I had less than 400 miles on my new Mini and the cursed first flying stone nicked the paint by the right headlight. This car will get a lot of road miles in heavy traffic. Who uses a bra on their Mini to protect it? Does it protect or does it eat the paint? Back in the old days, the bra fix was worse than the nicks. Good source for one or should I run (motor) in the opposite direction.

 

Clear bras are popular additions to many MINIs for the very reasons you cited.

 

I have clear film "invisible" bras installed on my '05 MCS (now at 26,000 miles) and my '06 GP (now at 9,000 miles) and they are wonderful.

Yes, the old style front end bras, had a lot of issues (gunk getting between the bra and the paint, buffeting from wind, discoloration, et al).

 

I have had nothing but bad experiences with bras (the leather auto kind). I have tried some of the different tricks like putting lots of wax on first, or even using a plastic wrap to make a barrier, but it just doesn't seem to work. In the end either dirt gets in there and makes a mess, or water gets in there and ruins the finish. I even tried taking the bra off once a week for cleaning, but that still did not work.

I too have a dinged bonnet. I am running about 50k and even from a distance I swear I can see the dings. It drives me nuts. But I have decided to wear the dings as a bandge of honor (a dented badge). Still I plan on getting my bonnet re-painted around 75k.

 

Are the clear bra's like a stick on tape/clear plastic?

 

Yes similar, but probably a step or two up from that. The NAM vendor list probably has several sources.

 

I've got 5 chips in my bonnet right now. Most were from a road trip into Utah and Wyoming this winter but I know 2 are from around town driving. I usually use Langka to remove the chips, but it has been a bit chilly here so I have yet to do this.
I was considering getting a removable bra for my road trips. I think this would help protect against the gravel as well as the huge, rock-hard grasshoppers found in these parts during the summer. Once at my destination I would remove the bra.
I think the black temp bras are ugly as hell, but if they save my paint I can live with it while on the road.

 

I have the OEM mini bra and love it. I just take it off during wet weather, never leave it on while it is wet or the car is, and once or twice a week to brush off any dirt that gets trapped, so far good luck without any scratches, you just have to be on top of cleaning it regularly, I wish though I had gotten the clear bra

 

Clear bra (Invisishield, etc.) is the way to go! I have an '06 S and do a lot of freeway driving. It has saved me from numerous nicks, etc. Plus you can barely see it. I was skeptical before I put it on but really am a fan now. Can you tell?

 

i thought long and hard about getting a clear bra but eventually decided not to. i just felt like i wouldn't like the look of it, although plenty of people here have warned that i will regret it when i get my first nick. probably... but i just don't like the look of the "seam"

i've considered getting a leather bra to use ONLY on long trips, to protect agains bugs, chips and the flying debris of 18-wheelers. I don't like the look of the leather bra, really, but thought maybe just for long trips, it might be good insurance.

but even if i just use it for long trips, isn't there a chance it will scratch the paint underneath?

 

I figure that if you keep it clean, and remove it when not on the road trip, the worse it could do is put some swirls on the bonnet. I know how to get those out pretty easy now.

 

Actually the worse you can get with a leather bra is damage from "wind flapping". The edges of the bra slapping your paint. That causes mars across the entire bonnet that sometimes aren't removable with even a rotary buffer. A leather bra won't cause swirls, it may actually help prevent them. The paint under the bra will also be cleaner, should you take it off at some point, you will likely see a visual "seam" which is caused by one part being exposed to the elements while the other is protected.

Clear bra's are a good solution. I haven't been all that keen on them, but for certain paints like Jet Black it's a good solution if you can live with the orange peel of the 3M material. On the other hand the cost to install a clear bra is about the same as having the front of your MINI resprayed, so if the bra isn't your thing, you might consider just having that part repainted.

 

I have the black bra for my MCS.
It is not as nice as clear, but much better than nothing. As other have said, how you use it is key.
Also, get Colgan bra not MINI version. Have the Colgan and it is much better made and fitting than the MINI. I have used it about a year with no adverse issues. I have used Colgan on other cars and never had a problem.

 

I have the clear bra and wouldn't live without it.

But I do recommend getting it at a place that has a lifetime workmanship guarantee. The edges on one of my bumper sections lifted and got dirt beneath and I'm going to take it back to have it reworked - for free!

 

I have the Clear Bra made with 3M clear film. I'd place it among the top 10 investments I've ever made.

Unless you drive rarely, on a road only you travel or one that is made of sponges, then you would be wise to have a clearbra installed. Or, unless you like those little nicks and dings on your front end... as one poster called them his MINI's "badge of motoring".

 

Xpel is the way to go.

but i dont use it on my lighter colored cars... like silvers and whites because
the nicks on the clearbra actually becomes more revealing as it turns a
dark gray color from impact. ive heard about it yellowing a little over time
if used on a daily driven car. only time will tell though.

 

As someone else on here said, "get the Coglan bra." I've been using one from Mini Mania for about 3 years now with no problem. Just make sure it and the car are clean when you put it on and don't use it in wet weather. I think I paid about $100 dollars for it. Fits nice and tight, no flapping, and has done a great job protecting the front end. Plus it looks boss Like it much better than the clear stick on type

 

I bought a Coglan bra for my road trip to AMVIV last year to protect my front end on the way to Vegas. I spent the first day at AMVIV having OctaneGUY remove the black stripe across my hood left from the Coglan bra top piece. My car is pepper white and it showed the damage very clearly. I can see using the bottom piece to protect the bumper and spoiler but not the piece that goes across the hood. After seeing the damage left by the Bra I won't put it on again. There is an area on ether side of the hood that the bra does not rest on and the wind will do it's damage quickly. I had a company install the clear gard but they did a crappy job of putting it on so I had them remove it right then and there. Some companys do great work but the guy's I had do mine did not know how to put it on very well at all.

 

Seems to be some confict between the last two posts. OK guys fessup who's not playing it straight?

 

I think it comes down to color. On a dark color car, one might not see it but on my pepper white it show'ed up as a black stripe across the hood. I think with the clear bra color also is an issue. On a silver or red car it seems to be well hidden from a far until you get right up on it but I've seen it on other colors and it stick's out like a sore thumb but........ it protects the paint so there is a trade off.

 

I like driving my mini with no bra on.

mmm

 

all this time i thought El J was a guy... very confusing...
last week it was wickedgolf until she said something about bra's...
i thought she was a guy.

 

We've establisjed you're not a good source on this so I'll wait to see how Jefe responds

I drive bra-less, even bro-less . Three nicks on the bonnet and a sandblasted windshield from the lovely FL beaches (there is STILL sand in Pearl after 7 months in the midwest!!:impatient :impatient ) And yes she does turn heads(Pearl you sicko).

 

I have the invisible bra on my 06 and love it. However, I wish I would have had a strip on the front of the roof. That is where my first rock chip occured 2 1/2 weeks after I brought my MINI home

 

After 55K I have more nicks in the windshield than on the hood. Car looks "seasoned".