458 Clear Bra question

I am no expert but these films are meant to be taken off at some point, so I assume it shouldn't damage your paint. You wouldn't happen to be taking delivery of a 2001 Silverstone 458?

 

if the installer is experienced and reputable (as any fcar dealership should provide) he/she should be able to take the old clearbra off w/o damaging the paint

ps i have my whole car covered with 3m clear bra and love it, for a great installer contact Bain Mendoza if you are in Southern California his number is: 310 613 3978
a true artist and would not trust anyone else with my car

 

I looked into this in detail when I bought our '07 F430 which had a clear bra with material of the time. I wanted to replace it with the better materials available today, also cover more area. Here is what I learned:
-- There is about a 25-35% chance of lifting paint from plastic surfaces (e.g.,the bumper), more if it has been refinished.
-- There is a negligible risk of lifting paint from an original factory paint on aluminum body surfaces.

What I decided to do was to go ahead and remove the bra material from the hood and leave the bumper. The shop that did the work borrowed some time in the heat room of a neighboring paint shop. It came off easily without a problem.

Good luck.

 

My experiences as well. If there was any paint work on the car, and that paint was not cured for months, it may very well lift paint. Be interesting to know when they applied the original film, and if was recent, it may mean some paint work, and generally shops paint, then immediately film, which is not what I recommend.

If was me, and dealer was lifting and placing new film, I would not do the deal until it is all done. Be great to speak with the film installer too, and take a look at the paint before they add the new film, as film can hide paint imperfections.

 

How bad are the bubbles? If they are small/ not annoying to you, I would leave it alone. The other posters are right that it shouldn't be a problem for a good installer, but even with the best there is a very slight chance you will damage the paint. There will always be small flaws/ bubbles....

 

Take it to an expert at these things. It can be removed. The dealer is hedging his bets for the worst case situation.

Air bubbles on a car costing $250K? Not for me.

 

I have seen these applied and removed hundreds of times on new and older fcars. Not once did I witness lifted paint. This includes removal of new bras on brsnd new cars. I suppose it is possible.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

 

Is 3M the best for a clear bra, or Xpel

what is the best bra for a 458...

 

Xpel has the virtue of self healing. Get a scratch? Put it out in the sun, wipe with water, and it will anneal out.

 

My dealer now films over the entire car.

 

-- There is a negligible risk of lifting paint from an original factory paint on aluminum body surfaces.

What I decided to do was to go ahead and remove the bra material from the hood and leave the bumper. The shop that did the work borrowed some time in the heat room of a neighboring paint shop. It came off easily without a problem.

[/QUOTE]
When I purchased my '06 F430 Spider I did the same thing: I had my painter remove the clear bra from the hood and fenders, and left it on the bumper and other places on the car (e.g., wheel arches and area around the bottom of the softtop). My painter used a heat gun, and gradually peeled off the clear material. He then used a liquid compound to remove the glue residue from the painted surfaces. I like the look without the clear bra, and take pains to avoid chips. I'm not as particular about the look of the bumper, and since it is the lowest part of the front end, the clear bra is a good protectant. Fred

 

Yes, there is no perfect solution that applies to everyone in all cars under all driving conditions.

In my own case I found that I was not getting "hits" on the front paintwork but did notice small nicks in the windshield. Since (I think) the paint is more vulnerable than glass, I took this to mean that small stones were being swept above the bonnet of the car to hit the windshield. So I covered the windshield with a protective film.

Whatever works.

 

Yes, there is no perfect solution that applies to everyone in all cars under all driving conditions.

In my own case I found that I was not getting "hits" on the front paintwork but did notice small nicks in the windshield. Since (I think) the paint is more vulnerable than glass, I took this to mean that small stones were being swept above the bonnet of the car to hit the windshield. So I covered the windshield with a protective film.

Whatever works.[/QUOTE]


Are there laws/restrictions about putting films on windshield. When I asked a detailer about this, he mentioned that it is possible to put a film or a coating on to prevent the pockmarks on windshields that have driven me crazy in past.

Anyone else have any experience with these films or coatings on the windshield? I guess my concerns about putting anything on the windshield are the possibility of a decrease in clarity of the windshield either when clean or certainly when dirty and (heaven forbid) when it is driven in the rain with all the roadspray kicking up onto it. Does it wipe cleanly with the windshield wipers like uncovered/uncoated glass? Along those lines, does coating/film get progressively scratched up over time making the view out the windshield hazy over time?