, I won't think of it again. I don't see it as a risk at all.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 544
Likes: 200
From: Nolensville, TN
I will consult with the dealer, but unless they specifically recommend otherwise, I will do it right away. Baked-on OEM paint typically has outstanding adhesion and should be fully flashed off (i.e., inert). Keep in mind they ship these cars with white plastic protective film stuck on the top and hood at the factory and peeled off at the dealer. (I suppose if I was really cheap and my wife didn't care what people thought of her, we could insist that the dealer leave the protective film on for the first year or two.)
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Auburn, CA
Had clear bras on the last 6 cars I have owned. I have never had a problem with them. I have never removed one from a car that had paint work. I had one car where an idiot SUV driver backed into the front end and damaged the hood/bumper. The car had a clear bra since new. I had the front end repaired and a new clear bra installed. It looked perfect but I sold it a few years later without ever seeing any issues with the clear bra. I have removed clear bras from other cars that had 100% factory pain with out issue.