allminesl550

Hi folks, been on the road killing bugs and dodging stones (all but 1), Is there a bra available for my car that fits right, either leather or vinyl or whatever, for the new SL (07) with AMG sport pkg front face, I doubt the base model 07 bra would be satisfactory; Im locating ONLY earlier SL bras 06 and before, that wont do.
Thank goodness I blue-taped it, but it doesnt stand up so well on long trips.
Oh yeah, the stinkin rock chip, has anyone come up with a better solution than touch-up paint? Its a very shallow tiny chip.

Cant believe all the sticky black sh*t im picking up out there, specially on drivers side behind the front wheel, stuborn stuff. Maybe I should have blue-taped the whole car!

Please, if any one can advise about a good bra, specially one that can lift off easily and be reused like the black ones you see everywhere, Im not sure you can reuse the clear bras- isn't that just that thin hi-tech clear stuff the shops install themselves? Ive seen it advertised in Brit mags like EVO, but it doesnt appear to lift off and then re-install, perhaps there are 2 kinds of clear bras-- help me out,ok ppl.

theboogers

Clearbra it.

lovemysl

Stay away from the junk black bras. They will TRASH your paint. The clear bras are the way to go. They may run about $200.00 to $400.00, but they are worth it. I have one on my 350Z and my Murano. See your local MB dealer.

Dragoncoach

Agreed! It doesn't make the car look ugly. You can also have the installer put some material behind each wheel well to keep some dirt and rock chips off them as well. My friend has a Ferarri and says some guys clear bra the entire car! A little overkill for my taste.

allminesl550

Ya, may do that at some point as a permanant solution, however at the present time I only need temporary protection, less than a week.
I dont seem to have any problems except during occasional bussiness trips when i do miles at high speed. So Im ok as is plus something for infrequent protection, blue tape works ok but its not very glamorous.
So im seeking bra sources.
tanx

th550

Clear bra is the way to go. If you go to a shop that does it right, you will forget it is there and there is no reason to take it off and take the chance you will get a chip. Even on low speed excursions, the chance is always there that something will fly up and hit the paint.

The vinyl/leather bras will damage the finish even when on a short time. It is impossible to keep the dust from getting underneath it and the bra will just grind it into the paint (especially at high speeds). I can recommend some very high quality shops if you tell me what part of the world you are in.

WordSmith

Bras may help, but present their own set of problems. Paint will fade at different rates under and out of the bra. Fabric/leather bras trap grit that can grind the paint. Clear bras may work for smaller stones, but can cost the same (or more) than having the protected portion repainted, so you haven't gained anything.

Finally, consider this: The SL is a beautiful, sculpted, sexy machine. Would you put a bra on Pamela Anderson? There are some things that just aren't done.

th550

Problem with repainting is that unless you repaint fairly often, you will still have to look at the rock chips. Not to mention what repainting does to resale value.

As for the durability, I have attached pictures of my last car (CLS550) where a piece of something (not sure what it was it happened so fast) was thrown up by a car in front of me and smashed into the front end. The bra took a hit and had to be replaced, but it would have wasted the front end had it not been protected. It is pretty durable for against just about anything in my experience.

WordSmith

II can understand your desire to keep your paint in pristine condition, but I’ve had friends that have had bad experiences with the invisible bras. Over time they will yellow and peel. Also, they’re soft. A rock that would bounce off the painted surface leaves a white mark in the bra.

This summer a friend and I were staying at a hotel with our SLs in the parking lot. We were parked so that his front end was up against my backend with a little over a foot between us. As we watched, a lady with a soft-sided suitcase wheeled her luggage between our cars, scraping both. We immediately ran over, ranting and raving.

My SL was unscathed. My friend was not so lucky. He had an invisible bra on the front of his SL, which now had very visible white scuff-marks in the bra from the luggage. Had he not had the bra, there probably wouldn’t have been any damage. The bra was brand new, so it was replaced at no charge, but now he’s having second thoughts about having it on at all.

Murtaza

+1

I have a friend with a clear bra on his 996TT, it is yellowing and starting to look like crap. It's keeping the original paint clean at the expense of overall appearance, thats messed up.

th550

It's all a function of what you buy. Just as there are well made cars and poorly made cars, well made electronics and poorly made electronics, well made clothes and poorly made clothes, etc. etc. etc, there are well made clear bras and poorly made clear bras.

I've been using them since 1997 and have always gone with the best film I could buy. As a result, I have been 100% satisfied for over 10 years.

kokanee

Sounds like a perfect soloution. Good quality clear Bra for winter. Braless for the summer.