Pros and Cons of 'Invisible Bra' ?
I know Andrew had one on his white crossfire, couldn't tell it was there. Here's my take on this. If you are going to use it for short trips and you don't do a lot of driving go with the removable. It's fugly but serves its purpose well. Mine is stowed behind my seat and my two trips to carlisle from Maryland and a bit of highway time and not one nick. However if you do drive your car and there are going to be quite a few highway miles then I would go clear. Had I known about the clear bra before I bought my fugly one , I'd have gone clear just because its cool. You have to make sure the person who installs it knows what they are doing, there is a lot of "finessing" to make it look like it belongs. Hope this helps.
Pat
Pat
When I had my coupe, I had the clear bra on it. It worked well as where I live there is a lot gravel/sand on the roads for traction on snow during winter and spring which can quickly pit your paint. If you plan on making your XF a garage queen, I probably wouldn't worry about getting on.
I have one on my Xfire and Mercedes. It has been on both for two years. The mercedes is a daily driver and both cars look like I drove them out of the showroom. The same is true for the Xfire. They are a little pricey. Think I paid $500 for them. They were a FULL set on both. You can get cheaper by only doing some parts. It makes cleaning off bug jerky a piece of cake. The merc is a cross between ight brown and light gray and the Xfire is the light silver color. They look great but depending on sun light and color of your car you may see the seam on the hood. I use Plexus plastic cleaner, protectant and polish on them. I would not own a car without the bra.Make sure the installer has done this before. The hood on the Xfire can be a little tricky. Let me give you some advice. When they put the hood on the the Xfire put it on from front to back. DO not do it from side to side. It will pick up on the ridges in the hood.
I have even wax them and used abuffer on them. They show NO signs of wear and tear. Hope this helps. Do a search you will find other input on this topic.
I have even wax them and used abuffer on them. They show NO signs of wear and tear. Hope this helps. Do a search you will find other input on this topic.
Two side notes :
1. Don't attemp it yourself!!
2. Have the installer custom cut & install the 3-m over each headlight
cover. Mine was $25.00 each side, but was worth the extra protection.
1. Don't attemp it yourself!!
2. Have the installer custom cut & install the 3-m over each headlight
cover. Mine was $25.00 each side, but was worth the extra protection.
I have the full front end kit that I was going to install on my car before I went non reflective. Its new cost like $400 and I have the install CD. If interested in the www. insisible mask BRA, let me know I will deal with you , Woody AKA WALDIG
Check it out, you can have it installed if you like.
Make sure you go to a shop that does this. I made a mistake with a shop that did window tint and told me they "had done these before". It was on a 04 Maxima. Had bubbles that never really went away and the cuts he made were not the best. After 9 months of beating on him he did refund my money.
They do work and sometimes leave a small line when you wax them. However, if you use a detail brush this can be eliminated.
Good luck.
Jake80
They do work and sometimes leave a small line when you wax them. However, if you use a detail brush this can be eliminated.
Good luck.
Jake80
I had the clear bra put on the SSB when I bought it new and it is great. I would do it on the Aero but it had 22k miles and chips in the front already. If/when I get the front repainted I will put the clear bra on it too. I use a guy that is an artist at it and made the template for it from my car. I also had it on my SSB NA which I sold.
Saw a cheep one on a silver Jetta that looked like someone had keyed the hood but also saw one on a red 350z that looked fantastic..guess its all in the cost and who applies it
The key is who does the application. Not sure the products themselves are really that different. I also believe your need to make sure your car is totally clean and waxed prior to bring it in for the invisible bra. Most installers are not going to take the pains that you are.
i am a huge advocate of the clear bra - i am a certified installer and have installed over 200 kits on all types of vehicles. i will never own a car without this protection at time of purchase. as many know - i am a bit compulsive and a tad over the top about my vehicles cleanliness and care.
the only negatives of the clear bra - some films tend to yellow over time (especially notable on white cars) - the other negative - a poor installation experience. always be certain to see ones work before committing to the installer and always use a pre-cut kit (such as xpel) versus a universal bulk piece and having it cut while being installed on your vehicle (trimming is an art - many don't have this skill without damaging the paint).
below is a full kit (hood/bumper/headlamps) i installed on my wifes '08 xc90 v8 sport.
IMG_6193.jpg
IMG_6222.jpg
IMG_6224.jpg
IMG_6223.jpg
the only negatives of the clear bra - some films tend to yellow over time (especially notable on white cars) - the other negative - a poor installation experience. always be certain to see ones work before committing to the installer and always use a pre-cut kit (such as xpel) versus a universal bulk piece and having it cut while being installed on your vehicle (trimming is an art - many don't have this skill without damaging the paint).
below is a full kit (hood/bumper/headlamps) i installed on my wifes '08 xc90 v8 sport.
IMG_6193.jpg
IMG_6222.jpg
IMG_6224.jpg
IMG_6223.jpg
Last edited by andrew; Jul 9, 2009 at 10:15 PM.
I have a clear bra and like it. I would recommend having it professionally installed and have them use a plastic made by 3M, though others may have other recommendations. I found an installer by calling a few new car dealers that sell a lot of cars, like a Honda dealer and ask them who they use. As far as I know most dealers just have someone come in and put clear bras on for them. Got a few names, called them, asked how many years they had been doing it. $550 for full front that goes back 18 inches on the hood, did behind the front and rear wheels about a foot, underneath the door handles,along the back edge of the doors, and front side of mirrors. Maybe over kill but there are so many sharp stones on the roads here in CO year round most people have their windshields replaced every 2-3 years.
Enjoy that New Xfire of yours!
Enjoy that New Xfire of yours!
I did a custom paint job on my offroad toy and then had it completely clear bra'd and LOVE it. Nobody has ever been able to tell it's on there until I tell them. After about 250 miles of riding in rocks, dirt, mud, etc there's not a chip or scratch on the paint and the film only has a couple very light marks from swiping against some BIG branches.
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DSC06650.jpg
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