[QUOTE=dlq04,Jun 1 2009, 10:55 PM] Nine years ago there was endless discussion about people putting material on the front of their cars.

 

[QUOTE=dlq04,Jun 1 2009, 08:13 PM]And how long have they been in business?

 

ooh your a tiger tonite...

 

Nah, it just does that to me. I walk by it, to go drive my RAV, and pat it and say, "Hi hottie." I pat my S too, so it doesn't get jealous. I know, I'm a sicko.

 

I figure that by the time my S is 10 years old, it will have maybe 45K miles on it. At that rate, it's cheaper for me to just repaint the bumber & hood every 10 years.

JonasM

 

The clear bra that was on my '03 was installed by the dealer when the car was new. It had a couple of small digs in it when I replaced it in '08 following an encounter with a semi tread on I-20. (Even the clear bra couldn't hold up to that...but then neither could the wheel well liner or the oem front lip I had installed a few weeks earlier.) Anyway the original bra was still crystal clear and looked great, with not a stone chip in the paint itself. The original headlamp and mirror pieces are still in place and look like they were just installed.

I believe the original bra was a 3M. Zaino products seemed to work beautifullly on it.

BTW, do not plan on removing the original bra after it has been on for a few years, unless you are prepared to respray the front. It may have been a combination of time and the Florida/Mississippi sun but parts of the original bra on my car had to be sanded off! Of course it didn't matter as the front and hood were being resprayed anyway.

 

[QUOTE=dlq04,Jun 1 2009, 10:55 PM] Nine years ago there was endless discussion about people putting material on the front of their cars.

 

It used to drive me crazy, when I lived in Acton. There are three cement plants within 15 miles. With one right in Acton, one to the east and one to the west, there are always trucks dropping fine gravel on the roads. And the wind in the desert is always blowing sand and gravel. When you drive through deserts often, you will get damage. It's unavoidable.

 

To my knowledge no auto manufacturer uses these. That alone tells me something. They use lightweight metals, premium paints, and the like but avoid the bras.

 

Well, duh. The car has paint. That's all most people need if they take care of their car. Why should they put a clear bra on it?

While, we're at it, how many windshields have you put on your S, Dave? Mine is chipped and has a star crack in it now, and it's my second one. They take a beating just like the hood.