Just a thought for those who aren't too far gone. I just finished up my pre-winter wax application for the Prius and I was shocked at the amount of pits in the front of the car. A little over 9k miles and 4 months and they are everywhere. Heck, they are even on the side of the car. Obviously the silver paint shows them off better, but I was expecting a few rock dings, but apparently just about anything will put a mark in this paint. I might still get one put on just to mitigate the damage.
Nuts. I have same color Prius and live in same area and drive even more miles, so I probably have the pitting too. Will check tomorrow morning. Can you report what shop you have do it in No Va and how well they perform and price as I might do same? If you DIY please tell us how that goes too.
I put a clear bra on my last Prius and my Volt. It makes a HUGE difference. I will never go back to raw dogging down the highway.
Clear bras are great... I think. Swore I'd put one on a new car years ago... and finally followed through with the Prius. I'll get back to y'all in a few tens-of-thousands of miles.
I have a clear bra now, but will not be putting one on my next car. They swirl much more easily than paint, are very difficult to correct, and will start showing signs of yellow after 2-3 years. The newer films from XPEL still seem to exhibit some of the same issues as the original 3M stuff, but not to the same extent. Be sure to replace it every 5-7 years or else you may end up with this: Detailer's Domain: 01 Porsche 911 - Clear Film Removal Nightmare!!! -
Obviously that Porsche was severely neglected as well as having 12 year old 3M first Gen film. Mike Mobile on my SGH-i717
I waited two weeks after purchase and had seven chips. I painstakingly repaired them all and had a clear bra installed. I will never again drive a new car off the lot without one. My wife's 07 has chips everywhere! If you like to keep your car looking new after you purchase it, it is a must have! I love Toyota, but their paint does not hold up to road debris!
Not typical in my part of the country. That thing looked like trash. A shame to see it so neglected :-( Mike Mobile on my SGH-i717
My 05 was seven years old with clear 3m bra and on door edges and mirrors, looked like new when I traded it in on my 2012 plug-in, installed on 2012 too! Love this stuff.
I have installed clear bras on all of my new cars for the last 10 years and would not put a new car on the road without one these days. I average 25K miles per year and the clear bra keeps the front of the car looking almost like new. I wash and wax it just like the car. I have never had a problem with clear bras.
How much does it cost to install a clean bra, and where does one normally go to get one installed? Any brands in particular better than others?
I have 3M material on my front end, mirrors and door handle pockets. I believe it was under a grand to do it with the installer doing it at the dealership before I took delivery. Mike Mobile on my SGH-i717
I think everyone has their own expectations. But I have yet to see a clear bra over 3 years old that looks as good as new. However, it is more apparent on some colors than others. White is probably the worst.
I just had my new prime hand waxed for the first time and noticed some edges of the clear are liftinga tiny bit. Is that fixable? Or should I ignore the imperfection?
