Big bummer this morning. Some uninsured pickup driver backed into my Mini in a parking lot while I was waiting for him to exit the driveway. 'Changed his mind, threw it in reverse, turned the wheel to the right and backed the left coner of the bumper on his GMC pickup into the right headlight of my 06 JCW Cab. Very bummed. And, of course, he's uninsured, is driving on an Oregon license (here in California) and says he'll pay for it. Yea, sure. He gave me a cell phone number, but that's easily changed. And the local address he gave me is non-existent. Crap. I was/am still hoping he'll pick up the 500 dollar deductable.

Anyway, here's the reason for my post. My car has an extensive clear bra attached to it and that will, of course, be replaced when all the body work is done. (New hood, new HID light and washer assy, new trim, new hood hinges, etc., etc.) So....

Who makes the best clear bra out there? Are there any brands to avoid?

Also, any other suggestions on getting my car repaired. I'm going with Mini of Mountain View's recommendation of Smythe Collision Center in Santa Clara. They do a lot of high end cars and they know Minis.

Thanks much for any and all recommendations and suggestions.

 

Just a bit of advice for the future. Any time you have to deal with someone who's uninsured, you call the cops. The uninsured driver will get cited, and more accurate information will be forthcoming.

 

For my clear bra, I had a VentureShield installed by a professional installer. After 13,000, it still looks flawless.

 

Being in the Bay Area, you should go to Clear Armor in San Carlos. It's $$$ but they do perfect work and have a lifetime guarantee. I got a rock chip right on the edge of mine once, they repaired the chip and replaced the section of film, all on their dime. And rolling in there, they have all sorts of high-end cars they work on on a daily basis. You can definitely do better on price but I don't know that you can on quality of work and warranty.

 

Thanks for those suggestions. Here's another related question: Do all the clear bras have the cut out for the Mini emblem right in the front just below the hood scoop? I'm thinking that I might have the shop leave the emblem off but if the bra is precut and has the space for the emblem, it might look/be odd and that section of the hood where the emblem would be wouldn't be protected.

And here's yet another question: What kind of paint would you recommend for painting the chrome trim rings around the headlights? Just about everything else is blacked out in some form or another on my car. JCW aero kits with black grills, carbon fiber hood scoop, etc. I'm thinking that making these trim rings black would look great but I'd like opinions on the type and finish of the paint. I'm thinking not gloss because it will clash too much with the other black trim pieces where aren't gloss. Also, not flat black either. Semi-gloss? Matte? Any particular brands/types of paint? Full on black or a dark charcol? Etc., etc.

Many thanks again.

Oh, and for reference, here's a photo of my Mini.

 

Things are beginning to look up. My insurance has contacted the guy who hit me and verified my story. And likely he's also going to pay up as well as my insurance has waived my deductable. Nice. I'm also going to have the Mini logo not reinstalled under the hood scoop and this presents no problem with the clear bra people. Plus, I'm going to have the headlight trim rings painted black. The question is, what finish?

So, what can you recommend? Gloss? Flat? Matte? Semi-gloss? Satin? etc......

 

Interesting. MINI of Mountain View recommended Autobahn Body & Paint to me sometime ago. It is about a block away from them, and at the tme, they were doing warranty paint and body work for MINI of Mountain View. They repainted the scoop under warranty because the color match was poor from the factory -- Pure Silver on the scoop was more purple than the bonnet. Metalic colors are difficult to match exactly. Autobahn did a great job of it.

They did an $11,000 job when I tipped my MCS over on its side. It was an excellent job (looked better than new) and their bid was lower than 21st Century Insurance's recommended shop in Salinas.

I don't know why MINI of Mountain View would have changed shops. Perhaps they get a better price from Smythe. Or, perhaps people at Autobahn have changed.

Did the driver have a license? Did you get that number, or truck's license plate?