Alright, so I know this topic has been discussed before, but I'm curious to see if anyone has installed a clear bras themselves. I've found lots of do-it-yourself kits tailor made for evos however I'm not quite how "easy" this would actually be.

Once again, thank you for all your help. Gotta love the evom community!

 

Unless you think you could do a really nice job leave it to the professionals.Don't do it right and it will look like crap and waste your money.Then you will have to pay someone more money to do the job right.

 

I'm on the same page as you ak...I'm actually getting my car repainted as we speak. It has the typical chips/knicks in the hood and bumper as any '04 daily driver would and I couldn't take lookin at my baby like that anymore! So I figured I might as well start checkin out some bras to protect the pricey paint investment.

I've only actually seen the 3m bras on vette's at the dealership I work at and I'm not totally in love with the look when you actually get close to the car...kinda resembles plastic on a sofa at grandma's house or something. Anyone know of any pieces that may be less noticeable?

 

Im having my front bumper and lip repainted as well because of rock chips. Even though the car is my daily driver I just cant stand the fact that I have chips all over my front bumper. Im also gonna get the 3m clear mask on the front bumper. Although it may look weird when you get close to it, I rather keep rock chips off my car.

 

I got it on my car, and it is worth it. You get used to the way it looks after a while and you'll sleep better knowing that there are no chips on your bumper.

 

totally worth it......

is a better investment, than having your car repainted....IMHO

my car is black so i dont even see it....
i did the bumper, lip , headlights, and hood up to the scoop.

 

how much to get this done ??

 

I got mine a month after purchasing my black VIII back in '05, I live in a small town so the cost was a bit high, total was a bit over $700 I think including labor and it's worth every penny. After 3 years of driving I'd say at least 2-3 spots where I could've gotten pretty bad paint damage were saved. The guy who did mine showed me the site where he ordered it from (can't remember the site anymore) and it was made with 3M material and the "installation difficulty" listed on the website was a 4 out of 5, unless you are an expert in these things I won't recommand a diy. Over the years I did realize one thing with the bra, seems the love bugs can "stain" it a bit, I heard it has to do with the acid within them bugs' bodies but do get those cleaned up QUICK else the dead love bugs can leave a mark on the bras.

 

I used to work at a place that installed Venture Shield and it is totally worth it, but DO NOT try to put it on yourself. It prolly can be done, but if you want it done right and come out looking good with no bubbles, just get a pro to do it! The machine we had, had a huge database, so you could just input the year and type of car and it would give cutouts correct for the car, really cool process.

 

I'm not sure how hard it is to do yourself, but make sure you take it to a reputable place. I took mine to Alta Mere in Little Rock Arkansas and I could have definitely done a better job myself. They completely messed up the bra and are refusing to replace it. I'm going to file a small claims suit against them because the owner refuses to pay me for a new bra.

 

I have gotton my front bumper repainted every year so far (2) the local shop charges me about $175 if I bring just the bumper in.... It will take a few more years to add up to that $700 figure.... Im sure even after 6 years that the clear bra would probably need to be replaced.....

 

At $175 a year you are looking at 4 at most, and I think the bra can hold up longer than 6. I was actually recommanded the clear bra by a guy here at work, his truck is going on 6th year now and the clear bra is still holding strong, given the truck is not his daily driver but he parks it outside in the Florida sun.



Edit: As I mentioned before I live in a small town so the $700 is probably more than what most people can get it done at, I really wanted to get it done ASAP after getting the car and it was either paying $700 or drive 3-4 hours to get it done cheaper.

 

Good to know...I'm definitely planning on getting one installed one way or another! Especially if it could last up to six year! Are any brands more or less noticeable?

 

go to 3m's website to find a certified installer. Totally worth the investment. was around $400 for me since the SE bumper is so complicated, but its warranteed for life by 3m if it is installed by a certified installer. That means 3m pays an installer to come out and re-install if you don't like it or it starts coming up.

(fyi, the 3m stuff lasts ~ 10 years, so forever is not forever... but that is probably a good thing)

I was looking into getting into doing it as a side business and it seems like something you need a feel for. Honestly, if you are only looking to have your car done I would just pay someone to do it because you will probably wind up doing it 4x and spending just as much on materials and supplies, and still not wind up with as good of an application in the end.

If you do want to install it yourself, all you really need is patience, a razor blade, a urathane push blade, and some alcohol (and baby shampoo, and time, and practice, and frustration, etc etc....)

 

I had the exact same done and i got my tint done all at the same time
they also edged all 4 of my doors

it was expensive but id rather spend the money on that than some other cosmetic mod that won't protect anything