Polish clear bra?

[FruitCake]

Had the car clear bra'd the day after I bought it few months ago, 3M I think.
Can I polish clear bra just like the paint?
Planing to use Menzerna PF106FF with CCS white/Flex to polish my car when it get it back from its 1200mi service.
Also can I use Jetseal109 on the clear bra?
I know its not good to use a wax cuz it might yellow but I don't know if I can use Jetseal or Optiseal for the clear bra part while using RBOE for the rest of the car.

[Martin_D]

Yes, treat it the same as paint and you will be fine. The better you keep you clear bra the longer it will last

[Kyoshi71]

Originally Posted by FruitCake

Had the car clear bra'd the day after I bought it few months ago, 3M I think.
Can I polish clear bra just like the paint?
Planing to use Menzerna PF106FF with CCS white/Flex to polish my car when it get it back from its 1200mi service.
Also can I use Jetseal109 on the clear bra?
I know its not good to use a wax cuz it might yellow but I don't know if I can use Jetseal or Optiseal for the clear bra part while using RBOE for the rest of the car.

I just had this same conversation with Lorenzo from the Lorenzo's Tinting in the Bronx.

He was clear bra-ing an absolutely SICK lime green Gallardo LP-560. He was also saying that the clear bra is practically the same material as the car's clear coat and that it should be cared for just like the finish of the car. He also said that in most cases, the clear bra shines better than the factory paint. So according to him, you can use all those products and not worry.

By the way...after seeing him install this stuff, it's easy to tell that the technology of the clear bra has gone off the charts. It's probably something I should invest in considering the BS method that my bankrupt state (NY) is utilizing to fix the roads these days.

[Kyoshi71]

You know, not for nothing...when I saw, "Polish Clear Bra," I was expecting a funny picture!!!!! No offense please to our Polska Brethren.

[FruitCake]

haha silly
thx kyoshi for your input.
i just purchased Menzerna's light polish that is less abrasive for the clear bra. Hopefully it will be more gentle, you can never be too safe

[Envious Eric]

ive never seen a clear bra polish better than just paint!

you can treat it the same as paint, but not as aggressive. you wouldnt take a compound to the film, nor would you want to take a wool pad at 1500 RPM. Keep it slow and mild and you should be ok. My go to is menzerna FPII with a black pad on the PC. Usually takes care of things pretty efficiently

[ideliver]

I am in the same boat...I will PC just about anything...but I am too chicken to do this the first time

So...Todd Cooperider (Esoteric Detail) in Columbus will be my first professional detail...

[Envious Eric]

cant go wrong with him as your first detail! Very good detailer!

[FruitCake]

thx guys i think the new Menzerna polish will be just perfect.

cant wait to use jetseal on something finally

[FruitCake]

hmmm
conflicting opinions

[Moxie]

I'm getting the Venture Shied Ultra & was told to use Plexus, and to never use anything abrasive such as compound or a cleaner wax.

[eclipsisNA]

Originally Posted by Envious Eric

ive never seen a clear bra polish better than just paint!

you can treat it the same as paint, but not as aggressive. you wouldnt take a compound to the film, nor would you want to take a wool pad at 1500 RPM. Keep it slow and mild and you should be ok. My go to is menzerna FPII with a black pad on the PC. Usually takes care of things pretty efficiently

Eric, don't say something unless you're 100% positive it's factually correct because people will take your advice and end up damaging their cars. Clear bras are NOT to be treated the same as paint, as they're made of polyurethane.

FruitCake, find out the make of the clear bra. If it's made by VentureShield, which is most likely what you have, I'll let you know how to maintain it.

[Montoya]

I got a tip from 503 Motoring which did my clear bra:

Use rubbing alcohol. I know it sounds weird, but it actually works. Use it like speed shine on the surface, and buff it off (lightly, not hard as this will abrade the finish, especially since the alcohol reacts and softens the clear bra).

I was dubious at first, but now I'm sold. I use it when the finish on my clear starts to get hologram webbing. It works longer than using automotive finish polishers or wax. It restores the gloss to the clear bra and gets it looking brand new.

Try it...

[ideliver]

I would agree with Eric

I am pretty good at detailing...for an amatuer...here is what Todd Cooperider (Esoteric Detail) told me on about my film...I never felt comfortable doing it...the car is going to him this weekend..if it gets trashed, no biggie...its trashed right now...I use plexus also...remember this is a DD in OH...

some of Todd's work (I'm certain I can trust him)

http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-det...-esoteric.html

http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-det...to-detail.html

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=ventureshield

here's my hood...


here's my door (so that you can see that my paint is pretty good)

[FruitCake]

Originally Posted by Eclipsis

Eric, don't say something unless you're 100% positive it's factually correct because people will take your advice and end up damaging their cars. Clear bras are NOT to be treated the same as paint, as they're made of polyurethane.

FruitCake, find out the make of the clear bra. If it's made by VentureShield, which is most likely what you have, I'll let you know how to maintain it.

I don't know what they used because it was hooked up when I bought the car.
I think its venture shield because the whole hood is wrapped, a single sheet and from what i know, only Venture Shield has a sheet big enough???

if it is so, how do i go about maintaining it?

[Montoya]

If your clear bra is by 3M, then isopropyl alcohol will remove the scratches. This is a known way of refinishing scratched or damaged 3M protective film. If you are nervous, try it on a small spot like your side view mirror. It really works!

Edit: In case you didn't know, Ventureshield was sold to 3M. I'm not sure if both use the same material, but I would be surprised if they were all that different, if not now identical.

Edit#2: There seems to be a consensus that to correct scratches in Ventureshield it needs to be heated up with a hair dryer.

As posted by someone else, you should check with the installer to see what brand you have. Then ask for their recommendations. It will be one of the above mentioned or a Plexus as mentioned above.

[ideliver]

Update:

Todd Cooperider (Esoteric Detail) in Columbus detailed my M5 which has VentureShield on the full hood, fenders, front bumper....

I had significant swirls and waterspots...he got essentially all of the swirls out and the majority of the waterspots....using polish

The film looks brand new

Oh...and the rest of the car....PURE SEX

[Fen335i]

good post here..

I have some major scratches in my clear bra too. What's the consensus for removing scratches? I have tried polishing w/Zaino Z5 but no luck...they are pretty deep scratches. What's my next step?

[Montoya]

Again- if it is a 3M material Isopropyl alcohol just works. Use it with a micro fiber cloth and wipe it smooth, not any real pressure, just like you would with spray on detailer. I just did this yesterday with my clear bra- just like new!

This is the consensus on other forums for the 3M material.

[eclipsisNA]

Originally Posted by ideliver

Update:

Todd Cooperider (Esoteric Detail) in Columbus detailed my M5 which has VentureShield on the full hood, fenders, front bumper....

I had significant swirls and waterspots...he got essentially all of the swirls out and the majority of the waterspots....using polish

The film looks brand new

Oh...and the rest of the car....PURE SEX

Like I said in my previous post, you do not polish VentureShield. Your detailer should have done his research.

VentureShield is unique amongst PPFs (paint protection films) in that it does not utilize an actual "clear coat" layer (resin without pigment) that you would find on your car's paint. 3M Scotchgard PPFs do have a normal clear coat layer, which is why you can treat that product like you would any clear coat surface by using abrasive polishes to remove scratches.

VentureShield's top layer is hardened urethane, and the ONLY way to properly maintain this material is by using heat. Urethane becomes porous and soft when it encounters heat, thus eliminating swirls in the process. By exposing your VentureShield to a polish, you're asking for the film to satin, discolor over time, or wrinkle.

Want to know why your detailer was able to remove the scratches? Because the heat generated by his rotary polisher softened the bra to a point that the scratches faded away. The danger in using a heat source that comes in contact (friction) with the PPF is that heat + force = wrinkled urethane. I've repaired several PPFs that were worked on by other detailers that used this method. The reason a heat gun does not wrinkle your PPF is because you're only transferring energy (heat) instead of using heat + force.

[ideliver]

Originally Posted by Eclipsis

Like I said in my previous post, you do not polish VentureShield. Your detailer should have done his research.

VentureShield is unique amongst PPFs (paint protection films) in that it does not utilize an actual "clear coat" layer (resin without pigment) that you would find on your car's paint. 3M Scotchgard PPFs do have a normal clear coat layer, which is why you can treat that product like you would any clear coat surface by using abrasive polishes to remove scratches.

VentureShield's top layer is hardened urethane, and the ONLY way to properly maintain this material is by using heat. Urethane becomes porous and soft when it encounters heat, thus eliminating swirls in the process. By exposing your VentureShield to a polish, you're asking for the film to satin, discolor over time, or wrinkle.

Want to know why your detailer was able to remove the scratches? Because the heat generated by his rotary polisher softened the bra to a point that the scratches faded away. The danger in using a heat source that comes in contact (friction) with the PPF is that heat + force = wrinkled urethane. I've repaired several PPFs that were worked on by other detailers that used this method. The reason a heat gun does not wrinkle your PPF is because you're only transferring energy (heat) instead of using heat + force.

good thing Todd is one of THE BEST detailers in the US...do your research on him here and autopia.org...search username TSC17...and on detailedimage.com

[eclipsisNA]

Originally Posted by ideliver

good thing Todd is one of THE BEST detailers in the US...do your research on him here and autopia.org...search username TSC17...and on detailedimage.com

I know who he is and I know he does good work, but does that make him incapable of making a mistake? We all make mistakes, just make sure you learn from them. Still don't believe me? http://www.ventureshield.com/newpdf/...ewsletter2.pdf