I'm concidering the TVA bra and was wondering if anyone was wearing one currently. Hows the support and do those thin straps flap at speed? I like the idea of being able the clean under it when needed and the cost and reports of embeded stuff turn me off the clear ones. What's a pencil test anyways?

 

I personally don't like the standard bras for a few reasons

1) grit gets under the bra and it abraids the paint
2) you have to take it off and dry it each time it gets wet or else the paint will haze
3) if you want it to look nice, you'll have to clean it seperately

I had one on my Jetta, but it was just way too much of a hassle to keep clean (especially cleaning bugs off after road trips and after a good snow storm it was all kinds of dirty).

If you want your MINI in a bra, I'd stick with clearbra.

 

Yeah the clear bra idea seemed attractive at first because....well....it's clear. But then I heard it isn't really worth it. I personally will go braless....the kinds that aren't clear eventually ruin your paint. I figure....as much as I love my Mini, it is still a car and cars pick up wear and tear regardless of what you do to them. Never been a fan of the bra-look, but to each their own.

 

I had the clear stuff(RoadBlock by AutoBahnd) by 3M. I put 6000 miles, mostly highway and mostly fast, on a Cooper before buying a Cooper S. They both have AutoBahnd which gives you a 3 year warranty against chips,etc. You can even cover your Xenons with it. It is more expensive than a bra but I like my cars like I like my.......woops, that would be politically incorrect. Sorry
Florida Mini Owners

 

I'm not sure what you've heard L.Mini, but here's my experience.

2.5 years of 3M Stonegard on my Jetta: no chips in the area of the clear bra, no fading, no yellowing, and no extra care for the clear bra.

I had the entire front end of my Cooper S covered (first 24 inches of the hood, bumpercover, headlights, and mirror caps). It cost $450 for the material/installation.

For all the sand/gravel that gets thrown out on the road during a snow storm around here, some form of protection is must. The clearbra in my experience happens to be the easiest to take care of, plus it doesn't adversely affect the looks.

 

Do you have a link to where someone interested can see what you are talking about. It sounds very interesting and maybe worth the expense. :evil:

 

Both our MINIs Page Title have Diamond Shield Protection. A clear bra solution that Diamond Racing sells.

We like them. They look good.

Contact Diamond Racing at info@diamondracing.org.

Diamini

 

I personally do not like car bras. I don't like them on ANY car. When I see one on a car I sorta cringe. It's like they bought the car for styling and then cover it up?

It reminds me of grandma's plastic couch covers.

 

I'm getting the 3M ClearBra, too...but does anyone have a pic of the standard MINI bra? I haven't seen one and I'm just curious to see what it would look like. I was pretty close to buying one for the trip from the dealer home, but I decided against it...and got a paint chip on the 700 mile drive back?! :evil:

 

I didn't get any kind of bra. I guess I will take my chances because IMO regular bras look funny and I could see the line on the clear bra. If you leave enough room between you and the next car, you should be fine, my last car is 6 years old, and no chips.

 

I've seen the clear bra too, and you really can't see it unless you look at it really close, but I'd be afraid of it getting shabby, people picking at it, etc. Don't think I want to clutter the clean look of mine with a black bra either. Just don't follow any large trucks hauling dirt/cement/tree branches/chickens/horses/cows/oranges/cap'n crunch and you should be ok. Besides, like all cars, doesn't the MINI come with a bottle or 2 of touch up paint?

 

I didn't get any touch up paint from the dealer and I haven't heard anyone else mention it...these chips didn't happen from any big truck - believe me, I've been keeping away. It just happens. And it seems to happen so easily. I don't hear any big rocks coming up...but after washing my car, I'll find them. And I don't have any plans at picking at my clear-bra. I don't pick at my tint and view the clear-bra in the same respect...just leave it be and it'll protect the front.

 

At $600 (at least, that's what the Boston dealership is charging), I just can't stomach paying for the clear bra. I don't anticipate driving through any asteroid belts or thickets of brambles. I plan on having this car a long time, and I'm skeptical about the long-term (5-10 years) durability of the clear bra. Seems like a very expensive re-paint job might be in store down the road, much more so than touching up a few chips if I find that they really do bother me.

 

I was quoted $425 for a local 3M authorized dealer/installer to install the clear-bra for me. That is for the hood as well as the front bumper. It comes with a 4-yr warranty where 3M guarantees it will protect against bug/paint damage and rock-chips. If there is damage, 3M will pay up to $1,000 of your insurance deductible to fix. My guess is that'll cover the cost. And I may have the insurance deductible part wrong cuz I'd hate to have to claim anything against my insurance. At any rate, it'll keep it good for 4 years and then I'll let my Jack age gracefully :smile:

For those of you who don't have the "pleasure" of living in the South, there are a lot of bugs here...and these days there are a lot of those "love-bugs" that make quite the acidic mess on your car. A b!-otch to clean off and can really wreck the paint if left on. We also have these weird animals called "birds"...for some reason they have the tendency to just poop on cars. Some of the trees here are really tall (think old oaks w/lots of moss) so the velocity this stuff reaches when it hits your car - yeah, I'm sure you're all getting the picture

 

To address the touch-up paint question...you have to order it through the dealership. I think it costs something like $19.95. You get clear coat with it. I am waiting for them to call me to tell me it's in.