The black ones do more harm than good: - Trap moisture under - Trap fine grit under, scratching paint - Flap in breeze - Do not offer much impact protection, except from fine grit (the type that gets underneath...) The clear ones can yellow a little over time, though a buddy of mine has had his ona PW mini for years with no real issues. Looks better than my million or so stone chips!
I had a zillion chips on my FJ Cruiser, even in places where I was like how the hell did that get there. So I know that I need protection from them on the Mini. I know there doing them for 450.00 plus at Mini in the Mountains in Copper in a few weeks, but does anyone know of any one doing it in Denver area, and price?
When I traded in my FJ, I spent over an hour doing touch ups. I really don't want to do that again. I was always touching up. I think the bra idea is best, thanks Nathan for the recommendation. He gave me a good quote, and that I could even do it before the event. I got a quote from Ralph Schomp $699. plus tax. A little high I thought. o.k. alot high
Spoken like someone who has a MINI paint color with the impact resistance of a christmas tree bulb. Still, I'd rather be able to see chipped up paint than a large black diaper on the front of my car, it's like entering a car show with the car cover on.
So Deviant, you are saying no BRA!!! Here in Colorado they use this gravel that just beats the heck out of your car all winter long. I was thinking of prolonging the chip problem a little.
I'm saying clear bra > no bra > large black cloth on nose. My hood was pretty chipped up thanks to rocks thrown up by the trucks around here. Thankfully the insurance company decided I needed the whole hood repainted after some damage and scratches caused by a bad storm up here. I'll be getting a clearbra on the nose next month.
Which clear film product is best? What are your thoughts on the best film product? A cursory Google search returned more than 30 different brands. Are all about the same as to visibility, longevity, texture, cloudiness, etc.? What do I use as a deciding factor? Cost? Installer's expertise?
+1 for the Clear Bra... I'm a HUGE fan of mine... even with continuous touch-up, no way my car would look as good as it does after 56,000 hard highway miles without it. When I park next to the non-clearbra'd cars at meets, the difference is night and day... chip city.