I'm getting ready to put a 3M clear bra on my 997S but was wondering if these 3M clear bras any good? Unfortunately, all the dealers and shops around my area only uses 3M. They come with a 5 yr manufacture warranty. Are they any good?

Also, I was told that you can't put wax on the 3M bra. Not that I will do it on purpose but looking down the road, I was concern that part of the car will look shiny while the other part (under the clear bra) will look dull. Should I be concern about waxing with a clear bra on? Thanks!

 

the best local shop here uses Llumar. They said it was the best they found. Their jobs look fantastic. Contact Llumar and see where their dealers are.

 

I have a the 3M clear bra....I love it and have no problems. I do wax it...not sure who said you can't wax it. The clear Bras tend to look better on darker colors since they may yellow slightly with time and it shows up particularly on white. My car has it on the front have of the nose (fendors, lights, bumper hood) as well as the mirrors, door handle inserts and wheel wheel rims.

I would also suggest you find out who the dealer uses to put it on and then go directly to them. In my case the dealer wanted $1800 but when I went direct to the same guy I got it for $800. THe dealer marked it up $1000...can you believe it.

 

I've used the 3M clear bra on my last 5 cars with no issues. You can wax it just like the paint. Never seen it fade or yellow.

There is a great shop in the Scottsdale Airpark. They used to do all the dealer installs until the dealers hired their own installers. I just had them do a full nose wrap on my 997S and it looks great.

They are not a sponsor here, so I don't know if I can mention the name. The AZ PCA had their monthly meeting there in May. I've also had them install window tint on a few cars and a bunch of big windows at the house.

 

Can you PM me the name of that place in Scottsdale?
I don't doubt that the dealer marked up the price but 1k markup seems pretty steep. So as far as 3M sounds..should be good for dependability and waxing then!

 

Use Plexus to shine and protect and Isopropol alcohol (>91%) to remove scratches and swirls - spray on, lightly buff, repeat as necessary. More effective than wax. Best,

 

Thanks for the tip!

 

Llumar is terrible. I would not recommend anyone use that film. The best films I have tested are Avery Nano Fusion and VentureShield Ultra. Premier uses a film from Japan that they like but I have yet to see it first hand. I would go with either of those films... 3M has enturely too much orange peel in it. Its also hard to remove (if ever needed) and I have seen it crack after years of exposure to heat. Some of their older films even molded... but I believe they have corrected that.

 

I think 3M has a good product. When I did my research before putting on my clear bra, I found that the best shops in my area were using Ventureshield. Regarding the care of the clear bra, I have had different answers to this question too. I chose to treat it like the rest of the car in terms of washing and waxing, but I don't put anything special on it (they sell expensive sprays for use on some clear bra). My clear bra looks as good now 9 months later as it did the day I put it on.

I covered my full hood, full fenders and front bumper along with my mirrors. I didn't want the line across my hood and fenders where wax gets trapped and shows the line even more. Also, I have heard on white cars it can yellow, which someone said.

 

Has anyone heard of issues with taking clear bras off 5 or 6 years down the line?

Also: what do you think is a fair price for just the hood? and how would that compare to simply repainting the hood (which should be relatively easy.) I've got a quote for $650.

 

i don't know what the original owner used on our '08, but it looked like s..t on a white horse. It was a nightmare to get off. You have to pull up and away from you rather than toward you or it leaves too much residue. We removed the residue with enamel reducer. works great but wear heavy rubber gloves. it will eat the flesh off your hands. Leery about applying anything again.

 

I have XPEL Ulta on mine. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Supposedly it will not turn yellowish over time. I've only had it for 6 mos so I cannot really vouch for it yet. So far so good though. I have it on the entire hood, front fender, front bumper and side mirrors. I drove from LA to Vegas & back. After returning to LA, I noticed a couple of rock chips on the bumper. A week later, the chips went away on it's own. That was really cool!

Having said that, finding a good installer is half as important as the film itself. The preparation of the surface is the most important part of the install process.

Just my 2 cents worth!

 

I have 3m clear bra on for a year now works and looks as advertised. Yes you can wax it or do anything you can do to the rest of the car finish.

 

Everyone tends to think it is a 3M clear bra... 3M is just one of many brands of paint protection film out there. 3M also happens to be VERY difficult to remove as the adhesive is pretty aggressive. Two of the best films out right now are Suntek and Xpel Ultimate. Both are very easily removed if needed and the films are self healing.

 

Not sure if 3M improved, but it yellowed on me in less than a year