I saw a question posted earlier on how good the 3M clear bra (or any other) looks on Berlina Black, but I couldn't find anyone's response. It seems like black could be a special case (the original poster had heard that it didn't work so well). I also wonder how the finish under the bra looks after a couple of years in the sun compared to the rest of the car.

Any experience or recommendations would be appreciated! I'm about 2 days away from buying a 2005 and based on comments in here I'm tempted to make the clear bra installer my first stop out of the dealership.

Thanks!

 

I saw one post about clear bra, saying something about a 4 year warrenty against fading....Not sure if that was through 3m or that was just an Installer warrenty....... Best bet is calling a few installers and shopping around. Im sure its like window tint. after several years its gonna change color. But 500-1000$ up front is better to keep your car looking flawless for four years, then needing to repaint it for $$$$$ in for years to fix all the eye sore chips.

I would like to know, how you car for the clear bra after its installed. Do you wash and wax it the way you do the rest of the car?

 

I have the 3M product on my sebring silver. The product both has UV protection in its chemical make up and you can also wax it just like the rest of the car. The only thing is you have to clean the residue of the ends or it will make them show up more.

 

i have a berlina black with the clear bra. I opted for the venture tape which does not have a clear coat. Less swirling and you just have to keep it waxed. 5 year warranty

 

Thanks 9kFever. I've been checking other sites and there are reports that when the car gets dirty the line is more noticeable. What's been your experience?

 

I've had my 3M clear bra on my car for over 2 years now, and the seam isn't any more visible today than when I had it installed. I'm sure that will depend on how well it is installed and how rough you are on it. If you keep it waxed (I use Zaino), it should protect it well.

Berlina isn't a bad color for fading. I believe I've read that black and white fade less than all the other colors because their pigments are more stable in sunlight. I know from experience with red cars in the past that red has a tendancy to fade. I did quite a bit of searching on this issue before I installed my clear bra on my NFR finish and concluded that although there might be a fade line eight years from now when I take it off, it would likely at best be barely noticeable and would be far less of an eyesore than a pitted front end.

The bigger problem with a clear bra on a Berlina finish is that everything is noticeable on black. The edge of the bra is hardly noticeable on white or silverstone, but would be more visible on black (as are swirl marks). But if it were my ride, I'd take a seam over a salt & pepper front end.

 

I honestly hardly ever drive my car, when it is dirty it is noticeable but that is when it is in the garage. Id rather notice the line than all the rock chips on the crappy oem paint (my new paint job is stronger)