Any feelings or experiences with using the bra on the Prius? Looks sort of worth while but I would like to hear from people that have used one. Does it fit right? Is it easy to put on? Etc? Thanks
I've heard all good things about them. Here in S FL lots of bugs get on the front & hood of "Sir Gumdrop." I personally don't like bras unless they're on a woman.
My car wears an invisible bra. A little pricy, but the best for FL bugs and sand (its also easier to wash bugs from the film than paint)
my prius has a bra. looks nice, protects from bugs/road debris, have had it on for over a year now with no paint etching or fogging or whatever other lies everyone and their mother will try to tell you about.
Definitely get the clear bra! They do not take away from the looks of the car, and do a great job keeping the road grime off the paint. they also keep the rocks from pitting your hood. I had one of the old snap on types on my Altima and hated it. A pain when you wash the car as you really should wash under it as well. They look crappy after a while...I did the 3M brand clear and it works great...
There are alot of various threads posted. You can go to the 3m website and look up certified installers for your area. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_U...Find_Installer/
Another vote for the 3M brand clear bra. Two years on my Prius and thrilled with how its protected the paint from chipping. My previous car also had a sloped nose and on the same commute i still take to this day the old car was peppered wheras the Prius looks brand new.
Feels like I'm posting on my 100th "bra" thread. I'm with galaxee. I've had the black vinyl bra on all four of my Priuses and several cars before that. The paint on the front of a Prius is very fragile (easily chipped), so no matter what you do, do it soon. I like what I've heard here about the 3M clear bra. But I talked to a guy who tints windows, does pinstriping and other detailing. He also intended to get into clear bra applications, but after his first trial one, gave up the idea. It's tricky to get on right, especially the curviest part of the bumper. But obviously it can be done. Cost is the other main factor. I've seen between $500 and $1000 quoted here. You can also buy kits relatively cheaply and try to do it yourself, but I'm not up to that. Compared to the $115 cost of the "official" Toyota vinyl bra, I wouldn't pay any more than $500 for the 3M. But I would pay, oh, $300.
You don't give your area but in cold climates you can modify the Bra to block the radiator and improve milage and heat in winter. Looks better than some of the other radiator blocker.
So where and how did you buy your clear bra? Did you install it or pay to have it applied? Also please give me a ball park cost? Thanks
Yes, you're quite right. Hey, spelling is not my strongest attribute. But, from what I've seen on forums I don't do too bad.
Thanks for you info. I did contact a certified installer. He talked and talked about the process but never answered my questions about his experience or expense. I like this idea but fear it may be a lot of work and expense compared to putting on a black bra!
Daniel, I got it. ..lol (know friends in the bar business) Definitely put someting on the front bumper and lower hood. I have 76k miles on my 04 and it has a ton of paint chips and 2 dents in the lower hood.
Recently I removed my 05's bra (lower section) after leaving it on for about 3 months during lots of rain and commute miles. There was a considerable amount of dirt under the bra. This dirt left unattended will dull your paint. The wind channeling into the underside of the bra moves the dirt and bra around. This movement, especially the bra against the dirt and bumper will cause micro-scratches. These micro-scratches will dull the paint over time. I have seen the results of long term usage of a bra without removing it periodically for cleaning. You could definitely see where the bra had been. That damage was caused over about 3 years of poor maintenance by the owner. So do remove and clean and wax periodically.