Car bra for sedan?

[Dano5050]

Has anyone found a front end bra (not clear bra) for the 4 door sedan Genesis
yet ? (one road trip and I have a chip)

 

[TJPark01]

I've been looking and I have only seen aftermkt ones. I saw a car with the bra on yesterday and it looks horrible. I think I might wait to get the whole front bumper painted if it gets too bad. Otherwise, it's pretty much cost of doing business.

 

[Disaster]

There is a thread talking about clear film bras which don't mess with the appearance of the car so much, though, IMHO, the prices are a bit steep. If you are can install it yourself the cost is a little better.

Videos showing advantages of 3M films.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPUSZ8mmGpQ"]YouTube- Scotchguard 3M Paint Protection Film Product Overview[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7rL9bD8qZ8"]YouTube- 3m Auto Film Gravel Test[/nomedia]


Thread on films.

http://www.genesisowners.com/hyundai-genesis-forum/showthread.php?t=3497

Link to films cut for Genesis.

http://www.invisiblemask.com/cgi-bin/products/browser.cgi?prevtype=Automobiles+and+light+trucks&prevyear=2009&prevmake=Hyundai&prevmodel=&prevsubmodel=&prevseries=&type=Automobiles+and+light+trucks&year=2009&make=Hyundai&model=Genesis

P.S. We've already got 2 nasty gouges in the front bumper of our Genesis after only 3 months and now I'm thinking of trying to apply one of these kits.

 

[ASHDUMP]

Now that I've been detailing my car and paying more attention to its cosmetics; at the rate I'm going, I'll have to paint the bumper by next summer!

My hood is looking OK, but my bumper is getting pitted.

 

[dg_moore]

I just got mine done yesterday (full front wrap with 3M Venture Shield - everything from the bumper back to the front doors, including lights and mirror backs, plus a strip on top of the rear bumper to protect against luggage dings). Looks great - can't tell it's on the car (no line where the film ends on the hood because it covers the entire hood and is wrapped around the eges). It was a tad pricey ($1200), but no more than a couple of body shop repairs/repaints would cost, and is guaranteed for the life of the car.

I think the strap-ons are really ugly, and they are hard on the paint because they move around and cause abrasion.

 

[scottdk]

I'm with Doug on this, "I think the strap-ons are really ugly"

....and should be left on the '87 rusty Camaro where they belong

 

[nearwater]

Now that I've been detailing my car and paying more attention to its cosmetics; at the rate I'm going, I'll have to paint the bumper by next summer!

My hood is looking OK, but my bumper is getting pitted.

I noticed the same on mine.
If possible, I use local roads instead of highways on shorter trips because of the stone chips I get.
God, I hate stone chips and I've already got quite a few on my front bumper.

I hope the clearcoat was as thick as my old Vette. I gotta say that those Vettes have one of the toughest clearcoats.

Dan

 

[OBCT]

I picked up a Colgan sports bra from AutoAnything [link]. It fits perfectly. AA also offers regular (full frontal) bras and mirror bras.

I have 4 pictures of the sports bra, installed, in my photo album [link].

To be honest, I don't prefer it, aesthetically speaking, to the natural, bra-less look. It gets a big *meh* from me. It does serve a purpose, though, and I figure it will be a worthwhile investment even if it's only on for those two summer road trips we take each year.

 

[Disaster]

I picked up a Colgan sports bra from AutoAnything [link]. It fits perfectly. AA also offers regular (full frontal) bras and mirror bras.

I have 4 pictures of the sports bra, installed, in my photo album [link].

To be honest, I don't prefer it, aesthetically speaking, to the natural, bra-less look. It gets a big *meh* from me. It does serve a purpose, though, and I figure it will be a worthwhile investment even if it's only on for those two summer road trips we take each year.

Gets a big YUCK from me....but then, I've never even liked bras on cheap cars. Worse, that isn't where the damage is happening on my car. The hood is perfect. All the damage is occuring on the soft plastic bumper.

 

[mikec]

I also have the Colgan bra from AutoAnything. It comes in a couple pieces: one for the leading edge of the hood and one that covers the whole bumper & grill area. It fits pretty well. At first I worried about it staying attached; the clips that go to the bottom/rear of the bumper don't seem to grip tightly. I used pliers to tweak them a little. It's never come off. They have versions for cars with or without the parking sensors; the bra openings line up with the sensors quite well - it seems to be of decent quality. I don't know if they have a version for the 2010 cars with the adaptive cruise control... my car bra has a screen-door style mesh over the main and lower grills; this would probably confuse the 2010 cruise. Not an issue on my 2009 Tech.

I use it for the long drive to visit my folks a couple times a year; the state they live in uses ash (and dinky rocks) on the roads for ice... added to the salt. That stuff sandblasts the nose of vehicles if somebody is in front of you kicking it up. That's the only time I have the bra installed. It's worked fine.

One thing: AutoAnything emails you tons of sales/promos once they know who you are.

mike c.

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[Bocatrip]

One of the best investments to make with today's vulnerable paint is the clear bra. It is pricey, but in the long run protects the lower front end from nasty looking chips. Most importantly is to get it installed from a professional as the installation is key for a good job. It's a lot cheaper than getting the front bumper repainted every few years.

 

[postalav8]

I have gone round and round with the clear bra. Came to the conclusion that I will use touch up paint for chips. When I can not stand it anymore, just get the front repainted. Figure the cost will be about the same as a clear bra in the long run.

This car picks up more bug smashes on the front than anything I have owned. Have to use a quick detail spray after a short drive. Never though I would say this, but I can not wait for it to heat up out here in Arizona so the bugs go away.

 

[Bocatrip]

The other advantage of the clear bra is that the bugs and debris can be removed relatively easily with some soap and water with little worry about the bugs leaving stains on the paint.

 

[postalav8]

The other advantage of the clear bra is that the bugs and debris can be removed relatively easily with some soap and water with little worry about the bugs leaving stains on the paint.

I keep it waxed fairly good and the quick detail spray removes the fresh kills rapidly. I have heard that a spray of pam on a clean bumper helps with the quick removal ,afraid to try.

 

[Bocatrip]

I keep it waxed fairly good and the quick detail spray removes the fresh kills rapidly. I have heard that a spray of pam on a clean bumper helps with the quick removal ,afraid to try.

I use Plexus. It's a great product for the plastic bra as well as glass.

 

[scottdk]

I have a 34 minute installation training DVD that shows the steps to installing a clear shield from Bekaert Specialty films, LLC. Like i've mentioned in threads before, I've only done one vehicle, which was my Elantra.

The clear shield is a great thing, but I'd personally never pay to have it done. The price is a complete joke. Would you pay $800+ to have your windows tinted? The clear shield is much thicker than window film in order to protect the paint, but 20 feet of film isn't used on the front end of a car, and the cost is mostly labor and skill anyway.

The profit after an install of paint protection film is just stupid.

 

[dg_moore]

That may be, but I watched while my film was being installed and it takes a LOT of skill to apply. Also, the film is expensive - how many pieces would you ruin before getting it right? (Haircuts shouldn't cost $20+ either, but would you want to walk around with a do-it-yourself job? )

 

[Midnightsun]

The way I see it is a complete front end kit costs a little over $200 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HYUN...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1708wt_941 (read cost maybe at $150) Is this skilled labour going to spend an entire 8 hour day installing this? If so, that means he is making $100/hr!! The squeegee people at the intersections here charge only 25 cents.

 

[Disaster]

The way I see it is a complete front end kit costs a little over $200 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HYUN...rQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_1708wt_941 (read cost maybe at $150) Is this skilled labour going to spend an entire 8 hour day installing this? If so, that means he is making $100/hr!! The squeegee people at the intersections here charge only 25 cents.

I agree. The skill set is definitely above your typical window film installer, but on the videos doesn't look like it should take more than a couple hours for an expert to install. I'd be willing to pay typical expert mechanic rates, $80-$100 per hour, which should make the total cost $400 or so. $1000 and up is ridiculous.

 

[Bocatrip]

The clear bra requires a skilled installer. I have had mine installed on my G35 in 2003 and again in 2007 and have seen various clear bra installs. Not all are done correctly. The kit is not inexpensive and making mistakes can be costly. The installer I used was very good in 2003 and became exceptional in 2007. It requires many many applications to get it right. For me it is worth every penny to get a quality installation.