[Z06] Clearbra or not?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
Clearbra or not?
I would like to say thanks to everyone that helped me with the tint question last week..
How many people have 3M or another brand clearbra on their car?
Can anyone post pics on what it looks like on MY. Has anyone
had any problems with it on their car? Does it mess up the paint
(uneven faid in the paint)? Should I just go with a regular bra for
the front and cleartastic for behind the wheels?
Thanks for the help!
John
How many people have 3M or another brand clearbra on their car?
Can anyone post pics on what it looks like on MY. Has anyone
had any problems with it on their car? Does it mess up the paint
(uneven faid in the paint)? Should I just go with a regular bra for
the front and cleartastic for behind the wheels?
Thanks for the help!
John
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,621
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
St. Jude Donor '07
I've had the 3m clearbra installed on my car for about 2 months so I can't attest to any paint fade. I can say that I'm 100% happy with the protection it affords and the quality of the product/install. I'm having problems getting a pic up - will try again later of the 3m on an EB car.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
Thanks, I am interested to see what it looks like. I have seen it on Ferrari's and Lambo's... I have seen mixed results. Some of them you can't see the clearbra... and some of the others it looks like the clearbra
faded funny.. Anyone else have this product that can chime in?
Thanks!
John
faded funny.. Anyone else have this product that can chime in?
Thanks!
John
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 8,561
Likes: 944
From: Communist Colorado
I just had a quote of $700.-$800. for my 02. The guy says that the paint wont fade or discolor, nor will the clear bra material itself. The old material they used faded to a dingy yellow. My wifes Lexus did that.....
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,621
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
St. Jude Donor '07
Here's a few pics of mine - I have the entire front end, bumper/fenders/extedned hood along with the rockers and just behind the front and rear wheels. Look closely in the top left corner of the second pic and you can see the line where the film starts.
Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 2
From: San Clemente CA
I've had a clear bra on my '04 Z for about 2 years now, and it's getting a little beat. I believe the manufacturer is Ventura/Venture, or something like that. The installer liked it better than 3M. Anyhow, it's protecting the paint, but it's faded slightly and shows numerous "dings" under the flourescent lights in my garage. Out in the sun it looks OK.
I'm going to try a buffer and some Meguiar's Plastic Polish to see if I can bring it back to life. I also had the protection added behind each wheel and the mirrors, as well as the door handle coves. The mirror protection is getting a little hazy too, but at least the plastic is protecting the paint underneath!
If anyone has any tips for bringing it back to life, please let us know.
I'm going to try a buffer and some Meguiar's Plastic Polish to see if I can bring it back to life. I also had the protection added behind each wheel and the mirrors, as well as the door handle coves. The mirror protection is getting a little hazy too, but at least the plastic is protecting the paint underneath!
If anyone has any tips for bringing it back to life, please let us know.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 5
From: Milpitas CA
I've had a clear bra for about 6-7 months now, I don't remember which brand. It was $300 for the bra, $300 for the install at my house.
I am very happy with it. It has suffered numerous dings from track and high speed on road driving and commuting. It saved me from a repaint on the bumper when some A-hole scraped the right front corner with their car while mine was parked. Of course the jerk didn't leave a note, just an approximately one square foot white paint smear. The clear bra tore out about a one inch circle at the high point of the paint smear. There are small scratches in the paint where the impact was not protected by clear bra. Without the clear bra I would have had major scratches, probably through my paint. It took the punishment, not the car. That's how it's supposed to work, just like body armor.
If I didn't have the clear bra my deductible would have been $500 to get the car fixed so it's already almost paid for itself. The rock and debris protection it's provided is a bonus.
Dog
I am very happy with it. It has suffered numerous dings from track and high speed on road driving and commuting. It saved me from a repaint on the bumper when some A-hole scraped the right front corner with their car while mine was parked. Of course the jerk didn't leave a note, just an approximately one square foot white paint smear. The clear bra tore out about a one inch circle at the high point of the paint smear. There are small scratches in the paint where the impact was not protected by clear bra. Without the clear bra I would have had major scratches, probably through my paint. It took the punishment, not the car. That's how it's supposed to work, just like body armor.
If I didn't have the clear bra my deductible would have been $500 to get the car fixed so it's already almost paid for itself. The rock and debris protection it's provided is a bonus.
Dog
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
From: Northern VA
MiamiCowby - Thanks for the information!! I am going to look into that product.
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
Drifting
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,822
Likes: 2
From: San Clemente CA
Originally Posted by 9Cvette46
MiamiCowby - Thanks for the information!! I am going to look into that product.
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 172
From: Oklahoma
Originally Posted by 9Cvette46
MiamiCowby - Thanks for the information!! I am going to look into that product.
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,057
Likes: 266
From: Slower than a speeding bullet................ Fort Lauderdale, FL
Local installer wanted $600 to do my Z06.
I hardly drive this car, and opted for a GM bra for $80 instead.
I had 3M clear bra installed on my daily driver ('06 Infiniti G 35)
and am very happy with the way it came out (also $600).
I hardly drive this car, and opted for a GM bra for $80 instead.
I had 3M clear bra installed on my daily driver ('06 Infiniti G 35)
and am very happy with the way it came out (also $600).
Racer
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: McKinney Tx
Originally Posted by 9Cvette46
MiamiCowby - Thanks for the information!! I am going to look into that product.
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
JTkeller - Thanks for the pics!!! I am going to get the clearbra(hood, behind the wheels, mirrors, rockers, and under the door handle)
What did everyone pay for their clearbra? I have been quote $1400 so far? I seems alittle steep so far... is this kind of price typical?
Thanks,
John
I had mine installed about 6 wks ago for a couple hundred less than that (included all areas you mention, plus the entire front facia, but not under door handles). The install came with a lifetime (as long as I own vehicle) warranty covering any yellowing, cracking, peeling/lifting and so on (if defective, they will replace the piece free of charge). fwiw I ended up with a 24" piece on the hood, that continues down over both front fenders (so hood and fender break points/edges align). I'd say for the price you mentioned they should fully wrap your front facia AND warranty any defects for as long as you own the vehicle, otherwise you might want to look elsewhere.
Last edited by elemon; Aug 15, 2006 at 08:52 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,621
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth Texas
St. Jude Donor '07
I paid $530 in Texas for 3M clearbra to cover the front bumper (entire fron fascia), extended hood coverage (3M has two kits for the hood - regular and extended that comes pre-cut, the extended goes about 12" farther up past the headlights and covers the fenders as well), the mirrors, and behind the wheel openings front and rear. The only kit I didn't go with was the rocker kit - it was about $250 extra. The guy that installed it drived a vette and let me look at his and after 50k miles, his rockers still looked perfect. I had a quote for $1100 for a custom cut kit that offered comparable coverage, but didn't feel good about the guy using a razor blade to cut the film after it was laid on the car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 2
From: Katy TX
CI 3-4-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '07-'09-'12
I have had my 3M installed for about 3.5 years now. It has held up well, but there are a few places where a rock tore small holes in it. However, it has prevented any bug marks or rock chips in the paint.
Down side is that it has tinted yellow. Being that my car is Arctic White, that is a bad combination. It is in the garage almost 98% of the time, so my guess is that my Meguiar's wax tinted it yellow. Currently, I am in the process of determining if there is a way to correct the yellowing, and if not, I will attempt removal of the product
Down side is that it has tinted yellow. Being that my car is Arctic White, that is a bad combination. It is in the garage almost 98% of the time, so my guess is that my Meguiar's wax tinted it yellow. Currently, I am in the process of determining if there is a way to correct the yellowing, and if not, I will attempt removal of the product
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,661
Likes: 4
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Clear Bra
We've had the 3M on our 04 Z06 (Machine Silver) since the week we bought it in 03/04. The local distributor replaced it free about a month ago because it had discolored VERY SLIGHTLY. I know him and he does a ton of exotics in Scottsdale AZ. Ours is rarely parked outside and has provided protection from stones, etc very well. They have replaced 9 out of over 6,000 installs, and 3M paid for my discoloration. This is the second silver Vette we've had it on - the 96 CE never had a color problem. I think we got "lucky." Highly recommend it! 