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3M Clear Bra
Thought I would share my experience and save some of you the same grief.
I acquired my BDR used and it already had the 3M bra on it. Lately it has started to yellow so I took to the guy in town that everyone says to use. His advice, jokingly at first, was to sell the car. The older 3M's had a SUPER strong adhesive that is hard to get off. He was able to get mine removed but not without pulling some paint off. Luckily, I a) have touch-up and b) it is located in areas near the bottom front of the car (not that noticeable). He told me had I waited-- it could have been worse. He said a year or two earlier might have prevented the whole situation. Good times! :) |
I've thought about having that done to my car too. The thought of a stone chip messing up an $8000 paint job - a neurotic's nightmare.
I guess you just need to know the lifespan of the product and plan accordingly. |
Was it due to heat from the pipes? I'm considering wrapping my entire car, but am somewhat concerned with how it will handle the intense heat.
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No, just the age and Florida Sun. My car was built in 2008 so it is easy to guess that the 3M was 10-years old. He said the shelf life is 3-5 depending on conditions.
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I also have a 2008 vintage BDR with a yellow bra.
Boo |
Anyone that drives their cars are going to get chips, road rash or scratches. Hard to enjoy them if those things are alway on your mind. Never been wet? You live in Florida which means you never drive it. It's a hobby not an investment no matter how much you have "invested in it. IMHO.
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dacobb, the first chip is devastating, but it's going to happen, unless you just park the car in the garage, wax and wax and wax, sit in it and make varoom varoom sounds. Some people actually do that stuff but others of us enjoy driving them. I do wish I'd gotten a 3M film on my car but suddenly, too many miles had gone by and lots of chips appeared. I'll certainly use it after I have the car resprayed in the next year or two.
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I'm getting mine replaced so that I CAN drive it with a little less worry. :) |
I have used this on the bottom part of the nose and the spats.. Works great !
XPEL Products - XPEL Technologies Corporation |
The XPEL film is superior to 3M, it is self-healing and it is not prone to yellowing, which the 3M is. Apply a ceramic coating on top of the PPF and you will be amazed.
Keep in mind that PPF is sacraficial in nature, and while it’s hard to justify pulling off a wrap that you spent a lot of money having installed, that is what you should do every 3-4 years. The other point to make is that you have to find a good installer for this work. Cobras are challenging for a custom installer because there are a lot of compound curves on this body. |
Todd, was not meant as a slam to you. My car is older than yours and in retrospect it may have prevented some of my rash. It was more of a statement that these cars are meant to be fun and driven to experience that. As "dacobb" said the first scratch will make you sick, but if you put $ 8 grand in a paint job, as Karl in AZ saidbe ready to sacrifice it sometime somewhere down the road. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. Some time somewhere. I've done over 10,000 miles this summer alone. My first rub and scratch was long ago, but my next trip is still in front of me.
Polish and protect them, but mostly; DRIVE THEM! |
Here’s an alternative that worked for me.
Bought my SPF new in 2009. After 12,000 miles, the front end paint looked like it had gone through a sand blaster. Only driven on Southern California paved roads and freeways. Chips all over the front of the car. Got into a minor altercation with a cement flower stand and had the front half of the car repainted. The painter applied more clear coat this time. Now, after another 15,000 miles on the same roads, there isn’t a single chip on the front end. Maybe a good clear coat is the answer. |
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I was not aware that PPF had to be replaced so frequently. I'd rather have rock chips and then later repair/paint if it bothered me so much. It might be less expensive in the long run. Around here it costs thousands to apply PPF. My Shelby sat out in the LA sun for a couple years and the vinyl stripes melted onto the paint. Removing the vinyl ended up damaging the paint and resulting in a complete new paint job. |
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