Ceramic coatings or clear bra

rko

Just to chime in here. I have xpel ultimate installed on the entire front end of my car (bumper, hood, fenders, side mirrors). I have only had the car and the clear bra a few months now; but I think it is def worth the investment. With the car being so low, the peace of mind it adds against rock chips and other things is the key for me.

danegrey

i had a clear bra, put on the hood / bumper / mirrors and front fenders, this was a good 5 years ago. It is showing some wear on the bumper, if I did not run into so many cones in autocross, it probably be in better shape... Pleased with it, rest of the car, polish ever 3 months, and carry stuff around in case of bird droppings.... those are the worst ...

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Chuckles

I would definitely recommend a clear bra on the front and maybe the rear wheel wells. Doing autocross, tracking. and road rallies mine is getting pretty beat up. $800 is a lot cheaper than paint job every 3 years.

RyanWest

Only thing that makes me nervous about clear bras and I have seen this many many times. Over the years, the clear bras tend to yellow and crack over time. At that point it is damn near impossible to remove. Ceramic Coatings like HCC9 are easy to apply and with 2-3 layers can protect the front end just as good as a clear bra.

dkmura

Wishful thinking on coatings- even with 2/3 layers, there's not nearly as much protection as a clear bra.

RyanWest

Ball out! throw 5/6 coats on the front end and it still half the cost of putting a clear bra on, plus you don't have to worry about yellowing and the pain of removing stuck on cracked clear bra.....hmmmm

CCPcoatings

I'm baffled that people still debate these two products. Dkmura is absolutely correct. You can put 20 coats of ceramic on your paint and it's still not going to prevent rock chips, scratches, grocery carts, and dip-***** dragging their buts across your paint because they parked too close to you even though you parked in the back of the lot.

I don't know about you but the thought of paint chips and scratches on a new ride make my skin crawl. I get annoyed taking a new car to the dealer because the techs don't care about your ride either. They'll drag themselves all over your fenders and doors and then wipe it down with a shop rag that likely cleaned up metals shavings from the job before yours. As soon as they're finished with that the porter will happily run your car thru their scotch bright car wash or have some one wash it off with a broom and dish-soap. No thanks.

As for paint protection film yellowing or cracking, what decade did you have this happen??? Any of the major brands like Xpel, 3M, Llumar, etc, etc that have an actual UV clear coat on them have 7-10 year warranties for such issues that cover any issues like that. Further, I know the XPEL Ultimate is even self healing. So if the guy at the car wash decides to scrub your paint with a BBQ brush you can fix the scratches and swirls with a heat gun, hot water or just leave it in the son.

If by chance some REAL damage occurs like the Ex decides to key your car, have at it. If she even has the arm strength to hurt the film which is unlikely , WHO CARES? Peel it off and put a new piece on. Again, what is so difficult about removing PPF???? Spend $50.00 and a steamer and it will peel off in your hands in minutes..... If you're ultimately looking at ceramic coating for the ease of cleaning, ceramic coat the PPF. Now you have the best of both worlds.

Bottom line, Not having to worry about anyone chipping or scratching your paint is PRICELESS. Particularly with today's water based paints that chip if you look at them the wrong way.

JARblue

That guy is a rep for whatever link he posted earlier. Ignore him - he's just trying to sell product.

I haven't seen a yellowed clear bra in years (except for cheap products).

Ceramic coatings and clear bra perform two different functions. Both is certainly ideal, but might be over the top for some. If you only get one, get the one that best suits your wants and needs. I did a ceramic coating on my wife's Honda so I could wash it in 5 minutes without worrying about scratching the hell out of the paint.

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RyanWest

Pump the brake man. Ignore me?

WOW... Is this what the forum has come to? I've posted maybe a few time in regards to Ceramic Coatings. I think you need to calm down with your 25k posts hero!

RyanWest

I just had a Lambo Aventador come into the shop with a clear bra on it. We did Ceramic Coat over the top of it, however the etching from bugs was already starting to build up. Yes the bra protects the paint, I think we all understand that. I am talking about pricing here. You can Ceramic Coat the front end with 5-6 coats and enjoy the same benefits of the clear bra. Maybe research the pencil strength of Ceramic Coatings.

If you have a rock big enough go through a Ceramic Coated front end, It will go through a clear bra!

And Ceramic Coating Kits are WAY cheaper.... Trying to save you money but you are telling people to ignore me?? LOL

1st

Hi, What are you guys using to clean the clear bra with?

JARblue

Dude you are obviously a rep for that website (or at least on the take). You spam it all over this forum. Clearly you are just trying to push product here.

You talk about yellowing car bras to sell your product when that's not even an issue unless you cheap out. I just call it like I see it. If I'm wrong, I have no problem admitting it. If you have a problem with me, please feel free to PM me

And I'm no hero ... just a

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Hotrodz

He is a postwhore for sure!

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RyanWest

Join date 2012, Own a 2009 370z (purchased in 2010). I've contributed to the forums and do not post whore products I like, enough said....

RonRizz

The Truth About Ceramic Coatings: What They Are, What They Do, and What They Don't Do Worth a read. Particularly the part about ceramic coatings not providing protection from swirls, rock chips, ect... Imagine that, a supplier being upfront and honest....... and for the record, 75% or more of RyanWest's posts contain "stay fresh car care" ... It's not too hard to do the math on that.. Also, most ceramic coatings (including the stay fresh product) only boast 5 years of protection, So if the coating breaks down over time, how is that different than a clear bra deteriorating over time?
There are a few that offer lifetime warranties, but you must read the fine print.....Does not cover damage due to chips, faulty hand washing, automatic car washes, ect..(basically owning and driving the car) in addition, you must have it inspected every year by a certified installer ( at your expense) or the coverage goes away...
I never installed any of these products on mine. I cared for it properly, and did my due diligence when it came to correcting the paint, and after 6 years, just had my hood, bumper, and fenders resprayed for $1300. I'm ok with that, but that's just me.
Do your research, and choose the product, or maintenance plan that suits YOUR needs and budget, not what someone over the internet recommends.

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