I am due to get my jet black MCSC next week and have pre-ordered a Clearbra kit to be installed by an authorized 3M dealer. Does anyone have a Clearbra/invisishield, etc. installed and find they are still getting chips/scratches on the rest of the hood?

The more I think about it, with the car being so low to the ground it seems like it would still be prone to hood damage past where the clear bra ends.

 

Mine covers the first 24". After 2.5 years, my hood has a couple of knicks in the uncovered area of the hood. Both are pretty minor though.

 

I have Stongard on my Black New Beetle Sport with only the lower part of the hood covered. I wished I had gone for an entire hood wrap, not only because of the numerous chips I have on the unprotected area (moreso because of the shape of the NB's hood), but mainly for the visible seam running across the hood. Wax collects on the edge and it really stands out on a black car. You can't get it completely off. I hate it! The whole purpose in getting a clear bra is so you don't see it.

When I get my Jet Black MCS in May, I'm not repeating that mistake. The entire hood will be wrapped!

 

I have the clearbra that extends part of the way up the bonnet. After about six months of motoring, I got my first chip ... on the roof. I've seen protective kits for the little area right above the windshield (where I got my chip). Maybe I should have bought that, but then again, you can't protect your mini against every scratch. Otherwise you'd have to wrap the entire car with that clearbra.

 

to protect from all scratches and paint chips .......

Don't drive your car and just look at it

motor on
ant

 

...and your point is....

I would never try putting the clearbra on the front of the hood,grill, and bumper as it has alot of curves, etc. But I have entertained the thought of buying the bulk 3M clearbra that I saw on ebay (24" x 8') for $79 to finish out the rest of the hood and whatever else I could cover with it. Since I'm getting a convertible I won't have to worry about clearbra for the roof. Since it is such a small car without the roof to worry about, why not do the whole thing?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

 

There a several synthetic sealants that do not leave any visible residue - - Klasse and Zaino are among the most popular.

 

Well, I didn't discover that until after I used Blitz One Grand wax. Once it gets on the edges, that's it, you're screwed. And rubbing against the edges to remove the residue tends to roughen it up over time and makes things worse. If I had a lighter colored car, I may not even notice it.

 

While I have a myriad of small chips scattered accross the hood, the two biggest ones... on the chrome grill!!! One of them is so big that you can actually see the grey plastic beneath the chrome...

I've thought long and hard about the clearbra... The thing is, this car is a daily driver and if you're going to use it as such than it's going to get dirty and it's going to accumulate chips...

 

Yeah, but the whole bonnet? Overkill IMO

 

Have a '05 V70R with the clearbra on the bumper and bottom section of the hood. At 12K miles, there are no rock chips on the car. IMO and that of the installer who has done this car and my "05 MCSC, the total hood coverage is overkill. The roads in No. Illinois are brutal and the last few cars have had lots of bumper and leading edge rock chips--the cost of the total hood coverage (~$500 due to time of installation)is simply not worth the expense.

 

I only use the Xpel on the bumper. I have no chips on the hood or
mirrors.

 

I've got 3k on it and waxed it over the weekend. I can see all of the places where the clearbra caught rocks (since the wax is caught in them now). I agree, it sucks that the wax gets caught under the edges. I still think that a partial is still better than no protection. If you drive it, its bound to catch a rock eventually expecially if you have to drive around semi's like I do.

 

It also helps if you don't tailgate people. I think doing the whole hood is overkill.

 

If you're going to clear bra the entire bonnet then ya might as well clear bra the entire car!!! Seriously, the windshield gets pitted, I have a few super tiny stone chips on the side of my car, and I even have a small stone chip on the roof, about one foot in from the windshield. The point is flying flecks of stone are unavoidable...most will be dealt with w/ a standard clear bra installation on the bonnet/bumper front. Any others...including elsewhere on the bonnet...will likely be very minor and few and far between.

 

I have the standard clearbra on the bonnet and it really does seem that portion is the area that takes the majority of the stones, IMHO the whole hood is overkill (and who knows how the plastic will fare over time installed directly over the heat of the engine). Be sure to get all of your front lights done too, those also get sprayed and can crack.

For those who got wax caught in the edges, try a little Klasse AIO. We did the same thing and later I took a q-tip with some Klasse on it to the edges and it removed the wax

 

i just use Q-tips and follow the edges gently to remove the wax.

 

I HATE MY CLEAR BRA. it was the most useless thing I have done to date. And I have done a few.

 

... and thanks for filling us in as to why you hate it ..but anywoo, I'm still undecided as to getting this done or not? Those that don't have it, do you have a lot of chips, and wish you got it?

 

Well....I live in Phx and the roads are lit with gravel. I still have major dings and pits all through the hood. In the clear bra and mirrors. My bumper, hood and mirrors are all going to be resurfaced. But, I am putting different components on anyways. For $500 it wasn't worth it. It's starting to peel at the moment and it was installed by the dealer. It's a misconception that the bra is going to stop damage. How's that for info.

 

$500 is a lot was that for the whole car? Sounds like an issue you could have taken up with the dealer as soon as you had any problems with it (and it was not a good install to begin with if it began peeling). Most places have a warranty on labor and materials for the stuff, and if its not doing its job then that is also something to take up with the dealer if they did sell it as protection. The clearbra manufacturers often have warranties on the material as well. (Clearly, no pun intended, the stuff is meant to protect the paint/lamps from chipping not dents, which it seems to have done on our car.)

 

True...it sounds as if maybe you got a knockoff brand or just a bad install... and as far as dents... it's just as eVal explains here, it's not to protect against dents...its for chips.

 

True. It won't stop dents. It's not superhero-like. BUT...the clearbra DOES have huge nicks from rocks. It looks like crap. If I would of known then, what I know now, I would have not purchased the bra and put it towards other stuff. And it was the 3M bra from what I am told by Mini North Scottsdale. The job ORIGINALLY was done well. But after 2 1/2 years of abuse it is showing signs of extreme old age. Plus, the fact that when the car gets a little dusty you can see huge lines all the way around the front end. I have an IB ride. Plus, I live in the desert. If you live in L.A. or other low dust areas, it might not show as bad as mine. Just my $.02:impatient