Have to ask if I am not the only one puzzled with this so called 'car bra' thing that seems popular in North America, have not seen it advertised this side of the pond, just wondering if any other UK based owners have come across them (no pun intended).....?

__________________
Esse is percipi

Ooo eerrr missus! A pal has one for his E34 M5 for track days and it really has saved his paintwork. He bought it on ebay off a guy in the US...

I had one of these on my Honda Prelude. They are fine if you stay below about 80mph (as most do in the USA) Above that speed they tend to flap and actually chafe the paintwork and do more damage. Better to get a clear coat film protection from Paintshield or venture shield fitted. Not as noticeable as a black car bra and does the same job. You can peel it off when you sell the car to reveal a showroom condition paintwork underneath. You can order the USA spec porsche car bra from suncoast porsche in california for about 150 pounds I beleive. Take a look on renntech org under the sales links for details.

The Clear Bra - Car Bra's that they talk about in the US, are a clear film similar to the Tinting film (Only Thicker) that is applied to the front as stone guard protection.......

Not the ugly Heavy Black Vinyl Covers that also cause untold damage.........

There are companies that do this in the UK - But this film can be seen, the edges attract dirt and it needs replacing - Is expensive (I was quoted £800) and does not protect from all stone chips.

My Stone chips from a car in front 'Off' at Silverstone throwing large gravel out the back at high speed as they re-entered the track, would not be protected with film.............

I took the route of no clear film - where you can see the joins and they do wrinkle around the bends................ and I have put the £800 in a fund to fill/smooth/paint when the time comes.

Now I spot fill the chips with primer/paint to take the eye away from the damage - and possibly in 2 years time will have a professional respray of the front............

__________________
Cheers Karel
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.


'Power is Nothing without Control..........'

Sorry Karel , but I think a repaint is going to look worse than the film , especially as paint is so difficult to match perfectly. Add to this that anyone seeing a front end respray will suspect track use or an accident which may effect sale values. The film covering can now cover the whole bonnet , front wings as well as the PU bumper , the edges are only seen if you look very closely. I've seen this film applied to a black Gt3 as well as an orange 997 and it looks great if applied correctly. no wrinkles or colour changes , and the edges only show up if you are not careful with polish or don't take the time to remove the white traces. Certainly i'd much rather have a few subtle lines at the extremeties of my panels than a series of paint blobs from touch up paint. Ok the film will not protect against really big stones but it does prevent the minor and more prevalent gravel rash you get from most track and road use. I was quoted 400 pounds from my local OPC approved repairer for painting just the PU bumper, add in the bonnet and front wings and I doubt you would get much change from a 1000. If the car is metallic then ideally it needs a side respray to avoid colour changes over panel changes. If you can afford the 300 pounds plus consumables for regular track sessions the extra 800 to protect your investment seems a bargain.

I had a clear bra fitted to mine before it left the dealer. It covers all the front bumper and comes half way up the bonnet and the wings. Also covers the mirrors. You can only see the edge in certain light and has definitely protected the car from stone chips etc. Here's a picture with it fitted.