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Prius bra: 2.5 years later

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by galaxee, Sep 19, 2007.

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  1. Venturion

    Venturion New Member

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    Anyone try the $150 version of the 3M clear bra sold on Ebay? eBay Motors: 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS GENUINE 3M CLEAR BRA (item 110208853281 end time Mar-25-08 16:54:12 PDT)
     
    #21 Venturion, Mar 18, 2008
  2. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    well... i did see a 100% reduction in stone chips over the hood area which is not covered.

    trust me, there are more pits in the hood from all the flying debris on the highway. yes, there are swirls all over, MORE SO where the bra was not present- but the paint underneath the bra looks vastly better than the paint on the hood which was not protected at all.

    i'll stand by my observation that the bra covered area looks a whole lot better than the area of the hood that was not covered. so i disagree with your "does more damage than helps" claim. if the whole front end looked like the hood, i would be very sad.

    the car does need a polish, and i admitted that up front, but we don't have extra money for a bottle of car polish and associated supplies right now.

    we are considering a clear bra for the bumper rather than replacing the vinyl bra in 6 months or so. but money is extremely tight right now so i'm not sure what we will do.
     
    #22 galaxee, Mar 18, 2008
  3. Bobbyb

    Bobbyb bobbyb

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    In looking at the pictures it seems that the paint has a real bad case of the swirls .I can understand rock and road damage but the swirls do not come from a bra or the road .That comes from improper cleaning .The good news is they can be removed .If your taking the car to a car wash or doing it yourself you may want to look into the detail section.That all can be cleaned up.:eek: I have also been advised that if you use a bra it should come off often and the inside brushed and use a vacume on the inside as well .They have improved over the years but i think i would replace that one.
     
    #23 Bobbyb, Mar 18, 2008
  4. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    [sigh] i know the swirls are bad. i know they can be polished out, i can detail a car just fine when i am up to it. i know i haven't had the money, time or energy to go out and get a bottle of polish and do the job.

    i also said in my update post that the bra is getting replaced. and i believe i've mentioned several times that i remove it and wash it every 6 months.
     
    #24 galaxee, Mar 18, 2008
  5. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    Swirls UNDER the bra? Really? Just how hard do you scrub? :eek:
     
    #25 Sufferin' Prius Envy, Mar 18, 2008
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    that's the hood, patrick ;)
     
    #26 galaxee, Mar 18, 2008
  7. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    Whew! You were scaring me. :)
     
    #27 Sufferin' Prius Envy, Mar 18, 2008
  8. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    Well, actually, you are still scaring me. Try much softer, straight line strokes. Several very soft passes between rinses are much better for the paint than one hard circular pass.
     
    #28 Sufferin' Prius Envy, Mar 18, 2008
  9. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    i don't wipe the car in a circular fashion, but with a lot of highway driving, there were lots of bugs we've had to wash off. the hood is by far the worst because of this.
     
    #29 galaxee, Mar 18, 2008
  10. Bobbyb

    Bobbyb bobbyb

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    Well those circles tell a whole story on just how you clean the car .
    First of all .Ah forget,good luck and enjoy the new bra .Black is tough
     
    #30 Bobbyb, Mar 18, 2008
  11. Venturion

    Venturion New Member

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    Have you found any good Internet-based research or feedback on the clear bra? The guy who you quoted said $450. I posted a link to an Ebay version (seems legit) for $150 with DIY. I actually bought that one yesterday and I'm waiting to get an install quote from the dealer where I bought the car. I'll update as the process continues. Oh BTW, I got the front bumper, part of the hood, mirrors, door openings, and rear bumper film.
     
    #31 Venturion, Mar 20, 2008
  12. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    our tint guy does high end cars as a specialty, and he does paint films too among other things. have never heard of a dissatisfied customer of his. i haven't called him for a quote yet, because we're gonna need some time to come up with the money.

    i'm not sure what he's going to say with the car being 3 years old now. might have to take it to a pro detailer to perfect the finish before putting a film on it... costs already adding up in my head making me sad.
     
    #32 galaxee, Mar 20, 2008
  13. mrblaise

    mrblaise Go Lakers!!

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    Why don't people just wait till the car gets pitted and then put on the bra to cover the pits?
     
    #33 mrblaise, Mar 20, 2008
  14. drees

    drees Senior Member

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    Because it's better to keep the pits from getting there in the first place. Rock chips damage the paint irreversibly. The 3m clear bra treatment keeps the rock chips from ever getting to the paint.

    Besides, once you get some chips that are too deep, they will still show up under the clear bra.
     
    #34 drees, Mar 21, 2008
  15. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    That is, until you use some touch-up paint. ;)

    A couple of bucks for a bottle is much cheaper, and to some, better than strapping an ugly bra to the front of a car. (To me, a bra says, "I'm neurotic about my car.")

    Good luck finding any of the chips I've touched-up. And if anyone feels the need to look that close, I'd say they too are neurotic.
     
    #35 Sufferin' Prius Envy, Mar 21, 2008
  16. mrblaise

    mrblaise Go Lakers!!

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    I could see that logic for the clear bra, but not for the black bra. Something about a black bra on a Prius bothers me. It's like you're trying to make it into something it's not.

     
    #36 mrblaise, Mar 23, 2008
  17. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    No. It's keeping it from becoming something it's not: a car with a front end with more dimples than a golf ball. The logic is spending about 20% what a clear bra would cost.
     
    #37 JimboK, Mar 23, 2008
  18. sparkyAZ

    sparkyAZ übergeek

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    Does anybody know the thickness of the material used on the E-bay clear bra compared to the 3M material?
     
    #38 sparkyAZ, Mar 23, 2008
  19. Venturion

    Venturion New Member

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    The clear bra I bought on Ebay was authentic 3M material, so it's the exact same. As for the poster that said the vinyl bra costs 20% of the clear one, I paid $135 for the clear bra. I don't think the vinyl bra costs $27.
     
    #39 Venturion, Mar 27, 2008
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