Clear Bra Owners

[2BADD-4U]

Guys,



When a Viper has a clear bra installed....does it affect the way you have to wash/wax it in any way?

Can you use a buffer with 3M swirl remover compound on it or near the areas ?

Do you just wash/wax it as normally a car with out one?

Will certain compounds scratch or harm the plastic?


Thanks, Dave

God Bless!

 

[Golfer15]

Nope, wash and wax like it wasn't there. That's all I do to mine The installer recommended I use a detail spray that has something in it or not in it, but I can't remember what that is, since I have a bigger sized bottle which he left me.

Our regions tech has buffed out scuff marks from the vehicles with the clear bra. If memory serves me correctly it is done a bit slower than without the bra. I think someone like Junkman might have the technique.

 

[texas_venom]

Agreed. Wash and wax as you usually would. One thing to remember is do not use any wax on it that has petroleum distillates in it. It will cause the film to yellow prematurely. This isnt an issue if your car isnt white of silver. Also you want ot be careful to not get wax around the edge of the clear bra as you will get wax buildup there. If you do take a Qtip or an old soft toothbrush to gt the wax out with a little detail spray.

 

[agentf1]

Always wax off the edge of the film not towards it or you will get wax buildup.

 

[Silver04]

Great question and good input! Are there any concerns with leaving a clear bra on for an extended period of time?

 

[VYPR BYT 94]

Always wax off the edge of the film not towards it or you will get wax buildup.

I find no matter how careful I am, I still get some around it. Since I have a "dark" paint job it seems to really satnd out. I found this little $3 brush for detailing the dash etc. but on the end of the handle it has this wedge shaped soft rubber knife edge... it's ideal for go back and scraping out the dried wax along the edge.

Great question and good input! Are there any concerns with leaving a clear bra on for an extended period of time?

None... that's the idea to leave it on

 

[Steve-Indy]

In my opinion...YES...I'd call it a difference in the aging of the paint (differential oxidation ???) for the shielded paint vs. the unshielded paint. This is a trade-off that most users accept...OR, they may be unaware of the potential line of demarcation seen years down the road. I'm NOT saying that one should't try it...just a heads up for the less informed.

 

[Silver04]

leave it on

Okie dokie...thanks! Would hate to take it off in 8 years and go "Oh %$#^!!!!" Same reason I had the stripes taken off before I bought mine...

 

[rw99]

Wash with no worries. Wax... I just use the Meguiar's Ultimate spray-on Quick Wax. I'd be interested in knowing of more robust products that have been "verified clear-bra safe".

Be really careful with any polish or compound... abrasives and soft plastic would seem to be a dicey proposition. Might depend on what type of clear bra you have, though.

One product that I'm really happy with: Meguiar's PlastX. I've used this on my clear bra to remove scuffs and rubber marks from the track, marks that wouldn't come off with soap/water, detailer, elbow grease, etc. Just make sure the plastic is very clean prior to using the PlastX.

As for leaving a clear bra on for a long time, it probably comes down to how well you protect the rest of the paint... and its color. Paints more prone to fade (yellow, red) that aren't well-cared for might start to differ from adjacent clear bra-protected areas of the car.

 

[FastZilla]

I didn't realize we are supposed to wash these cars

Mine has scuffs all over it from the track, even some black marks from flying tire pieces... I figure that's why it's there. My installer left me a bottle of polish for convertible top/Jeep windows. I've never used it...

 

[Lespauldude]

In my opinion...YES...I'd call it a difference in the aging of the paint (differential oxidation ???) for the shielded paint vs. the unshielded paint. This is a trade-off that most users accept...OR, they may be unaware of the potential line of demarcation seen years down the road. I'm NOT saying that one should't try it...just a heads up for the less informed.

I agree Steve. There has to be a lessened amount of UV light "aging" the paint under the film (as well as oxidation). I would think that the color of the paint might dictate how noticeable it is. Again, an acceptable trade-off for enhanced protection. IMO.

 

[2BADD-4U]

In my opinion...YES...I'd call it a difference in the aging of the paint (differential oxidation ???) for the shielded paint vs. the unshielded paint. This is a trade-off that most users accept...OR, they may be unaware of the potential line of demarcation seen years down the road. I'm NOT saying that one should't try it...just a heads up for the less informed.

Hi Steve,

I appreciate your input along with ALL the other great replys.

Steve, I never had one on my 02 FE Viper, and I had the slickest shine on her for a bunch of years. Now if your Viper is tracked a lot, and gets occassionaly peppered with debris, what happens tothe clear bra? Does it get damaged with obvious holes, etc?

Do Viper owners who track their cars a lot, replace the clear bra after much abrasion? Or are they that tough to hold up to abuse.


Thank You!
Dave

God Bless!

 

[viperdrummer]

Always wax off the edge of the film not towards it or you will get wax buildup.

Yep biggest issue is wax build up at seam.

 

[alpha85]

Be careful rubbing the bugs off. Don't rub to hard. I did and I have a swirl mark that stands out.

 

[aloushi]

When mine was removed for stripes the paint under the protective film was like brand new with absolutely no blemishes whatsoever!! But it's not like your gonna notice that the protected areas are any better with the film on because the film itself will age like anything else. When installed properly u can barely tell it's there, I'm gonna have it installed again, the pros of having it over-weighs the cons

 

[rw99]

Be careful rubbing the bugs off. Don't rub to hard. I did and I have a swirl mark that stands out.

Agreed, whatever you use to clean the bra, don't over-muscle it.

For that swirl mark... seriously, give that PlastX a try.

 

[eucharistos]

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[aloushi]

What do you guys think about this clear bra for $200?? I'm thinking about trying to do it myself this time cause a local shop want's close to $2000 for them to do it...I definitely need it, like I said earlier ^^^ I had it and loved it but had to remove for stripes. Anyone ever attempt themselves? couple videos on youtube that show you but you know much easier to watch then do...EXPERTS AND EVERYONE ELSE PLEASE CHIME IN!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120655596228#ht_1088wt_955
and the vid...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaDKVYU7FyE

 

[mattdillon]

aloushi, I am definitely no expert but I also DON'T think you should try & do it yourself. I may be wrong but, they always make it look SO EASY in the videos. Maybe you can get one of the experts on here to comment on this. But why do you think a shop wants to charge you 2k if you could do it yourself for $200? jmo (let us know how it ends) Good Luck!

 

[eucharistos]

of course the vid installer has experience and makes it look easy, but it doesn't look all that hard. it is a 10% cost bump if you mess up and call the pro, and a 90% savings if you are satisfied with your work

either way, pls post up the outcome

 

[eucharistos]

aloushi, I am definitely no expert but I also DON'T think you should try & do it yourself. I may be wrong but, they always make it look SO EASY in the videos. Maybe you can get one of the experts on here to comment on this. But why do you think a shop wants to charge you 2k if you could do it yourself for $200? jmo (let us know how it ends) Good Luck!

beat me to the enter key

i think the pros will be doing a wrapped edge and not using a pre-cut kit

 

[aloushi]

beat me to the enter key

i think the pros will be doing a wrapped edge and not using a pre-cut kit

the one that was previously installed was not wrapped edge but definitely a pre-cut kit and look pretty darn good but the wrapped I think will be even better and of course require much more skill. I'm gonna try to find another shop and see if I can get a better price, the same place that quoted me about $2000 will do a mustang for $600...***!!! is it that much easier or just screw the Viper!!!

 

[rw99]

the one that was previously installed was not wrapped edge but definitely a pre-cut kit and look pretty darn good but the wrapped I think will be even better and of course require much more skill. I'm gonna try to find another shop and see if I can get a better price, the same place that quoted me about $2000 will do a mustang for $600...***!!! is it that much easier or just screw the Viper!!!

Viper Tax!

I look at the bra on my car and think: "how'd they do that?" So many curves, cutouts, etc. Opportunities for ripping, bubbling, mis-aligning. It's all I can do to properly orient a protective film on an iPhone screen; I'd never try a car.

Good luck... perhaps there's a Viper club member in your region that's already had this done?

 

[GreenVenom]

It's all I can do to properly orient a protective film on an iPhone screen; I'd never try a car.

that's what I told the guy that just replaced the pieces on my rocker panels. No way I could have done the job he did.

 

[KNG SNKE]

Call around to different dealerships. I just had mine installed for 700. No way could I do what he did though.

 

[aloushi]

Call around to different dealerships. I just had mine installed for 700. No way could I do what he did though.

did you do the pre-cut version or the edge wrap type???

 

[Golfer15]

My installer had the pre-cut except for the hood. That's where a bulk of the time was spent. Still took about 8 hrs. After watching him install, there is no way I would tackle it myself. For a professional job, I would leave it to the experts. There is a lot of little tricks needed to make it a perfect fit if not pre-cut.

 

[agentf1]

I find no matter how careful I am, I still get some around it. Since I have a "dark" paint job it seems to really satnd out. I found this little $3 brush for detailing the dash etc. but on the end of the handle it has this wedge shaped soft rubber knife edge... it's ideal for go back and scraping out the dried wax along the edge.


None... that's the idea to leave it on

You must be going too heavy with the wax then. I always do a spot first to use the majority of the wax and then when I am sure it is spreading nice and thin I start on the bra and go in one direction off the edge and have NEVER gotten any wax buildup.

If I do ever get any I use Zaino Clear Seal on a detailing Q Tip and clean the edge. The solvents in the CS will remove any wax buildup. Use the CS very sparingly as you do not need much. I find in detailing less is always more.

 

[texas_venom]

Not sure where this is coming from but you can have kits with wrapped edges. Just like films there are different pattern companies out there and the better ones will design the kit to have wrapped edges. I add wrapped edges to all of my kits these days where the film can be wrapped. its very easy to go into the design software and extend areas of the patterns so that the edges can wrap. The main difference between a kit and custom installations is custom requires cutting the film on the car. Most installers that do this end up cutting the paint because they have not properly learned the skill required to cut film on the car. Clients do not know the paint is cut until the film is removed because the cut lines are along the seems of the film. There are some good custom installers out there but they are few and far between.

 

[KNG SNKE]

The kit was precut but still needs to be fit. The companies now pay for each kit and pretty much print them out at their offices.