After the recent bad clear bra experience, I'm not sure what to do. I know little about car paint, but by the time everything is said and done, one clear will be removed, there will be a touchup job/buffing...I'm guessing I will need to polish the swirls out. After all that I'm not so sure I want to install another clear bra. I'm not sure, but doesn't the wax/polish have to be stripped again? Then, the bra would be installed again. It seems like a lot of trauma for a brand new paint job.

What I'm wondering is how does the clear bra stack up against a good wax/sealant (I have the Zaino total protection kit)?

If I keep a few coats of this stuff applied, won't that help protect against little chips here and there?

Then, if I get a touchup job done every year or so, would take care of the problem?

How much does it cost to get a touchup job every now and then? (because the clear bra is freakn expensive)

Does anyone have experience doing their own touchups? If so, what products do you use? Any tips?

 

wax will not protect the paint from rock and debris impacts like clearbra.

touchup jobs are okay, but it's better to just have the entire bumper
repainted every so many years of service.

i just use the factory touchup paint and apply with a toothpick.
i posted how i do mine several times so run a quick search if you'd like.

 

1. Wax and Bras do different things. Wax makes the car look great and protects from the basic elements (sun, waterspots, etc) to varying degrees, but it offers no protection from chipping. Zero.

2. Touch-ups, are just that. Fixes that are often just as noticible as the original chip. The better the chip fix, (if even possible) the more expensive it can be. Touch-up cost (and quality) varies all over the place.

3. Do a search for chip fixing. I know I have posted on it before and discussed various methods including airbrushing.

I agree, a lousy clear-bra installation job is horrible. But done correctly it is, IMO, the way to go. All my cars have clear bras.

 

I didn't have a clear bra on my '02 and after 3.5 years it had a number of significant nics. I used touch-up, but was never happy about the result...... just not as bad. When I got into my '06 I had clear bras installed from the get-go on the front end and the rear bumper. I'm very, very glad I did.

 

The clearbra is worth every penny! Mine has some marks on it from where rocks have hit, and it's obvious that if the clearbra wasn't there, I would have some huge paint chips.

 

The clearbra definitely protected my bumper and bonnet from more than a few nasty rock chips. There are times when I look at the MINI under the sun, and it bothers me how prominent the clear bra looks (especially when the paint was freshly treated with Zaino - the clearbra doesn't have that wet glossy look to match the rest of the MINI). But then I look over and see all the rock chips on the other cars around, and it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, considering that repainting every few years is out of the question with respect to my budget - I'd rather spend that money on mods!