My Clear Bra and Bonnet Stripes Solution
 

Since my previous thread morphed into a discussion about Plasti-dip Glossifier, I am starting a new thread about how my clear bra and bonnet stripes solution turned out.

My new Moonwalk Grey Metallic Cooper S had black bonnet stripes that were spotted and looked terrible when I picked the car up. My dealer replaced the stripes and I was undecided how to protect them going forward after seeing what could happen to them. This was of special concern since I was about to have clear bra installed and having to remove the stripes if they got damaged in the future would be all the more expensive.

I am extremely pleased with the way things turned out. I had 24" Xpel installed on the hood, fenders, headlights, mirrors, A pillars, door handles and the top of the rear bumper. Since covering the entire hood would add an extra $500, I had the installer apply Xpel on the remaining portion of the bonnet stripes that were uncovered.

The end result is a single seam that goes across the width of my hood that is pretty much invisible. Applying the film to the bonnet stripes also had the added effect of "evening out" imperfections in the vinyl material itself. It also made the entire length of the bonnet stripes glossy like the rest of the hood instead of leaving the uncovered portion of the stripes a matte finish as would be the case if they were not covered.

I am super happy with this solution for protecting the car and the bonnet stripes. There are 2 images below, 1 in the sun and 1 in the shade for comparison sake. I hope this post helps others faced with the same challenge.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...93ab99d344.jpg




https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...3c7c65fe7c.jpg

Yes, your car looks quite nice and well protected. However, you will NOT be able to wax the paint ever again. The suns UV will continue to deteriorate the paint and cannot be restored. Good Luck. It does look nice for now......

D.D.,, of course I will be able to wax my car again. The clear bra has no bearing on being able to wax. As a matter of fact, I can wax right over the film. In any case, isn't UV deteriorating the paint on all cars regardless of whether clear bra is installed or not?

Bctf1,

I wouldn't worry. Says right on the xpel website that paint will fade with UV at the same rate with or without the film. Additionally, the film can be waxed and sealed just as you would paint, if that's your bag.

I appreciate your response MidnightF56. I'm not at all worried. I have been using clear bra on my vehicles for years as do most of my friends. I realize that in many parts of the country, clear bra is completely unnecessary. However, here in Colorado it is an absolute must if you want to keep your car or motorcycle nice. Without it, all frontal exposed surfaces will get blasted by sand and gravel over time that is commonly found on roads here especially during the winter months.

I'm sure that it doesn't snow much in Florida where D.D. is from. :thumbsup:

Just to clarify, the clear bra is applied on top of the stripes? Or did they cut out the clear bra around the stripes?

Can you take a close up of the stripes edge? I alway assumed that if clear bra is applied on top of the stripes, it would leave a slight air gap as the stripes are 1-2mm thick.

I'm also thinking of some sort of paint protection. I live in Canada so lots of grit on the road in winter.

Hi Kevin, thanks for your response. Yes, the clear bra is applied on top of the stripes. You are right about the air gap where the film crosses the edge of the bonnet stripe. My Xpel installer explained to me that initially after the install that there would be a slight gap where moisture would be trapped next to the stripe edge.

He explained that once the car was in the sun for a couple of hours that the moisture would evaporate and that I could run my finger along the seam a few times to help the film bond better along the seam. I did as he suggested and the gap is really not visible against my Moonwalk Grey Metallic paint. I estimate that the gap is about 1/32" (.79mm) or less in width. The white stripe border is 1/8" (3mm) wide for comparison. The photo below is a macro shot taken from about 2 - 3 inches from the stripe for your reference. I hope this helps you.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nor...00a56a405f.jpg

Both of my cars have XPEL ppf on them. The Evo has full car stealth film on it. Yes, its not fun to clean, but its nice on highway journeys having some piece of mind against rock chips.

FWIW, https://www.xpel.com/care/

The stealth is a matte finish, so gloss doesn't matter. We sell XPEL at work, so I am very familiar with the product.