bra

Jerry,

  You'll be better off with a clear applied bra I believe it's a 3M type product..do a search here as there has been past thread(s) on it.

Alan-I am aware of the clear bras, besides the  cost, when you remove them it is possible to lift the paint-I have dealt with them before on auto damage claims and I was warned by the technician- when I went to have it put on your car--Jerry

I worked with Wardlow Kustom Masks (http://www.wardlowbras.com/about_us.html) as did a few other folks here.  I know the have made masks for standard and widebody cars, but I don't know about superwidebody ones.  The make a nice 3-piece setup that covers much of the front of the car.  Note that one that fits a Beck (classic style) might not fit a Vintage (classic style), so you may need to work with them a bit.  The sent me one for a trial fit and I took photos and marked it up before I sent it back.  The second time was the charm.  I'll bet they've worked with the west coast builders, so they might already have patterns.  Here are a couple of pictures of mine several years ago.

 

I'm sure they work fantastic.

 

Whenever I see a bra on a modern car.. this is all I see:

 

 

 

FWIW - I had a clear bra on my previous 3 series (for many years) and I have a clear bra on my current DD. I've never had to think twice about it. If they are applied correctly, they simply work. I've never known anyone to have to remove one. I can't imagine it'd be an easy task.

 

YMMV,

Ted

when they need to be replaced due to wear and marring, they are removed using a heat gun--sometimes this becomes a problem--

       
       


Yikes. Yeah, I can see how that could be problematic. Trust me, I went back and forth several times before putting one on my new DD.

In the end, you need to do what's right for you/your car.

I can't wait to see your new car.

Ted

I have a clear bra on my daily driver and it has helped immensely on the sandy, rock-strewn, never-cleaned roads here in Charleston.  However, it's been on for about 2 1/2 years (on a black car) and the sun damage is quite evident.  I will eventually have to get it replaced as it no longer shines as well as the rest of the car.  It's not too bad now, but in another year or two it will probably look kind of tatty.

A while back I saw an article about a new bra-type product that was clear and - you just spray on and later just peel it off.  Can't recall if it was in KCB or a streetrod magazine.  

It's called 3M Paint Defender & you can order it from Amazon or get it @ Autozone. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BSKYM82

I looked into it pretty hard awhile back.  There are a lot of reviews & YouTube videos.

My conclusion was that it is relatively inexpensive, and a DIY project, but it's not as protective as the film & probably would have to be redone every year.

If you wax first, it appears easy to peel off if you FU.

It's called 3M Paint Defender & you can order it from Amazon or get it @ Autozone. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BSKYM82

I looked into it pretty hard awhile back.  There are a lot of reviews & YouTube videos.

My conclusion was that it is relatively inexpensive, and a DIY project, but it's not as protective as the film & probably would have to be redone every year.

If you wax first, it appears easy to peel off if you FU.

I've seen that as well.  I'd love to hear from anyone with experience in its effectiveness and ease of removal.

 

EDIT: Dang Tom, two posts that pass in the night.

There is a thread somewhere here on this stuff; Opti-Coat (Opti-Guard).  Someone posted pics of their car with this finish.

I have the defender system-havent used it yet-I know its not as effective as the pre cut sheet material--I will post after I try it on an everyday car-John at JPS has sent me pics of my car painted and the chassis is well under way with a subie 2.5 sohc...I made a phillipine mahogany shift knob with a "356" and starburst design on top-should match the steering wheel and the ctr console I showed on other thread--

wardlow bra fits very well- but I did have to cut the slits deeper and rebind them to go down far enough over the nerf bars..