Highly recommend the 3M clear bra! Expensive, maybe, but very worth it! Recently bought a 12" x 15 ft bulk section from Ryan at Auto Paint Guard (NAM sponsor). :smile: As long as you are patient and use lots of spray (water/shampoo combo) it's fairly easy to apply yourself. The hardest part for me was custom cutting each piece to match my parts.

A couple of weeks ago I had a dumptruck throw rocks at my car on the highway. I didn't have the clear bra but I had a Colgan bra on the bumper at the time with no protection (upper Colgan piece removed) for the bonnet and headlights. That worked great for the bumper. The passenger side lense took a big hit and now it has a 1/2" x 1/8" deep chip in it. I'm very impressed that it didn't crack or break completely therefore keeping my headlight intact - way to go MINI :smile:. The bonnet also took a shot and now I have a 2-inch scratch/dent combo near the upper grille . When my insurance takes care of everything (windshield cracked in several places too ), I will be adding the clear bra.

Over the last week, I've been installing clear bra on my newly painted trim pieces. NO WAY am I going to drive with those parts unprotected after spending $500 for nice paint work. If I buy an '06 MINI , I would definitely add the 3M clear bra - it rocks!

 

I only have the lower bumper, all lights and front grille/hood scoop clear bra-ed..
the upper hood piece was a pain to install and couldn't get it on.
But I think I like it this way as it is nearly invisible than having some line run across the hood.. I guess I'll just put some stipes and hope the rock lands on the stripe and not on the paint.
In my previous experience with a lowered miata, the sandblasting effect happened mostly on the lower part of the bumper with a couple rock chips on the hood..

 

I installed the headlight, turn signal, foglight kit. I drive about 50k highway miles per year. After just one winter the front end looks a tad sandblasted. The windshield is awful - and has been on every car. I just get a new one every 100k miles. I may opt for the entire clear bra. But If I pruchase the aero kit, I'll keep the standard front bumper for winter. Lots to do and worry about...should just drive a junker in winter.

 

The original question has been answered.

According to many of the posts in this thread... "Yes, there can be happiness without clear bra protection."

[We already knew from other threads on the site that it was possible to find happiness with a clear bra, and kind souls have reiterated that fact here as well. This just seems to confirm that MINIs in various manifestations seem to produce happiness... though I think it's also beginning to seem that happiness may be easier to find down South, away from those nasty gravel trucks!]

Thanks to all for posting!

 

I put the 3m Bra on my lights only, and when I did get a stone chip, it was high up on the hood and a full bra would NOT have helped. I had the hood repainted instead, and they put thicker paint than the OEM paint job. Good luck!

 

I've got 14K on my MCS, and there has been significant chippage. Mostly on the bumper, not the hood. Mostly I don't mind. If I were going to try to keep my car looking brand new, I'd go insane. However, if I had had $600 (or however much the clear bras cost installed) when I got my car, I probably would have gotten one. As it is, I'm happy anyway!

By the way, someone on Roadfly went to the extra step of removing the wheel arches, grilles, etc. so the only edge that showed with the one across the hood. I think that's the way to go if you do it.