I am looking for people who have the clear bra on there XB.
I would like some pictures of it up close and how much of the bumper and the hood it covers.
Does it effect the the look of the car?
Do you think it's worth it?
If you could have the entire hood done would you have done it?

thanks in advance.

 

My xB has not arrived in port yet, but when the dealer gets it, it is having a clear bra put on. hell, i have an orange bumper that is sitting 5 inches off the ground.

 

Hey dickpeter

I like your name. Email me and I will send you pics of my black XB that I just put the 3M on. Im not sure how to post pics here. I will also send the shadow sheet for the coverage area. Check my profile too but picks arent as clear. The look is barely affected. If looking close you can see a slight line and mild difference in gloss but none has ever noticed until I point it out. Definatelly worth it!

I dont know if th whole hood would be worth the extra cost as it is flat. The main impact areas are covered by the standard kits and they focus on the most suseptable areas for damage. It can be done and is completely up to you. It would have to be custom made so make sure whoever is doing it knows how to use a razor blade without carving into your paint. Good luck.

 

I wish I had a shop around here that would do it. They won't do mine because non of their suppliers have premade templates for the xB. None of them will do a custom job Ahhhh, they joys of living in a small city

 

You should be able to order one online and have them do it.
Or you could do it yourself.

 

yeah i was thinking the same when i get mine. the XB is just to flat (in the front) and it will get to many stone chips.

 

u can
http://www.scioned.com/clearbra.asp

 

I have been doing some research on clear bra online.
Wow there is such a big mark up for precut kits.
Most of the precut kits go between 190 for just the hood to 500 for the hood and the bumper.
I could buy the paint protectant film and cover most of the car for 500.
You could buy enough to cover the whole hood for around 70.
That is quite a markup.

 

I told my dealer about the 3M clearbra product and they investigated local distributers/applicators and hooked me up. I got the hood, bumper, grill, and both side view mirrors covered for $499.

I'll try to get some pictures taken and uploaded soon.

 

i prefer to call it a "BRO" or a "MANZIERRE"

 

got mine car done with the 3m treatment...and i'm very happy with it =)

front bumper, front spoiler, headlights, front hood, rocker panels, and rear bumper...
and you can't even notice it's on...best investment i've ever made

 

Toooo damned much. Nothing like a company that GROSSLY overprices their products

 

I agree with you, Spock.

I like the idea of DIY. We just need somone that bought them to use the backing as a template and cut them for us

 

How much is too much for the hood and the mirrors?
scioned.com has this Kit #1: Hood/Fender/Mirror Kit $189.00
I might be able to get the same thing for around 130.
I will call tomorrow and see what the price is.

 

LOL. Are you referring to his Avatar? Because that's Data or maybe Lore.

Ok back on topic. I wonder how difficult it is to apply this on. Is there something special that the authorized installers do? I would be interested also if I could do it my self and get a kit at a discount. $500.00 seems steeps for some plastic with adhesive.

 

I have yet to get one.
From what i have seen on the internet it seems to be a dyi for the hood and mirrors.
But the Xb bumber kit seems to be expert only.

Just like any project it going to take some supplies to do the job right.
Squeegee
(2) Heavy duty spray bottles
Baby shampoo (Do not substitute other soaps)
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70% solution)
Non Scratch Absorbent Cloths
Wax and Silicone remover

Wet the area of the hood where the kit will be applied, and your fingers with the slip solution. With the material rolled up, pull a small amount of the film away from the liner on one end. With your hand, wipe a 2” section at the edge of the hood allowing the kit to “tack” onto the edge, which will allow you to “roll” the film onto the hood. With the rest of the kit rolled up in one hand, use your other hand to hold the end of the material that you have pulled loose from the liner down on one end of the hood. Then, slowly begin to pull the liner towards the other end of the hood, causing the material to be slowly rolled out on to the hood. If the kit has a relief cut in it, be careful when rolling out the material on the hood so as not to stretch or tear the material in this area. You may have to use your fingers to free the material around the relief cut from the liner. Once past the relief cut you may proceed normally. A relief cut would be considered any narrow cut-out in the material which deviates from the normal hood line for the purpose of allowing the material to lay flat over heavily contoured surfaces.


Now that the material is laying out on the surface, it will be necessary to apply more of the slip solution between the hood and the material to allow the kit to be easily positioned on the hood. Lift the material from the hood one side at a time to spray the material and the hood with the slip solution. It may require a bit of gentle tugging to lift the material from the hood, but care must be taken not to excessively stretch the material.


Now that the material moves freely on the hood, you may easily position the kit into place. The kit should be positioned between 1/16” and 1/8” from the front edge of the hood and centered between the fenders. Also, be sure that the kit is level across the width of the hood. The kit may not line up with every edge of the hood; this is normal since stretching may be needed to relieve excess material caused from the curvature of the vehicle’s dimensions. As long as the kit is symmetrical from one side to the other, you can proceed to the next step, however, if it is not, you must re-align the kit, ensuring the whole kit is symmetrical at every edge.


Once you have the kit in place, spray a small amount of alcohol in the center of the hood between the hood and the kit. Make several small vertical strokes with the squeegee in the very center of the hood, starting gently and then increasing pressure with each stroke until you have an area 3-4" wide from top to bottom that is free of the solution. The shield is now "anchored" to the paint in the center and will not move freely, which means you do not have to worry about the kit sliding out of place.


Now that the material is anchored in the center, lift one end of the material back to the point at which the material has adhered, and spray the adhesive side of the material and the hood with the slip solution. Place your hand on top of the kit stretch the kit into position making sure that the kit lines up along the grill and the edge of the hood. Take your alcohol/water solution and spray the edge of the kit forcing the solution between the kit and the hood and take your squeegee and “tack” the corner. The alcohol/water solution allows the adhesive to adhere to the paint rather quickly, holding the kit along the edge of the hood. (Please note that when using the alcohol/water solution, the material will dry very quickly, so it will be necessary to work quickly to achieve the desired appearance.)


From the center of the area that is now free of slip solution, make a horizontal pass with your squeegee to the edge of the hood. Then, starting back in the center, make short, upward, overlapping strokes from the middle to the top edge moving toward the first contoured are of the hood. Now, do the same with downward strokes from the middle to the bottom edge until you reach the contoured of the hood. Keep in mind that firm pressure is needed to avoid leaving water or air bubbles trapped underneath the material.


Squeegee the trailing edge of the kit down into the ridge on the hood until it is completely sealed. This can be the trickiest part of the installation so pay close attention to this step. Drag your fingertips downward through the contoured area using firm pressure and hold. Doing this will stretch the material down into this heavily contoured area and pull out the majority of the excess material along the front edge of the kit. It is important to not let the material pop back up in the area above your fingertips. For the most part, suction alone will be holding the material down at this point. If you do not hold firm, even pressure with your fingertips on the film, air will be allowed back in and the film will come back up. A small bubble under the film is allowable. If you encounter larger bubbles you may need to release the material, re-wet the area and retry this step. With the material now in this position, follow behind your fingertips with the squeegee to complete the step.


While stretching downward on the film around the grille, squeegee the film from the ridge to the headlamp using firm pressure.


If any area around the edges has lifted back up, you should wrap a paper towel around your squeegee and go over the edges again. This will absorb the moisture around the edges that interferes with adhesion.


Repeat steps 5-10 for the opposite side of the hood.

 

Good one scionracerxb...Seinfeld is HILARIOUS!

 

I have yet to find a free install on a clear bra.... maybe this is why there is a markup?

 

I saw one on an xB in Palo Alto and it look awful. It looked like the bumper had a bad repaint job. It may have just needed a wash and the wax in the edges made it worse.

My apologies if I'm talking about your ride anyone... :oops: I must say it was a short look and not a close inspection.

 

The kit by it's self is 500.
That dosn't include labor.
One of the guy's I work with just had this done on his g35 when he bought and it was a grand for the whole front .