anyone try venture clear bras?

 

There are shops that can do Custom Clear Bra...just have to shop around. Also the shops that do Clear Bra can also do a custom job if you ask them...My shop said he can do Custom work. Just takes more time since it will be cut by hand and not machine cut...

 

First, I don't know what brand the material was that I removed from that car.. Sorry.

1. No, the surface does not have to be fully wiped down with degreaser. You wax OVER the clearbra once it is installed to get that protection.

2. Yes, if you do NOT wax over the clearbra, at the same time as you wax over the rest of the car, you will get uneven fading.. Wax it all togeather, & it all fades at the same rate.

3. Somewhat true on the protection. A big enough rock WILL take a nick out of the clearbra material.. It has done it's job, which is protecting the paint by taking the damage itself. I tell my customers that after 3 to 7 years, you may want to get the bra removed & have a new piece put on if it's starting to look a bit rough, but meanwhile, the car has been protected.

Look at it this way.. Here in Colorado, I've seen cars that were taken on a couple test-drives from the dealership, & already had 3 or 4 noticeable dings in the paint. SO, in a year or two, the front of the car can look pretty beat up withought a bra. Which do you prefer? A chipped up hood within a year, or a couple little 'nicks' in the clearbra, that can then be removed & replaced, while the car keeps looking new during the whole time?

I just sold my Lexus, that was the shop 'show' car for $2500 MORE than market value in this area, because the car looked absolutely brand new, after I drove it for 4 years. I've heard of dealerships in the area giving a customer a bigger trade-in value on their car if they have the bra on it. So, you can get your money back when the time comes to sell the car.

 

i found my installer though the 3m dealer locator. i checked around a couple places and heard prices up to a thousand from bigger shops. i save a little money cause my installer works from home and not a big shop. less overhead meant i saved a few bucks

 

I've heard nothing but great things about venture clear bras. They wrap around leading edges for full protection and are guaranteed for life. One caveat...they are EXPENSIVE! I got quoted for full bumper, 18" of hood, fenders, and rearview mirrors about $700. With rocker panels and rear fenders where the tire kicks up stuff plus the above bumper and hood/fender/mirror install a cool $1K!!! I'll probably take the plunge as I'm not doing any major mods for the first year. Gotta protect for the long haul ya know?

 

I also used Venture Tape for my clear bra. I researched the various brands as much as I could, and Venture Tape consistently got better reviews than 3M or Xpel. I'm very happy with mine so far.

I think that whether or not the clear bra is folded over leading edges depends more on the pattern used and the preference of the installer. For example, the pattern that the installer used for my clearbra did not include coverage on the two oval openings to either side of the intercooler. In looking at it, I can see that it would be pretty tough to cleanly install a protective film on those openings.

 

Clear bra is great. We had a good deal here $525 for the bra plus tint.

 

The only problem I have with Venture Tape's paint protection film, is that it has no hardcoat. That means that dirt, dust, bugs, etc, will over time get imbeded in the material much easier than the 3M material, so it will begin to look 'dirty' after a while. How soon, depends on how much it is driven, etc...

As far as doing the leading edges of the hood... My customers don't want to pay $300 to $800 for a job, & then get rock chips in the leading edge of the hood.. What would be the point in getting a clearbra to protect the hood, if you still get chips right in that leading edge??

 

I Wish I did this when I bought my EVO 9.... My hood is riddled with rock chips, a big to paint, my prior cars and current seem to have nicer paint from the factory. But I'll have the hood painted and Bra'ed very soon.