I was wondering what everyone's opinion of the clear bra is. I live in an area with constant construction and deal with alot of gravel roads, etc so I think it would be a great product assuming it works as described.
I have seen some on ebay for as little as $30 and then seen others all the way up to $150.00.
First, is the clear bra and product I should consider, is there potential for problems that I'm not anticipating?
Second, is this a product I can really install myself? I am generally pretty handy.
Third, is there any reason I should avoid the less expensive models? Has anyone bought one from ebay or another source that has been a problem?

Thanks all,
Annette

 

Clear bra is one of the MUST have thing in all my cars. It really helps on prevent hood chips.. I have that installed in my bimmer for 4 yrs, there is no hood chip on it:smile:. Anyway, I really don't know what kind of clear bra you can get on ebay for $30, but what you need to look for is a pre-cut film for your MINI, not a bulk film.. I know you can get a roll for a very low price like $30, but for a beginner, it is very difficult to cut it and shape it into the car. I got mine from one of the NAM vendor Ryan Auto Paint Guard, which give us a very decent price.. Also you can check on the Market place forum, I saw some members are selling the kit..

If you think yourself is pretty handly, you can install it without a problem. The key for installing the clear bra is patient!!! Lots of Patient! Also when I order my kit from Auto Paint Guard, Ryan sent me a installation CD.. It tells all the tips and tricks about the installation.
Hope these help..

 

Anete,
Where I live in FL (near WDW) I travel behind sand trucks all the time. I thought of one of the 'old' style bra's but was afraid of the fine sand getting behind it and doing a rub job on the bonnet. So I went with a clear bra. First one I've owned and it's been good. It can be seen in certain light, invisible in others, but I like it. Does what I want, keeps the grit off MiamiMini. I would suggest having it done. My installer has done many vehicles but my car was his first Mini. He guestimated it would be about 4 hours to install. Well it was over 7 and he's done it many times. So IMHO it was worth what I paid him (in fact I gave him a tip since he was a perfectionist (maybe why it took so long?) plus he installed film under my door handles free.

Any other question feel free to ask.

 

I highly recommend it. The front end of my first MINI was a mess after 40K miles. Further, I recommend paying the extra $$ for a GOOD installer with a solid referral. The MINI is a tricky install - at least the bonnet - you might be able to do the other parts on your own, but if you pay for the bonnet install it is very little extra for the rest.

I knew I wanted the protection but was very concerned about the overall appearance. I couldn't be happier with the install and am glad I didn't give myself the chance to bugger it up - I have had to show people up close that it is actually on my PW!

One odd complaint/incident - a person in front of me ejected a cigarette butt from their window. It smacked the front of the car and, while I was annoyed, I didn't think about it much - until later that day when I noticed the ash still stuck on the grill! It had actually melted the clear bra just enough to stick! It is barely noticeable now that it is cleaned - but I can find the spot when I want to.

Whoddathunkit? I payed all that money for protection from hard objects to find out that something as soft as a butt could damage it.

Nonetheless, I still recommend it. The front of a MINI just seems like a big target for rocks and chips.

 

Omigod! 7 hours! The guy that did my M3 picked it up from me at work, took it to his shop nearby, and was back in less than two hours.

 

Oh, in response to some of your other questions:

There are different companies that make the film and then there are companies that sell the patterns for each car. 3M and Avery sell film, while Xpel is one of the better known companies that sells the patterns. From what my installer explained, time was that installers could choose the film and the pattern companies as they preferred. Now, Xpel, for instance, offers to provide the machine that cuts the film in exchange for your exclusive commitment to use 3M film. I'm told that 3M film is notorious for yellowing. Even though 3M apparently now has a newer film with a special coating that resists yellowing, the coating makes the film less pliable - and therefore not as forgiving on installation, which obviously increases the risk of a shoddy finished product.

Since my installer has been in the business long enough, he is not beholden to Xpel to use 3M film. He has stuck with Avery. He said he continues to try the newer films as they come out because it is in his own best interest to install the best product available for his customers. So far, he has yet to switch from Avery films.

SO, briefly, it appears that there are reasons to shy away from certain films. There was another brand (that I cannot recall the name of) mentioned elsewhere on the boards that is supposedly very strong - but I cannot say how easy it is to work with for installation.

Best bet - get a referral for a reputable installer in your area whose work you have seen and like.

 

...I forgot to mention about the other side - the pattern companies. The company you choose can affect the price. It can also affect the ease or difficulty of the installation. It also can impact the aesthetics of the application. Some patterns have more seams - or seams in different places - that stand out more or simply don't look as clean.

Refer to previous statement:

 

Every MINI at the dealership (Ferman MINI in Tampa) already had the 3M film applied to the front bumper, half of the hood, and the mirrors. They add a $950.00 charge to the sticker for this, which I highly contested (but in the end had no choice considering they only had one Electric Blue left). I'm interested to see how it holds up, as I've heard good things about it. I don't exactly like how the wax gets trapped on the crease though. Also, now that I'm having the Aero kit installed, I won't have it on the front bumper anymore anyway. What did I pay $950.00 for again???? :impatient

-Justyn

 

Ouch! My last installation noted earlier was only $300 (the "wholesale" price), my local MINI dealer adds $200 to that.

 

$950... ?! kind of rip off. Some installer may charge you around $300 for the job.. + the material.. it shouldn't cost more than $500. Sounds like they double it for their profit.

Anyway, I think Mini isn't the hardest one to installed. From my past exp. Which I installed a E46 3 series, Mini, Toyota Prius.. the Prius is the most difficult one.
If you think you are handy enough, I recommend you to DIY, since a Mini kit cost $150 or less, if I get three sets and and screw the first two. It only cost me $450.. which still less than hiring a installer. If you are handy enough, I bet you can get it done by the first run.

 

The local MINI dealer in Greenville, SC charges $399 for the front or $599 for the works, including slats, mirrors, etc. They do use 3M though. Saw one of the jobs...very nice, the guy clay bars the car first...no grit or anything. I thought the price was high...now I'm not so sure. Also, I live in a fairly small city and not a lot of choices for installation...So, do I go with the dealer or do without?

Cheers

 

Another issue to consider is that these films do not actually ward off the stones, as you might hope.

What you get instead of chips in your paint is cuts in the film, which catch dirt and look at least as bad as chips in the paint would have. Worse, you can't touch-up the film as you could have on the paint, so now you have to agonize over when the film is bad enough that removing it would be an improvement.

My suggestion is save the several hundred dollars on the film, buy a touch-up kit for $15 or so, and use the money saved for a front-end paint job in a few years.

 

The worse case is If I feel not like the dirt on the film.. I can peel it off at any time, however when I not use the film to protected it and just touch up, it is going to rust.

 

If you use touch-up paint properly, it won't rust.

 

Ah but you've got one of the best choices................. the World Headquarters of Invinca-Shield is in North Wilkesboro!

I've had their product on my 02 MCS for over 3 years and it still looks great. Paid $251 for the deluxe and 3 extra pieces installed (2 hours labor). At the time they offered NAM members a 20% discount, but even now their MCS deluxe kit is around $175. If you call, ask for Mark. He's the "designer" cutter and installer at the Headquarters.

Also, Primetime Design in Asheville does a clear bra. He wants $350 for the hood, scoop, front bumper and slats on a MCS. His kit is a little better (less seams) but the side pieces don't come all the way to the edge of the wheel spats.

If you want to look at both drop me a PM.

 

IMHO, it's the best option we've got. I also live in a rural area, lots of sand, rocks and gravel. My wife's previous car (red Mustang GT) looked like she followed too close to a road paint crew after 3 years here in the Mountains. Lots and lots of white primer specs showing through. Despite being called invincashield, it isn't a little over a year ago, I took a big rock to the hood. It cut a pencil tip sized hole in the film, but this is the only damage in 3 years. Would I do it again? I already have, we got my wife's car done.

I'm pretty handy also, love working on my car (brakes, sway bar, pulley) was part owner in a auto restoration shop for a few years too. I've done tint and pinstriping and smaller graphics, but I paid to have mine done. The labor cost for the install is no where near the cost of buying another kit. You have a MCS and the curves on that hood would make a grown man cry, and they have! Many have tried this as a DIY project and have failed some have managed to do it, but very few that I know.

Well you get what you pay for. Most of the kits are a 5 to 6 mm 3M product with UV resistant properties, just make sure the one you buy measures up.

Here are a few pics form my install:







Good luck with the decision!

 

i use the Xpel (3M) brand and installed it myself.
got mine from Ryan at www.autopaintguard.com nice guy.

 

I was planning to install it myself as soon as I took delivery of my Cooper S. After years and years of touching up the nose of my Miata, I promised myself that my next car will have the clear bra installed. But my dealer screwed up my order and I negotiated with them to have the clear bra install at a discount. Now after I checked it out close up, I'm glad my dealer screwed up my order . The area between the hood scoop and the headlight looks especially challenging.