HBspeedx

OK, I've had my GBP TSX exactly for 1 mo. now and today I noticed a scraped paint on my left front bumper that is really noticeable. Two weeks ago, i noticed a couple of chips below my fog lights but this new scrape on my bumper bugs me.... Ugh is this paint cheap or what????!!!!!!! I would expect a better paint job for a $30K car.

Not sure, if my dealer will do anything for me on this regard, but I need to prepare myself to do something about it in case they don't. So, in your experience, what is the best way to touch this up??? Brush on or paint pen touch up?

Also, I know that chips and scrapes can multiply at any time so I was thinking of investing on a leather nose mask to reduce future chips. Or, what is this clear bra I have been hearing about? Any advise, folks????

Please send any feedback on your experience and some education on clear bra vs. attaching a nose mask would be appreciated......Thanks!

yeefuchew

Since I don't have one, I can't speak re: nose mask, but honestly, IMO, that is pretty old school. I installed a clear bra a month ago, and I know it's already saved me from some scrapes, like when a lady decided to park her shopping cart on my front bumper instead of returning it to the cart corral! (yes, I gave her a piece of my mind when I saw her driving away after the dastardly deed!) and when I ran into an unnoticed box as I parked in my friend's garage. I do have to say installing it yourself is a major pain, though. If you're not tight on funds, a pro might be a better way to go.

drigo

from my experience...clearbra is the way to go...i had hundreds of rock chips on my '04 and regreted not getting it...i got it installed on my '06 upon delivery...its a bit pricey..but to me its more than worth it...comes with a lifetime warranty...since you already have the chips...maybe you can get them fixed then get a clearbra
my advice to those who are thinking of getting the clearbra...get it ASAP...don't wait too long to get it...you can get a rock chip in a heartbeat.. good luck

vidgamer

I got the clearbra on my hood, not on my bumper, and I have several tiny nicks after a year... on the bumper. Personally, I'm not too worried about the paint on the bumper -- it's not like the underlying plastic is going to rust, and protection to rust is the most important thing. But as for looks, if they're small, it's pretty easy to dab a tiny bit of touch-up paint and seal it up.

What bugs me are the bigger scratches and dents that are hard to repair.

I don't know what you expect the dealer to do. Unless it's really a defective paint job, it's "normal" to get nicks and scratches.

Old school or not, a leather mask will work, and I was tempted to get one, but it can cause problems of its own. I had it on my old car. Dirt can get underneath, and if it gets damp (like it rains), any trapped water can damage the paint. So, you'll have to take it off all the time, and you can't just put it onto a dirty car for fear that the dirt will add scratches, so it's kind of a pain.

The clearbra was horribly difficult to install, but now that it's on, I just forget about it.

And, yeah, if you're going to do it, do it soon, before you get a bunch of chips. IF you already have a good chip collection going, I don't know....

AamirCWITR

acura paint is horrible. Looks nice though when brand new. Get the chips fixed and the scratch fixed, then get the clear bra.

mrgold35

I have a 06 TSX with the OEM body kit and a leather bra would not fit properly on the car. I’ve always used leather bras on previous cars I owned. Living in New Mexico, the wind/sand capital of the USA, around 50-65% of cars have cracked windshields and sandpaper windshields/bumpers. It was constant maintenance to keep the bra and front end clean of moisture/sand/dirt. Also, not all bras fit 100% and will start to wear on the paint, even with a good wash/wax every time. Then you will have to leave it on to cover the worn spots. The bra finally worn out on my 97 Accord LX and I tossed it. Now the front end is not as faded compared to the rest of the car and it really noticeable.

I looked into the 3M clear bra and found these types of products to be the best solution for my needs. It comes with a 5 year warranty against fading and bubbling. It lets UV past through so your paint fades with the rest of the car. The film is about 93-97% invisible, depending on your car color. It has a clear coat and you can wash/wax it just like the rest of your car. The only thing you will notice is the clear bra edge going across your hood (which is far less noticeable than a bra). DO NOT use any types of manual pressure washer on the edges of the clear bra.

Look for the custom installers that use uncut sheets, not from a pre-cut kit. The local installers applied the clear bra everywhere a full leather bra would cover except the chrome grille. They also applied to the headlights, fog lights, and both side mirrors (the lights were extra $$).

After 2 months, I’ve been happy with the decision. But you need to decide sooner instead of later. The clear bra will not look good and there will be small air pockets if there are too many dinks/chips peppered on the front end. The clear bra is about 2X-3X more expensive compared to an OEM leather bra.

HBspeedx

Thanks guys for your reply..

I will look into clear bra. Does anybody know what the cost is?????

I'll try to take a pic of the missing paint and see if it is better to use touch up pen or touch up brush....

kolodzie240

I have the Leather bra. I use it for the long car rides that seem to happen allot now in my life. Just follow the instructions and I can't see anyone having a problem with it. Yes it is a pain in the ass to keep changing it on and off... I guess it is worth it for me. I can't imagine how much a new paint job is compared to a nose guard!

RockBlocker

I have heard horror stories about debris like rocks and twigs getting caught underneath the leather bras. A friend of mine had one on his Accord, and went on a road trip. When he got back he took it off to wash his car a a whole bunch of little pebbles were stuck in there and scratched his paint really bad. I would definately recommend a clear bra. You should definately take a look at our website.

www.rockblocker.com

Just scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the paint protection button, and then find your make and model. If you have any questions, feel free to pm me!!

Black_6spd

Do you have a pic of kit #5378(04/05 aspec)? I didn't know it ran under $300! I never considered a clear bra because I always thought it was close to the cost of a new paint job for the front end.

I had my Integra front and front lip reconditioned and painted for $400. The problem with repainting ANYTHING is that when the rest of the car gets old, it looks funny having a prestine-looking painted part.

RockBlocker

I dont have a pic of right now, but it does cover the

Hod, fenders, mirrors, front bumper and A-spec lower lip. Hope that helps. You can also see clear bras installed on vehicles in our gallry.

juicygirljen

i regret not getting a clearbra either.. got my first rock chip .. and i'm not too happy since its only been 2 months!!!!!

yeefuchew

I got my do-it-yourself kit for $175 plus shipping on ebay. If you go that route, make sure you find someone who has the '06 kit. Most ebay vendors don't realize the '06 is diff from the other years and sell the old kit for the '06. I pointed this out to my vendor, who contacted his distributor. After a few weeks, he finally had the '06 kit.

vidgamer

Just keep in mind that this is a really tough DIY job. That's why it's normally $500-600 installed. I got my kit for about $75 (from a website that specializes in this sort of thing), but it doesn't cover the bumper, just the hood, fender-edges, and mirrors. It took me 5 hours, and it's probably not as good as a professional would have done. Reading about how picky some of y'all are, I don't know that you'd be happy with my job, so I hope you can do better.

But I'm pretty happy with it, and especially like how I can just forget that it's there.

I'd almost be tempted to get a leather bra for the bumper, but I couldn't find any that work with the lip spoiler/aero kit. I didn't want to clear-bra it because it's supposed to be even harder to do the bumper area, and I'm not as worried about nicks there than on the metal.

mrgold35

The clear bra cost me $400+tax for the front end and side mirrors. There was an additional charge of $50 for the headlights/fogs. I’ve seen the pre-cut kits on eBay and the price is real tempting for the experienced do-it-your-self kind of person. After reading the prep/application instructions, I knew I would screw up the installation and let the professional do it in one day, with a 5 year product/workmanship warranty.

The prices are high for this product and there is only one place in 200-300 mile radius of Albuquerque that can do the work. I think the prices will drop in a few years as it becomes a standard aftermarket item and more shops offer it just like window tinting.

Check out my local installer web site or go to the 3M site to read up on the product. 3M seems to be one of the better clear bra products out there after reading several threads on the subject.

http://www.tinttrimfactory.com/autom...3m-protect.htm

RockBlocker

We have had the 06 since the car came out and are the only Acurazine vendor carrying paint and headlight protection