Pro's/Con's Clear Bra

Jabroni1972

Had 3M clear on my old black Silverado. Drove 215,000 miles. Took it off. Paint still looks brand new and not a chip in sight. On my 2014 Track, I am going to wrap the hood in 3M CF and clear 3M the bumper, side mirrors and rocker panels. Great investment IMO and even better I can do it myself so if it looks like crap, I only have myself to blame.

BC416

Bumping this thread as I have a clear bra question that I haven't seen answered during my research.

I'm looking into picking up a Z within the next month or two and will be going with a clear bra install as one of the first things I do to the car.

I'm in NNJ and live in an apartment so the car will be parked outside overnight. It will also be my daily driver and driven year round.

I'm curious if keeping the car parked outside overnight and daily driving it year round in NNJ conditions will affect the bra. Will I have to wash it more often than usual? Will there be any discoloration from being outside all the time?

FairladyZ10PG

^I believe the color will fade more quickly, by that I mean the clearbra will start to yellow. I've had my clearbra since 2010 and I'm noticing some fade to them and I keep my car garaged.

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cooltoy

There is a greater chance of discoloration.

Look into XPEL (ultimate I think), they claim less yellowing.

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kenchan

just remember clearbra is a wear item. i replace mine every now and then.

currently running xpel ultimate on the front bumper. so far so good, but i can already
see some wear on the bra after a yr's use, so i will probably replace it late next yr or the following yr.

im happy that my bare bumper didnt take the direct hits though.

FairladyZ10PG

baller! not everyone can diy a clearbra like you kenchan. stop braggin' I do however need a new set also... I'm seeing a lot of scratches

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BC416

^ Great forum here. 3 good replies within 15 minutes. Can't beat that.

Appreciate the input. I'll look into the Xpel Ultimate and see what that has to offer.

kenchan

haha.. should try diy-ing your next clearbra.

Sly Nic

I had 3M installed by the dealer before it came off the lot. One third of the hood, front fender, mirrors and rocker panels.

Right now, I do not regret it in the least...I will let you know 3 years from now.

My Z is pearl white - do other colours stand up better to yellow than pearl white?

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2014 Roadster - pearl white with frost leather and black top. Hood struts, tinted glass, HR spacers (20mm front/25mm back), blacked emblems, blue LED lights.

MacCool

I had 3M clear bra (Scotchgard) installed on my Pearl White when it was new. The line on the hood is barely visible and not intrusive IMHO. In the meantime, no rock chips and bugs literally wipe right off with just a little waterless wash or some Plexus. I do regret not getting the rocker panels done, so I just ordered some 6x84 Scotchgard off Amazon and I'll install it myself in that location. Scotchgard is warranted against 7 years from the date of purchase, and includes coverage against defects, yellowing, bubbling and cracking for 7 years.

FairladyZ10PG

I think I can manage to do my hood and fenders, but I don't know about my headlights

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kenchan

if you have a generic roll the hood and fenders are easy to do, but if you
get the pre-cut ones they require to be stretched (hood) and it is a pita to fit
correctly without stretch marks.

ive done headlamps and tails on my other cars in the past. it's a biotch as
the radius is pretty crazy on some lamps. but they turned out good.