Taking clear bra off ?

[97tbird]

So I have this clear bra that was on my bmw when i got the car...
I know it has been and still is protecting the car's paint, but it was a poorly done job to begin with, (not very exact, and at some points where there are cuts/joints of the clear bra, dirt has seeped inside when it rains etc) and it has become rather yellow - enough to be noticeable at most times and pics. Some of the corners have started peeling a bit, and one day I slowly lifted a corner and peeked underneath : the paint still looks great and doesn't show any difference from the rest of the pain on the hood and fenders, which has been maintained pretty well.

However the raggedy look and the 'dirt lines' on the bumper where water has seeped in through the middle of the bar and has run towards either end look terrible, and has started annoying me lately...

So I have decided to take it off, and risk it a bit - I know I might regret it later when I see the first stone chip etc, but the bra is starting to look worse and worse...can't clean it either...some of the stains and chip marks don't go away.

Shall I do it? I will take good care of the paint and keep it protected as much as I can with detailing products but I know it won't equal a bra...

OR:
I can see if I can get paint protection/clear bra redone - similar product but hopefully better craftsmanship...it might cost a bit though...

what would you guys do?

Here's a pic that illustrates what I am talking about (It's a bit worse in reality)

 

[Hokiefyd]

Proceed with extreme caution. Our Acura had a clear bra on as well. I hate these things. I had ours removed by a professional installer shortly after we bought it, and you can still see the lines. There are also some paint issues left behind where the bra was. I don't know if it was glue that was stuck on, then buffed off and the paint got thin...but there's some definite damage to the paint if you look at it in the right light.

 

[97tbird]

Thanks!

Yes, if i do decide 100% to take it off, I will be very careful...If i notice that I am not making good progress if it looks finicky I'll just take it take it to the place that tinted my windows...(they also offered to take it off and re-do it at that time, but I declined that day, as it didn't look that bad then)

I guess darker colors might show whatever defects a bra causes...I might be a bit luckier with white, but that's just me being optimistic perhaps...

 

[Hokiefyd]

White is probably the best color for this. Our Acura is silver, so you can see the areas in the paint in just the right light. I bet you couldn't see it at all on white.

I found a pic. Notice the white "blotches" in the paint. This is only where the bra was. In most light (see second pic), you can't see it at all.

 

[97tbird]

Yep - I see what you mean on the 1st - can't see it on 2nd.

I also heard that overkill on heating with heatguns can actually make the process messier, and using a hair dryer is better..
when I lifted one of the loose corners, it came off super easy and the surface underneath felt smooth, not sticky at all...

I hope that's the case with the rest, too...

Gonna watch this thread a bit longer to see if more members with same experience tune in...

 

[The Critic]

You have to pull at a 90 degree angle, and pull the film towards you.

If it is the 3m product (which from the pics, looks like it is), it will be very difficult to remove. Plan to spend a lot of time with adhesive remover to clean off the remains. The paint will also need serious polishing in order to remove the swirls that it will get when you are using the adhesive remover.

The XPEL ultimate is a great film, if you choose to get it redone. I have this film on the hood of my Prius and it is excellent since it has the self-healing clearcoat.

 

[Chris B.]

Just get a new clear bra to keep the paint perfect. They are cheap($200 or less) and well worth it! Just make sure a good shop does it.

 

[97tbird]

$200 ?? I have a feeling they will charge more for that, ChrisB

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
$200 ?? I have a feeling they will charge more for that, ChrisB


Yeah, a good installer is charging $900-$1000 for a pre-cut kit with "extended coverage" on many cars.

 

[OVERKILL]

I'm in the same boat with mine. I already removed one of the corners and discovered it left adhesive on the paint. I used a hair dryer, which seemed to do a good job making it pliable and relatively easy to remove.

 

[Trav]

Make sure to get some PrepSol with a microfiber towel to remove the glue.
If done right you probably wont even have to buff it.

 

[SatinSilver]

Here's a write up of a Clear Film install along with removal of the old Clear Film:

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=77843&highlight=clear+bra

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Trav
Make sure to get some PrepSol with a microfiber towel to remove the glue.
If done right you probably wont even have to buff it.



So I assume then that using Goo-Gone isn't a good idea? That's what I had in mind

 

[97tbird]

Not necessarily - I have seen many posts where people used goo gone, and it worked great for this purpose. And most people who removed film older than 5-6 yrs didn't have to use anything at all...but each case is different. But I am hoping that the corners were an indication of the rest...IF I am right, I will just need to polish and wax after removing it...

I am still trying to find how much it would roughly cost to get it redone before I remove it...

On which car do you have clear bra, Overkill?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Not necessarily - I have seen many posts where people used goo gone, and it worked great for this purpose. And most people who removed film older than 5-6 yrs didn't have to use anything at all...but each case is different. But I am hoping that the corners were an indication of the rest...IF I am right, I will just need to polish and wax after removing it...

I am still trying to find how much it would roughly cost to get it redone before I remove it...

On which car do you have clear bra, Overkill?


It is on the M5.

You can see it in this pic:

 

[97tbird]

Yep I can see...looks better than mine, but perhaps that's because of the dark color - my car is AW III

Are you planning on getting it re-done?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Yep I can see...looks better than mine, but perhaps that's because of the dark color - my car is AW III

Are you planning on getting it re-done?


No, I'm going to leave it off. It is a big PITA with the wax I've found.

 

[Chris B.]

$200 or less for just the hood protection is what I ment. $1000 for the hood, fenders and 100% of the bumper. I just did my 2012 Accord with a full frontal wrap and it was $900.