my car is getting repainted fully, how soon can i get a clear bra installed on the front bumper, partial hood, etc.?

is there a wait time for the paint to cure?

 

you'll have to wait 20 years.

 

Check with the painter for the cure time .. he knows best.

 

Probably going to be something like 60-90 days if I had to guess.

 

clear bras... from what i can tell...those things are a major pain to take care of, moreso than the paint.

i've seen what a 5 yr old 3M bra looks like on an Audi. hazy, swirled, makes the paint have a crappy orange peel effect through the bra. YUCK. i'll live with the rock chips. if you plan to keep the car forever aaron, keep all this in mind. yes it'll save you from rock chips, but the care of the clear bra is almost as bad a taking care of black paint. however, it is your car so you may do what you like. you may want to research a little more on the clear bra before fully committing to getting one if you haven't already done so.

and yes there will be a cure time for your paint. depending on the painter it's anywhere from 30-90 days. many shops are in the 60-90 day cure time. no wax, no car cover.

 

^^ supposedly there is some new nano stuff that's perfectly clear and will stay that way.
Personally, I'd rather be careful, deal with the occasional rock chips and call it a day.
I've heard horror stories of paint coming off when they remove the bra which completely defeats the purpose.

 

wow thanks for all the responses everyone. i have read the good and the bad reviews on these. some of them yellow overtime, become hazy, really stand out from the car, and that dreaded line that goes across the paint at the end of the film. there are a lot of good things about them as well, as the industry has made many advances in the last couple of years to rectify said issues.

i'll keep doing my research, i just really don't want rock chips on this new fresh paint.

 

I have an Clear bra on my front bumper (it was on when I got the car) and it has not yellowed or anything like that. I'm assuming that it was put on new back in 07. If you go with a reputable brand (3m) then I dont think you will have a problem. Are you going to paint your hood or leave it CF?

Also, I remember stumbling upon a product a while back that was pretty interesting. It was a harder clear coat that resisted chips and such. I tried looking for it but couldn't find it for you. Ask your painter if there are any alternatives. Good luck

 

to answer your question, from my understanding is that the standard is to wait 60-90 for paint to cure but it can also depend on the type of clearcoat used.

 

Matt, you park your car in a garage and drive it only when its sunny outside....

he parks his car out in the sun all day....i agree with TLtrigirl on the clear bra will see a lot of signs of aging....

i think clear bra is a good deal if you are committed to change it every 2-3 years....

 

I have a clear bra on my car now. Its already saved my paint several times. Totally worth it. The beautiful thing about the bra is it's not permanent. If it starts to look bad, have it removed and replace it. The new bra will go on over your STILL fresh and undamaged paint.

 

but what if someone backs into you and puts a hole in your bumper.. your going to have to fork out more money for another clear bra..

clear bra's are not my thing as i see they are a waste of money.. its cheaper to just get your bumper painted every other year..

if someone hits your bumper, your forking out dollars for another one.. not worth it IMO

 

who the hell still puts a bra on?

its a car jeez driving conditions are not going to screw your front in such a monumental manner

might as well just saran wrap your whole car.

 

What if? If we play "what if".... what if a tree falls on your car? What if the paint doesn't match... If someone hits your bumper that hard you're insurance co is involved anyway.

How many times have you had your bumper painted? It's not that cheep for a decent paint job.

You are entitled to your opinion. I'll take a bra any day of the week because I'm not just talking about just a bumper. I'm talking about fenders, hood, A pillars, and side mirrors too. If you want and can put up with rock chips all over your car....more power to you. I for one am tired if rock chips and would rather try to keep my car looking as good as possible....the bra is the way to go.

@ TerpNation....

 

The only way I'd do a clear bra is if I did the entire front so there were no lines but that's not cheap soooo. I'll just have to hope for the best. Lol.

 

You're kidding right? It's his car and can do with it as he pleases. I don't know where you're from, but in the NE, they get some pretty brutal winters with sand on the roads. Especially in Canada.

OP, if you can find a dealer that installs XPEL film, take a look at that. A friend of mine has it on his Scuderia and it's as clear as the paint on the car. Unless you look behind the bumper, you cannot even tell it's on there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30954811@N02/7100713697/http://www.flickr.com/photos/30954811@N02/7100713697/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30954811@N02/, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30954811@N02/8149367480/http://www.flickr.com/photos/30954811@N02/8149367480/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/30954811@N02/, on Flickr

 

omg

 

now i did hit that !!!

 

who still puts a clear bra on? people who care about the paint on their car. i'm getting a brand new paint job, i don't want the front bumper pitted with rock chips within a few months.

i can never tell if you're trolling or being serious. i guess that makes you clever.

anyway, thanks to everyone else for all the advice. i am going to be purchasing film for the front bumper only, as my CF hood is getting 3 coats of hard clear so i feel that it will be well protected.

here is a site that a buddy suggested. thoughts? i want to buy it and install it myself. places around here charge an arm and a leg for this install, and i feel i can handle it no problem.

if anyone else has any other links to a better product, please share. i'm looking to purchase in the next few weeks.

thanks again for all the input.

http://www.invisiblemask.com/cgi-bin...ubmodel=TYPE-S

 

^^^ damn Aaron, if its precut like that, I think you can def handle it yourself and with another set of hands....

 

LOL, we're supposed to listen to this guy?
go ahead, make another "useless" thread.

 

^^^ Justn....refrain from saying the "D" word

 

well if you're just doing the bumper....i'd be ok with that. have you looked into the nano stuff somebody else posted (the ferrari)? looks promising. i wouldn't go with 3M. i've read that the adhesive is a PITA to get off the car when it comes time to replace the clear bra. if it doesn't give the paint that orange peel look,that might be the way to go. though i'd want to see one in person brand new and on a car that has had it on for a few yrs.

can't wait for the new look.

 

i agree, all custom cut to fit the bumper. how hard can it be?

haha i remember that.

yup just the bumper, anything else is overkill and a waste of money IMO. i've only ever gotten rock chips on the front bumper. that website offers 2 different kinds, i'm not getting the 3M...i'm getting the invisibile shield one. reviews are better and its the same price with a lifetime warranty. win win.

i will look into some other kinds as well before i pull the trigger. if anyone wants to drop a link that would be great.

**EDIT. ouch...XPEL kit is $400 for just a front bumper. that's more than 2x as much as the other stuff. **

 

i heard the invisible shield bra comes off easier with little to no residue when it comes time to replace. is there an ETA on when you get your car back? not that i would want it rushed. just wondering.

 

^mid month...so i'm thinking i'll have it back in my possesion by next friday, the 16th. just in time for the mega meet show on the 18th.

 

I've seen the difference between the XPEL, 3M, and invisishield side y side by side and the diference is night and day. Like I said the Scuderia above had the XPEK film installed and it was amazing. You could not tell the difference between paint and film even with your face six inches from the car.

 

might have to make it out just to see the new color in person.

 

I've got a clear bra and I couldn't be more happy. I've driven many highway miles and still have no new rock chips. the bra is still just as clear as it was the day I had it installed. use spray wax to wax it, which should help with keeping the lines invisible.

as far as a wait time, the guy who installed my clear bra said that the painter can bake the paint longer to prep or you can wait like 30-60 days.

here's a pic w/clear bra on side mirrors, front bumper, headlights, fog lights, fenders, and half way up the hood.

 

read you loud and clear. i just have a hard time swallowing that price tag. i still haven't made up my mind.

yeah def...shouldn't be too far of a hike.

very cool. thanks for posting. do you know what brand it was?

 

yep:

http://www.speedfilm.net/

 

^thanks for that link. i don't see a way to order from that website tho.

is it the xpel film that has been mentioned earlier?

 

^^^ I would assume so....its says on SpeedFilm website that "Kits are presently supplied by XPel" and it takes you to xpel's website to pick an application....

 

it is xpel film, that site may be specific to those two installers who are local to atlanta. you might try to find some xpel installers that are local for you, and you could start by contacting david dearing (678-249-7165) who installed mine for me.

also, the kit is specifically designed for the type-s a-spec or non-a-spec. david was even able to put some film on the door edges, on the top of the rear bumper, and under the door handles from the scraps that were left over.

 

Looks like there are NO Xpel installers around MD (where i live).

i'm still looking at my options, i would love to be able to install this myself with the help of a friend.

 

I watched the install, it's similar to the way window tint or vinyl wrap is installed if you've ever seen anyone do that. I think the most difficult part of the install was the a-spec lip.

 

^right. and that is the issue i'm dealing with. all of these pre cut kits that you can buy and install yourself DO NOT have an option for the aspec kit add on.

almost like the clear bra gods are forcing me to get it professionally installed.

 

the xpel kit I have installed is specifically for the type-s a-spec, so there is such a kit out there at least.

how convenient.

 

the whole idea was to NOT have to pay someone insane labor charges for this.

however, i have found someone locally that installs XPEL film and i'll be making it a christmas gift. i get my car back this weekend so that should be the perfect amount of wait time for the paint to cure before doing this. just gotta hope and pray for no rock chips between now and then!

thanks everyone for their help, i'll be sure to post pics after i get it installed.

 

you only have to wait a month?