Clearbra installation recommendations
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 255
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From: Las Vegas
2012 E350 sedan
Clearbra installation recommendations
Noob. Just got my wife a 2012 sedan CPO in LA (prices there are about 20% less than here). I want to install a clearbra and would like opinions on how far back from the front of the hood to go? Have used 18" on my other cars and seem to protect against most stuff. Also any recommendations on the latest material and thicknesses? Thanks
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2023 XC60 PHEV, 2023 XC40 BEV
I had XPEL installed on my 2014 E350 and I am very pleased with the protection. See their website for full details and a cool demo on it's self-healing properties. I had installed over the entire front of the car to the cabin, in the door wells, over the four camera lens and across the trunk.
I decided to do the entire front rather than just the first 18" of the hood as my 2010 E350 had just the front done, and I couldn't keep the line clean and invisible between the clear bra and the regular paint.
I decided to do the entire front rather than just the first 18" of the hood as my 2010 E350 had just the front done, and I couldn't keep the line clean and invisible between the clear bra and the regular paint.
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Joined: Sep 2008
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From: Seattle, WA
99 ML430, 01 CLK55, 07 R63, 15 E63 Wagon
I prefer to do the whole hood and whole fenders so there's no line although rock chips that far back are unlikely. It's just personal preference of seeing that line vs. the extra money you'd spend getting the whole thing covered if it's worth it to you or not.
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From: Southeastern USA
2010 E350 Luxury Sedan, Engine 272 (V6)
I looked at a two year old Lexus a while back with "clearbra" on front 1/3 of hood. I spotted it 10 feet away because it looked like someone had taken a knife and drug it across the hood. Was at a dealership the other day where they had about 10 new cars with "clearbra" on 1/3 of hoods and front fenders. Even though the cars were clean, I could spot the bra lines from 6-8 feet away. When I got close, there was noticible difference in colors.
Have driven sports cars and many others with low front ends on two lane country roads, interstates, etc. for over 15,000 miles per year. Never had a chip or ding that was visible. Only saw a very few when I handwashed the car and was drying it. I.E., face was two feet from the car.
Have driven sports cars and many others with low front ends on two lane country roads, interstates, etc. for over 15,000 miles per year. Never had a chip or ding that was visible. Only saw a very few when I handwashed the car and was drying it. I.E., face was two feet from the car.
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 255
Likes: 36
From: Las Vegas
2012 E350 sedan
You are one lucky dude
I looked at a two year old Lexus a while back with "clearbra" on front 1/3 of hood. I spotted it 10 feet away because it looked like someone had taken a knife and drug it across the hood. Was at a dealership the other day where they had about 10 new cars with "clearbra" on 1/3 of hoods and front fenders. Even though the cars were clean, I could spot the bra lines from 6-8 feet away. When I got close, there was noticible difference in colors.
Have driven sports cars and many others with low front ends on two lane country roads, interstates, etc. for over 15,000 miles per year. Never had a chip or ding that was visible. Only saw a very few when I handwashed the car and was drying it. I.E., face was two feet from the car.
Have driven sports cars and many others with low front ends on two lane country roads, interstates, etc. for over 15,000 miles per year. Never had a chip or ding that was visible. Only saw a very few when I handwashed the car and was drying it. I.E., face was two feet from the car.
Expressway driving in the desert SW is brutal. Lots of small pebbles get blown onto the roads regularly. Even a small pebble impacting at 75 mph makes a big impression. I'd say I average a noticeable chip on the front of my non-clearbra car every 1000 miles. However, the color of the car makes a big difference in noticeability. Light color cars get chipped but they are more difficult to see.
