I just bought a 05 MCS. The car has the racing stripes on it. Now we are going to get the clear bra installed. i contacted three installers. Two of them said that they would install the clear bra over the stripes. there would be some gap on the sides of the stripes but i could run my finger along the side and take care of most of the gap a day after the install. The other one said that they like to remove the stripes and install the clear. They purchase new ones from the stealer and install over the clear. He mentioned this is mainly for aesthetics. What are your thoughts/experiences?

cheers
cenk

 

On my 05 MCSC I did the clear bra over the stripes. It looked ok, but there was a bit of a line next to where the bra went over the stripe.
However, someone pointed out to me later that if somethin happened to one of the stipes (ie got a tear or anything) then the clear bra would have to be removed (and a new one purchased) to change the stripes. I think it is all just a matter of preference.

 

Whatever you do, DO NOT put bra OVER stripes!!!

My 03 had a clear bra over white stripes when I bought it used. I didn't think about it too much at beginning, but it turned out not very pretty! Part of the stripes under bra are very very clean and WHITE. On the another hand, the exposed parts of the stripes turned to a creamy white, it's very easy to see 2 different colors at clear bra edge, and it's too late to correct it. Now I just don't know what to do!

Stripes are cheap, and you can change patterns if you don't like it. But clear bra aren't, when they are on, you don't want it off!

Hopefully these helps

 

BOTH of my MINIs have the stripes OVER the clear bra. You can hardly tell which is which, although there IS a line if you look closely enough. The nicest thing, though, is you can remove the stripes safely [without destroying the more expensive clear bra] and change out to other stripe styles IF the stripes are installed OVER the clear bra. I wouldn't do it any other way.

 

great points on future aesthetic changes and discoloration. I will have the stripes removed first.

thanks

 

On my wife's MCS, the clearbra is trimmed around the striping. We've never altered either, so it's fine for us. Like others, if I were to layer them, I'd layer the stripes on top of the clearbra.

-- mike

 

+1 on removing the stripes first. I DIDN'T - I have clear bra over my stripes. Now I want to change stripes and am gonna have to pay $200 for a new clear bra install... clear bras should last MUCH longer than stripes in most situations, and stripes are cheap.