Suite C6

Just wanted to check with you guys and gals to see if any of you are expeirencing chipped paint through your clear bra. I have an 05, Mag Red auto that has a couple rock chips on the other side of the 3M clear bra. I can see no visible damage to the bra yet a paint chip still exsist on the inside. Is there a problem with the paint or the bra? Or is this the norm? The biggest problem now is that I can't repair the chips because they are behind the clear bra.

On the surface this bra appears to be just an expensive bug screen because it doesn't appear to protect the paint from rock chips.

Will
Suite C6

Craigster05

Ive seen a few people with the same issue, not just on Corvettes. I passed on the bra for that reason.

AORoads

Have never seen that happen, and I've had two of them on two different cars.

SimpsonH

Not sure if this is true, but a local painter told me there are two problems with Corvette paint.

First, the paint on a Corvette is cured at lower temperature than a metal car. He said because of the lower cure temperature (and slight difference in paint composition to compensate for the lower cure) the paint is not as durable as most GM products.

Second, the paint substrate (composite material) compresses slightly when hit by a rock causing the paint to chip more easily than a metal car.

Clear bras help, but the paint will still chip if hit hard enough.

VetteR1

I've had the 3M clear bra installed on my 350ZR for 3 year and had no issues or anything. The 350ZR had paint issues. The paint nowadays is water based and chips easily. I have a lifetime warranty on the 3M clear bra on the C6 and it is gaurenteed from chips as well as if it penatrates through the clear bra/chips the paint they would replace it as well as recondition and repaint that surface.

2007 C6

bump

spdnvet

I had a piece of metal hit the front of my car right after I had the clear bra installed. The impact caused the plastic to tear away from the car, but I did not end up with any paint damage. So far it is working great.

DrivnXcitment

I've had many a rocks hit the front of the car. The bra has held up well and I don't have a single nick or scratch anywhere under the bra.

turbo_tom

Um, is it possible that the chips were there before the bra was put on and you only noticed it now?

DRJZ1974

Are you sure it's not an air bubble? The first couple of days I have mine, I thought I had a couple of chips, but noticed it was a bubble and was able to just push the bubble out from under the bra. I have always been happy with the clear bras I have had on my cars.

Steve Theodore

This thread makes me go as I'm about to purchase a Corvette with a clear bra already installed.

DRJZ1974

For what it is worth, trust me, the clear bra is the way to go. I have had it on all my cars since I put it on the first one. I have never had a complaint. I live in Minnesota where are climate varies greatly. This weather is hard on everything. Our roads fall apart from it, but the 3m bra stays in perfect tact. Never had anything get under them and never had a chip get through one.

C-INRED

Are you sure they are not small bubbles under the bra from installation? These are common.

bugman

related question (and the reason I never put adhesive plastic on the car):
what do you do after a few years when this plastic is bashed, torn, maybe yellowing, with pock marks in it from taking the rock hits? You can't just peel it off and put a new one on because of the adhesive.

Seriously -- anyone ever buy a 10-year old Vette with this stuff on, where it's looking bad and you want to remove it? what do you do?

Maybe you can tell me it never gets worn, but I've got to believe that after 10 years on the car it's going to get a little ratty.

1subject70sheets

There are many inferior film products out there. Some films are thinner, cheaper and do not have the clear coat that the 3M film offers.
I did compare several films before I had my car done. Now after several years, the 3M film still looks great and there are no chips that I can spot. The best thing is, if needed, the clear bra is removable and it can be replaced. Again, check with your installer to make sure that you are getting the 3M film installed (it has the "3M" logo printed on the backing paper).
If properly installed, IMHO the film is the best way of protecting the paint, simply wash and go.

D_Nyholm

I just recently pulled up the bra on my car and it was relatively easy. Just did it in the sun and used Goo Gone to remove the adhesive. What I did notice was the clear bra was holding the chips in place on the hood. When I pulled it up, the chips that you couldn't see came up with it. They were very tiny (like pin heads) so they aren't noticeable.

I have driven about 3K miles without the bra and now I have about 15 larger chips on the hood. Basically, i drove 35K with the bra and got a bunch of really small unnoticable chips and 3K miles and got 15 big chips that are totally noticeable. GET THE BRA!!!! i'll be sure to add it to my next car...



VetteR1 what is a 350ZR?? Never heard of it.

The Squeaky Wheel

If there weren't any chips prior to installing the clearbra and there is no visible damage to the bra then you're likely not seeing a chip.
It's possible the installer trapped a small dirt particle or sometimes, even with the best of installers, the sticky part of the bra surface has little glue nuggets that can look like chips. These are nearly impossible to eliminate and are more visible on darker cars.

My installer is top notch but I still notice some defects under my clear bra that look like small chips. But there's no point in redoing it as I'm pretty much guaranteed to have a similar or worse result. Corvettes are tough due to all those beautiful body curves.

jwbert

What type of business installs the 3M masks, ie, where would I look for an installer and how much would one expect it to cost??

The Squeaky Wheel

Around here, the people who do clearbras are the same as those that do window tint.
I wouldn't go cold-calling as there are certainly good & bad installers.
I'd start by talking with your dealership or maybe a local autobody shop that you trust

royalcasa

For your Q & A on 3M go to xtremeautoshield.com hope this helps you