I had tried (unsuccessfully) to install a factory front-end bra on my '06 Prius. As others have noted in PC, Toyota has modified the '06 Prius by adding a new air dam or spoiler under the front bumper, so that one can no longer attach the hooks to the bottom of the front bumper. The parts counter guy had told me that I had to take off this air dam or spoiler to fasten the hooks and then reattach the air dam. This would in essence clamp the fasteners of the bra between the air dam and the bumper, making it a complete hassle to remove the bra for washing the car or when the bra gets wet in the rain. I heard about the 3M "clear bra" (ScotchGard Paint Protection film) from PriusChat.com. After checking it out on the 3M website and searching on Google, I had it installed two days ago at Sun Dimmers in Van Nuys, CA. Joe Angel did the installation and did meticulous and very careful work on my car. The price out-the-door" was$400 for coverage of the front bumper, hood, side of the front fenders below headlights, door edging on all 4 doors, both rear view mirrors and top of the rear bumper below the tail gate. The film is almost invisible on the car. From a distance of 4 to 6 feet, one cannot see it at all. Up close, one can see the edges of the film but this is not at all objectionable. This is on a Super White car, which other posters had said might be more challenging regarding appearance. I would unequivocally recommend Sun Dimmers to those in the Los Angeles area.
Strange... it worked on my '06. I did make sure the part number ended in 050 --- which is specific to the '06. The bottom clips were the trickiest, but they fastened. My local quote (found via 3M.com as well, before I bought the bra) was $600 for similar coverage. I tried buying it myself (from clearmask.com) and installing it, but that was a disaster (luckily it was "only" $139 for the best film). Then I went and bought the bra, and while it was a pain to put on, it looks good, and I feel much better about it than my crappy attempt at clear film protection. Incidentally, black is probably the worst thing to try a do-it-yourself film application on, since it shows every flaw and spec of dust so easily. It would have to be absolutely perfect for me to be satisfied.
The bra did not fit my 2006 Prius either. How did you install the lower portion of the bra? Please provide a picture if possible. Thank you. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ciparis @ May 25 2006, 03:19 PM) [snapback]261074[/snapback]</div>
That's the best clear bra price I've seen on PC for all the coverage you got. It's so good that if I had access to an installer charging that, I'd ditch my vinyl black bra and do that instead.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ciparis @ May 25 2006, 03:19 PM) [snapback]261074[/snapback]</div> The part number that I had bought for my '06 Prius also ended in 050 but it just would not fit. Would like to know how you got the bottom clips attached without removing the air dam/spoiler.
I looked at a clear bra installed on a BMW and noticed that since the bra on the hood only came up about halfway, there was a small but distinct "wax line" where the plastic ended and the rest of the hood began (the wax was visible on the edge of the plastic.) I recall that the clear bra pieces I saw discussed on the forum also did not cover the entire hood, so I wonder if this "wax line", on any area covered, is noticed as an issue? Thanks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(H2OSkier @ May 26 2006, 12:10 AM) [snapback]261209[/snapback]</div> For those of you that have a Clear Bra put on, how far up the hood did you extend the Clear Bra? Or said differently, how wide of a piece of clear material was used? The local shop here is saying 24", to just above the headlights, is sufficient. Does this match what you all have found to be a good amount of surface coverage? Thanks, Joel
I finished putting mine on a few weeks ago. The hood piece stops right after the headlights. The bumper and finder pieces stop in the same place. The coverage is good enough for your major dings and scratches. If anything goes beyond the clear bra it will be in a location that may result in little to no damage anyway. Mine looks good but its far from perfect. I would have a professional install a clear bra if your going to get one. Its well worth the money.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Jun 7 2006, 03:27 PM) [snapback]267519[/snapback]</div> I just had clear bra (Ventureshield, not 3M) installed on my TCH today by a professional installer (http://www.clearbraoregon.com), and amazingly he was able to offer coverage of whole hood and whole fenders with single pieces of film. I decided to pay big extra $$ for the complete coverage, and it was a good decision -- w/o knowing in advance, no one can tell there is a film on the hood or the fenders even at 1 foot distance! Ventureshield is probably the only paint protection film capable of full hood coverage (not all installers stock the widest film to do this, though). Regular coverage costs about the same as 3M; full coverage does cost big $$ but well worths it. Clear bra, either full or partial coverage of the hood/fender, is definitely recommended. My former car, a 2001 Audi A4 that was bought 2nd-hand, have got numerious small chips on the hood after >110K miles. My wife's 2003 VW Beetle has only 15K miles (mainly local) but already got a chip on the hood and some on the bumper; we just regret we didn't install any protective film when the car was new.
$400 is a great price; that is what I paid back in January of 2005. Mine also stops right after the headlights and includes the mirrors, door edges, and a small part under the gas flap and of course the front bumper. I have 34,500 on my car and the bra has taken some hits but the paint still looks nice underneath.
