Peeling Off The Disaster

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The Critic

The Critic

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Removing my clear bra in preparation to have one installed correctly this Saturday. The bumper, mirrors and fenders pieces came off easily.

However, the hood piece, due to the constant temperature changes, put up a huge fight. It also left an 18" by 18" square of adhesive that is not coming off... at al. Any suggestions?
 
Originally Posted By: The Critic
However, the hood piece, due to the constant temperature changes, put up a huge fight. It also left an 18" by 18" square of adhesive that is not coming off... at al. Any suggestions?

DuPont Prep Sol or equivalent auto body cleaner. This is what bodyshops use. It is available for the consumer market.
 
The clear bra on our MDX came off very hard as well, and the body shop had to buff the adhesive out and there are permanent marks on the paint. Just like yours: only on the hood. The section on the fenders came off just fine.

I said it earlier, but I'll say it again. Stay away from these clear bras. I sincerely do not believe they're worth it.

I also will no longer purchase a vehicle used with a clear bra already on it.
 
Try Goo-gone, its worked quite a few times in the past getting adhesive off used cars that ive bought. Never tried it post-clear bra but i dont see how it would be any different.
You can get it at walmart
 
I've used gasoline, but can't recommend it on a new car in case it does something to the paint that comes apparent years later.
 
Why even bother paying to get a new one professionally installed when you are getting a new car in a year? I feel bad for that poor Prius.
 
Originally Posted By: jigen
Why even bother paying to get a new one professionally installed when you are getting a new car in a year? I feel bad for that poor Prius.


This.

I'm confused as well.
 
Off topic, I know..but I never realized how quirky the front end of a Prius was. Look at how the fender goes over the headlight and the headlight into the hood. That looks so mismatched and unbalanced.
 
Originally Posted By: jigen
Why even bother paying to get a new one professionally installed when you are getting a new car in a year? I feel bad for that poor Prius.

I do not feel bad for any Prius...

At anyrate, the Goo gone stuff works good, but I would look at having a body shop get it off. What about the guys installing it?

My wife's 02 Jetta had one. I will never have another one.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
The clear bra on our MDX came off very hard as well, and the body shop had to buff the adhesive out and there are permanent marks on the paint. Just like yours: only on the hood. The section on the fenders came off just fine.

I said it earlier, but I'll say it again. Stay away from these clear bras. I sincerely do not believe they're worth it.

I also will no longer purchase a vehicle used with a clear bra already on it.


I think they are worth it since they are sacrificial and will greatly reduce the chance of needing paintwork. Since they are sacrificial they do need to be replaced about every five to seven years. Also, people are not super meticulous about car washes and details are not good candidates for clear bra since the film requires periodic maintenance to retain its gloss and clarity.

I know what you are talking about in regards to the "permanent" marks on the paint. I had the same issue this morning after using lacquer thinner to remove the last of the stuck-on adhesive. I too, thought the marks would be permanent. In fact, I could see small cracks in the clear coat and horrible hazing in the clear coat.

However, I used my Flex 3401XRG with a Lake Country Orange Pad and Meguiars M105 to remove the marks. It took 5-7 passes, but the marks and any scratches I instilled during the adhesive removal process are completely gone. A follow-up polish with Meguiars M205 restored the paint to better than new condition. If you have access to any of those tools and chemicals, I'd suggest giving it a try.

Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: jigen
Why even bother paying to get a new one professionally installed when you are getting a new car in a year? I feel bad for that poor Prius.


This.

I'm confused as well.


This car is "on loan" from my dad. I told him when we got it that I'd be installing a clear bra on it to protect it against rock chips. The clear bra that was installed originally was not done to my satisfaction, therefore, I am getting another one installed. I am just keeping my end of the bargain. When I move onto a different car, I will be returning this car to my dad.

Originally Posted By: Shannow
Check Groucho Marx' signature line for more answers.


This is my own money that I am spending.
frown.gif
 
So, a local mobile place advised me to soak the heck out of the stuck adhesive with the 3M aerosol adhesive remover for about 10 minutes, then slowly scrape off the adhesive with a credit card while the surfaces still wet. Sure enough, this idea worked great. Unfortunately this technique caused a lot of damage to the clear coat. Under the correct lighting, the clear coat had some hazy staining and there was also a lot of etching in the clear coat. You'd see "cracks" in the clear coat. I think the prolonged exposure to the chemical was damaging to the clear coat.

However, even after the scraping, I still had small pieces of adhesive that would not come off. So, I took the car to the installer who gave me the advice originally. He used lacquer thinner and a rough terry cloth towel and was able to remove the remaining adhesive in a matter of minutes.

The lacquer thinner of course, did not do the clear coat any favors. After a car wash, I used my Flex 3401XRG with a Lake Country Orange Pad and Meguiars M105. 5-7 passes later on speed 6, all of the hazing, scratches, and staining are gone. I did a second polish with Meguiars M205 and a Lake Country white pad and the paint really shines again. I am very happy with the performance of the Meguiars chemicals and the Flex; they really saved my bottom today.

Anyway, I'm glad the paint has been restored. I'm off to Premier tomorrow to get the new clear bra installed. Wish me luck.
 
We were thinking of a clear bra for the Fit since the hood's paint is chipped and sandblasted. We definitely won't be after this.
 
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