Any experience with it? Cost?

I've already gotten my first stone chip on the front and I'm considering getting the clear bra for my car. What do you guys/gals think?

 

Not just Yes. Hell Yes.

The MINI is EXTREMELY chip-prone. A good ClearBra (I have Xpel) is a must in my opinion to maintain your paint without having to fill chips on a weekly basis...

Prices are all over the map - depends on brand, geography, and whether the dealer is getting a cut.

I paid $700 for a full Xpel setup (includes front of bonnet, scoop, front bumper, headlights, foglights, grille slats, mirror caps, door edges and side stone guards) through my dealer at delivery. I priced it around here and that was pretty competitive.

One thing that I think makes a difference - find an installer with LOTS of experience with MINIs. The curvy bonnet can be a challenge if you don't know what you're doing...

 

YES, it IS expensive! YES, it IS worth the money paid for it! Just listen to all the people who talk about how they didn't get it done to their cars when they were new...and now, wished they had had it done.

I have it on both my MINIs. My dealer used a local installer who specializes in the stuff.

If I were you, I'd get my lights coated with X-Pel, too.

 

I have had on both a dark blue Audi A6 and Dark Silver MINI MCS. No stone chips on either car, but our roads in the Seattle area are generally pretty good, plus I don't drive on gravel roads. The Audi has full coverage and the clear bra line on the hood is clearly visible. On the MINI I have the half clear bra which is two or three hundred dollars cheaper.

 

I had one on my M3. It saved the day many times! Do the lights too!

 

Is it better for some colors (dark) and bad or especially visible for other (lighter) colors? Or does that make no difference?

 

We have 3M clear bras on both of our MINIs (Pepper White and Cool Blue). The edges of the clearbra are more visible on the white than on the blue, but it doesn't jump out on either colour. From more than a few feet away, you'd have to point it out to someone - they wouldn't notice it.

 

Yes. Get one.

Expect about $600 for minimal covereage.

Up to $800 if you do all the lights mirrors etc...

 

Fjork,
I don't know what area you're in, but here (Norfolk/Virginia Beach) the local Ultra-Shield installer uses 3M film and charges $499 to cover the front bumper, first 18" or so of the bonnet, headlamps, fog lights, grille slats, bonnet scoop, and mirror backs. He's done both of our cars and I've been really impressed by both the installer and his work.

 

I'll be doing it for sure. I have heard that when you wax the car, you should wax from the clear bra to the untreated paint and not the other way. Less likely to get that wax build-up on the edge supposedly.

 

fjork IT duf!

. . . you'll never regret it.

 

You're going to get wax on the edges, no matter what. That's the only real downside of all the paint protection film that I've found - I have to spend a little more detailing time getting the wax out of all the nooks and crannies (and there are a LOT of them). But it's worth it.

 

I struggled with this for about 30 minutes. I just cannot bring myself to put this on my car when it arrives. Instead, I think I will be painting a clear polyurethane on the forward facing parts of the car.

It will be more durable than regular paint, but can be treated like paint. I hate the exagerrated orange peel look of the clear bra. And you cannot do much to smooth it out. At least with the polyurethane I can wet sand it, polish it and touch it up, in the rare event it acually gets damaged.

If you want to check that approach out, you can probably find a local airplane paint facility to to do it, but be forewarned. The paint and the costs to apply it is pretty expensive.

 

What "exaggerated orange peel" look? People can only tell I even have it on my MINIs after I tell them. It's what it says it is...a CLEAR bra, and MONEY WELL SPENT!

 

I am only going by the pictures I have seen on the board. Maybe the pictures exaggerate the effect. I did not say it was not clear. From my perspective, very few factory paint jobs look that good to begin with.

It may well be more noticeable (the peel effect) when applied to different colors. It may have been the installation. Some installers seem to do it better than others.

I am glad you like yours. I just think I am going to go in a different direction, because I can.

 

Customer satisfaction is always a plus! Ya gotta be comfy with your won decisions when modding your ride. I was with mine, and you are with your own, too. Just enjoy your new car!

 

You enjoy yours as well. I will enjoy mine,...once she finally gets here. That is, if the wait does not kill me.

 

I know the feeling, but it's soooo worth the wait in the end, especially when you get to drive what you ordered and always wanted! Good luck and motor on!

 

i had the Xpel put on my R53 ('05 CR/B) and it was definitely worth it. cost was about $700, if i recall correctly. it was barely noticeable on the CR ... and i'm guessing it will be the same on my upcoming Lightning Blue.

dave

 

Upon delivery in Oct 2004, I had my MINI dealer install clear bra on the upper portion of my R53 grille and bonnet (over stripes) only, not the lower clip. In retrospect, I would do the lower clip as well because it takes the brunt of the damage and I tire of touch-up painting....

I also 3M'd my Xenons fogs and ts lites with protectors (about $50 for materials). I HIGHLY reccommend doing this, esp. when you see what a Xenon lite assembly costs This is easy, did it myself.

Reason I had the dealer do the clear bra is because it's all covered under the 4year 50K warranty. Late last year (after two years) the clear bra started to peel, and my dealer just reinstalled it under warranty--with a fresh new shiny perfect free set of black bonnet stripes as well!

So yes in the MINIs case a clear bra is WELL worth the $$.

 

Does anyone know the cost of a dealer repaint of the bonnet? Just might sway some to "do" or "not to do". Thanks

 

Is $700 includes labor???
Thanks.

 

sorry -- yeah that number was "all in" .. including labor. i think it was $650-700.

 

Just had it installed on mine yesterday. Most of the comments I have read were positive, so when we bought the car it was one of the 'options' we decided to add.

 

I am planning on getting my new Mini Clearbra'd when it arrives. Most I have seen have the clearbra cut at the seams of the bonnet. But one installer in my area says he wraps the Clearbra over the edges and heats them. Its sounds like a good idea but wonder if it would lift and peel over time.