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      09-03-2012, 10:08 PM   #1
Werkz12
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Clear Bra Mess, need some advice

Spent $900 for the front bumper, headlights, and mirrors to be covered. They guy was really nice and he spent like 5 hours working on the car. When he wrapped up we both knew it didnt look 100% and he said to bring the car back to him in a week. He said some of the bubbles should evaporate by that time and he could work on it some more. I agreed and paid the guy.
When I got the car into the light and inspected it more closely I could see it was ugly- there was dirt trapped under the clear all over. I dont know if its just hard to do a clear bra on a black car or if this guy was just sloppy. (My previous cars with clear bras were both space grey) I had some free time tonight and I started to peel the bra off. It came off easy. Car looks great without it.
My dilemma is: Do I just ask this guy for my money back or do I give him a chance to redo the clear? I dont want to take the time to reinstall it only to find its the same mess as before. I feel bad the installer spent 5 hours working and Im asking for my money back but take a look at these pictures.
For me the idea of a clear bra is to protect the paint but it should NOT look worse then what stone chips would look like. The idea is put the clear on when the car is new so it always has a fresh look and no chips. This looks worse then stone chips in my opinion. I know no clear bra install is perfect - let me know if Im being too picky and if I should get a refund.

Even the circle around the mercedes emblem is all jagged.
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Last edited by Werkz12; 10-19-2012 at 05:31 PM..
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      09-03-2012, 10:09 PM   #2
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for $900 I could have the entire front bumper repainted in 12 months if I get a bunch of stone chips.
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      09-03-2012, 10:24 PM   #3
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thats really bad clear bra job. the dirt should not be in there and cuttings should have been a lot better with clean lines. looks like installer is not familiar with installing clearbras. I would ask him for your moneyback and find another installer.

Last edited by bluecusion; 09-03-2012 at 10:30 PM..
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      09-03-2012, 10:27 PM   #4
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Holy Terrible Install Batman
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      09-03-2012, 10:29 PM   #5
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the hair trapped under there was the best- it was about 3 inches long so it looked like a deep scratch visible from 10 feet away- Im pissed. Hopefully he agrees to a refund.
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      09-03-2012, 10:29 PM   #6
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That job is botched,,,imo even when done right it still doesnt look as good real paint finish
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      09-03-2012, 11:01 PM   #7
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Dude, that is really bad. It would be eating me up if that was my car
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      09-03-2012, 11:32 PM   #8
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Horrible job...Good luck working it out with the installer.
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      09-03-2012, 11:39 PM   #9
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I did my own and it looks 1000 times better than that. I'm not a pro installer and just watched a bunch of videos and DIYs. That is not acceptable. Either get your money back or get him to find someone who can do it right. By the way, the headlight film has spots that are lifting. The film will eventually fail if those spots are not tacked down.
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      09-03-2012, 11:46 PM   #10
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holy crap! you need to demand a refund. That is the seriously the worst clear bra job I have ever seen in my life!!
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      09-04-2012, 12:03 AM   #11
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Definitely not a good job, I have clear bra on my AW M3 and you barely can see it. But if it was me, I would not take it off and then request for a refund. I would show him the defects and then ask him to fix it or refund my money.
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      09-04-2012, 01:05 AM   #12
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Yes , get your money back...
Terrible job!! Don't even let him touch the car again!
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      09-04-2012, 01:29 AM   #13
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I would ask him for your moneyback and find another installer.
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      09-04-2012, 03:52 AM   #14
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Good luck on the refund...you might have to pay for the crappy hourly install fee. That is a terrible job for sure.
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      09-04-2012, 04:02 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by w00tw00t
holy crap! you need to demand a refund. That is the seriously the worst clear bra job I have ever seen in my life!!
True dat!
-1 for shitty work!
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      09-04-2012, 05:36 AM   #16
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Just take it off and get your money back. IMO bras are lame. All you are doing is sacrificing the way your car looks to protect it essentially for the next owner.
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      09-04-2012, 06:29 AM   #17
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You have a gorgeous black CLS AMG and covering it up with that stupid clear-bra is taking away from it.

Plus, when that bra gets dirty you will see a significant loss in gloss. Same on my attorneys S550. I convinced him to take it off and get the entire thing detailed, looks much better.
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      09-04-2012, 07:34 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by das144 View Post
for $900 I could have the entire front bumper repainted in 12 months if I get a bunch of stone chips.
This... Remove. Try to get refund. Live and learn...
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      09-04-2012, 01:29 PM   #19
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It looks like it was his first time doing this! Where did you find him, back of a matchbook?

Take it to a reputable shop and ask for references/pics of previous cars they've done.

Over time clear bras look really bad on white and black paint. White probably more so than any other color.

I was told that you don't really need the clear bra on bumpers since they're made out of plastic & don't rust. It's more so for surfaces where a deep scratch could penetrate the clear coat & paint and cause rust over time if not treated.
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      09-04-2012, 01:30 PM   #20
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Ditch the clear bra..get refunded..save your money and enjoy your paint
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      09-04-2012, 08:22 PM   #21
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omg...that looks like a kindergartner's art project. that guy needs to go into a different line of work, like, right now.

good luck getting a refund. maybe show him this thread to prove that everyone thinks you're right
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      09-05-2012, 05:35 PM   #22
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As an installer I can tell you that is a really bad job. I would have HIM remove the clear bra so if there is any damage underneath he is responsible and can not deny it. I can tell by looking he free hand cut on there which is also why it took so long... and you wil be very lucky if he did not cut the paint up in the process. This is why most installers go out of business... poor skills will kill a business really quickly. You need to get your money back and take it to a reputable installer. Where are you located at? Surely there is someone close by that can do better work that that.
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