I am about to pick up my R56 MCS in sparkling silver color, and I've been thinking about putting on clear bra. I'm worried of how it'd look on this color, as most of these shields only cover portion of the hood, so I can see the line.

For SS owners with clear bra, how does it look? (maybe some pictures)

Also, can anyone recommend any installers in Northern NJ or NYC area?

 

Had mine installed at “All In The Details” in Morristown NJ... $650 for full bonnet-bumpers-headlights. Very happy with the job they did, looks good on my pure silver

http://www.allinthedetailsnj.com/clearbra.htm

 

So they did the entire hood... that's good to know, I rather have entire hood covered than just partial. How long did it take them? I assume hood and the bumper has to be fully detailed before install?

Thanks.

 

If the clear is applied to the complete hood with item removed then there is no edge. On any clear bra if an edge is expossed regardless who does the installs the edge will catch light . This is the case with pre cut kits. So my advise is to pay a little extra and have it applied custom for your hood. Also ask what brand covering is used. Some like 3m has a slight orange peel look others have a slight lined look. NONE are perfectly smooth. It just depends on which you prefer. Also have mercy on the installer if you get a little silvering. It is almost imposible to apply the clear bra perfect. My partner does this for a living and we did my complete hood on my Dark Silver 02 and the area in front of the sun roof. If you like I can post a picture.

 

It took 4 hours, they even did it on a Saturday. Sitting next to my Mini was a brand new Porsche 911 GT3 they were covering the entire car with the 3M clear bra material
I did wax the whole car the day before.

 

The only picture I have with bra.

 

The line isn't bad, I went with VentureShield. I even had it put on the doors. I have plenty of pics in the Picture section of our club website, http://emeraldmc2.com

 

completed.

 

Pure silver here, but here's mine with the clear bra on. Hope it helps!

 

Thanks for the advice, guys. According to nitrominis, it seems that this product isn't perfect depending on brand, and installation/finish also depends on the installer.

But looking at Bonk!'s and RandomGemini's pictures, they look absolutely perfect.

I'm gonna have to call place Bonk! mentioned and probably get it done there. I'll ask them to detail the hood and bumper before installing the clear bra. I gotta drive far to get there, so I am sure the car will get dirty on the way there.

 

I have the 3m rock shield on my car. Dealer installed it and so far, I've been very happy with it and I've had more than a few incidents with accidentally turning onto gravel roads or coming around a bend in a road to find that I'm suddenly behind a street sweeper truck that made me extremely grateful that I had it and the stone guards. You won't regret the decision to get the clear bra.

 

My SS has the clear bra, dealer installed. Unless looking very close its virtually invisible.

 

You shouldn't wax your car before applying the clearbra, that will only hinder the adhesive properties. Dawn dish soap is a pretty common way to strip the wax if you've already done so.

 

How does the bra work over vinyl stripes? Isn't there a gap at the edge of the stripe that water can get into?

 

I was curious about that myself... here's the thread I started asking for photos of stripes going over the top of the clear bra.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=145465

The issue of weather you should put the stripes on before, or after the clear bra is one of much debate. Personally, it seems to me that putting them on on top of the bra makes more sense, because you can remove them later without having to pay an additional chunk of change to have the clear bra re-applied.

 

If you opt for full bonnet coverage on the clear bra the clear bra can go over the stripes. If you go for the just the front of the bonnet they should not cover the stripes with the clear bra (at least mine doesn't).

If the bra covers the stripes it will leave a larger gap for dust and other particulates to collect and it won't ever seal as nice. I had my bonnet stripes replaced under warranty (due to the old weeping washer jet problem which stained one of the stripes). They were able to remove the stripes and apply the new one without having to remove the clear bra since the bra does not cover the stripes.

I imagine it varies from installer to installer but where I went to, they did not cover my bonnet stripes (I did not get full bonnet coverage, at the time, I did not know that was an option otherwise I probably would have paid the additional amount for complete coverage of the bonnet).

I did hear the subcontractor my MINI dealer uses does put the bra over the stripes. So, as I mentioned, it depends on the installer.

 

Putting the bra on top of stripes seems to make more sense since these are relatively cheap items to replace.

 

Try to find a shop that had to get trained to do the application (3m gives a certification). The clear bra can go over any vinyl . It does not matter if you wax or not the shop uses several cleaning agents prior to installing the clear material. If the shop cleans and preps properly it will not have a adhesion problem. Look at other cars at you chosen shop to see what the material you choose for your Mini will look like. Try to look at the cars in the sun light and not shop light. Shop lights can hide things. There are a few manufactures of the clear material .NONE are completely smooth and they all have different appearances on the covered item. A full Bonnet covered looks better and is better protected then the front only. stuff from the road tends to bounce off the center of the hood. Consider protecting you headlight and the top front area also.

 

The stripes are inexpensive compared to the clear bra (material and professional installation). If you had to place one over the other I'd put the stripes over the bra. The stripes will fade and wear out much faster than the bra should. In 2-3 years you'll need to replace the stripes and the bra instead of just the stripes.

 

I just called 3 different places, and all quoted above $800!!! This includes full hood, front bumper and headlights.

I didn't know they were this expensive...

 

Did all in the details want $800?

More info about all the details:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=134947

 

yeah, they told me that it uesd to be $650, but now expects it to be more, around $800. :( Maybe I should keep searching different places.

 

like saran wrap over a beige camry

 

Sorry to hear about the price increase. Shop it around, I did the same. Prices can vary from $1400 (the dealer) to $400 just for the front quarter.

 

We had the full bonnet covered, front bumpers, mirrors, door handle inserts and top rear bumper for around $650 in April. No one we've shown the car to can see the clear bra until you show them where it is. This picture is about 2 weeks after the bra was put on. And I want stripes over the bra!