larryxb

I am getting a clear bra from 3m at the dealership as soon as they can match my Xb Torched Penny color. I went to 3 dealerships including the one I bought it from and they just shrugged their shoulders after trying to look up the color. I told them that I bought a Toyota product and Toyota should have the paint for touch up. They just said they couldn't find it and that was that. I came onto this site and found within 10 minutes the formulas for the paint. Thank God for this site. Rocks are going to happen on any freeway you drive on. Get the clear bra. It is costing me $325. That is a small price to pay not to worry about every vehicle that passes me.

Bigfieroman

No.

When you are driving behind a truck at the same speed that kicks up a rock, one of 2 things happen.

The rock falls off the truck and hits your car, or the truck hits a rock an tosses it in the air so it hits your car.

If it falls off the truck, it is traveling at the same speed and direction as your car and the truck. As it falls, bounces, etc, it is actually decelerating. In other words, it is going 65 when it drops, but is probably going 40 when it hits your car. Since its direction of travel is the same as your car and the trucks, its relative speed at impact is subtractive, not additive...in other words, 65-40=25mph impact.

Similar things happen when a truck hits a stone and kicks it up. It actually knocks the stone in the direction the truck is traveling, but not at the same speed. The stone may only be acelerated to 40 mph or so, and begins to slow down as soon as the truck is no longer in contact. Once again, its direction is the same as the car and the truck, and by the time it hits your car, it may only be doing 30 mph. That is a 35 mph impact.

Of course, all these speeds are just guesses, but the only way you could get a 130 mph impact is if a truck traveling the OPPOSITE direction PUNTS a rock at your car...in which case the damage will be much more severe.

I am not commenting on the strength of scion paint, just trying to clear up a common misconception.

Somnambulated

Ok, I'll comment on the strength of Scion paint:

It's cheap paint. Maybe even cheaper than Toyota's usual paint. It's cheap like the windshield and other glass used in Scion cars. I don't expect the paint to perform like Mercedes-Benz's Cermanic-impregnated paint, but it sure could be performing better than it has been on my tC.

JimInABox

Thanks! I'll be sure to post some pics also thanks to everyone else for the info on the cheap paint. Does anyone know where to get the clear bra and how much they run? Is service center best place to look or are there better alternatives?

pierre_tec

:? i doesn't understand something ,if is named clear bra why he needs to match the color of his xb ,isn't a clear "tape" that you just put on?????

Tomas

Couple of things...

Toyota paint these days is no longer solvent based (more eco-friendly), and most colors (not all) are single layer, and primerless...

3M Paint Protection Film is almost a necessity unless you don't mind road acne on the nose of your car...

As to fast rocks, the fastest my xB ever caught was one that came off the TOP of an oncoming semi's rear wheel (it was stuck in the tread), so the rock had about a 140MPH speed. Since I was doing 70 in the opposite direction the impact was about 210MPH. That explains why it put a groove in the hood and shattered both layers of the windshield...

Tom

rustedborg

One thing I have to ask about the new 3M clear bras that are becoming more and more common:

Don't they yellow over time?

Every clear plastic I that I've seen starts to turn yellow with prolonged exposure to the sun over time. So does that mean you have to get a new clear bra every couple of years in order to keep the plastic from making the front look like it's a different color?

JasonH

He means he already has chps in his hood and needs to touch them up before the clear bra is installed.

As far as yellowing of the bras, my understanding is you will never notice it unless you have a white car, and even then it is very minor and takes years.

RockBlocker

Let me see if I can shed some light on this subject here since we get this question, concern and problems daily. What Tom has mentioned is a good start on the problems. But this problem is a not a Scion problem nor is it a Toyota Problem, it is a worldwide international problem that was started right here in the US by the EPA.

All cars, makes and models are now painted the same per se. The steps might be different but they are all eco-friendly. The EPA mandated this to be in effect in the US. They also took it to the world governing EPA body and it was passed into law that everyone had to change their ways. What does all this mean. For now the paint will not be as good as it used to be. Some say cheaper, but more like not as hard and durable. This same effect happened after Lead based paints had to be changed. It took the manufacturers awhile to catch on and fix the problem and offer a better more durable paint.

My08xB - I hope that Cb can get something done for you, but the chanced are unlikely considering that thee damage was caused from road damage which is not covered under warranty. Someone last year was convinced that she even took Scion to court and lost.

This problem is spread everywhere. Check some other forums Subarus, G35, 350Z and the list goes on and on. Dont think cause Scion makes a more inexpensive car than most that is the cause because that is just not a true statement.

There are a lot of questions and comments on the 3M Clear bra. We highly recommend that everyone gets one of these installed at time of new. The paint needs it and your mind does to. Plus resale value will be higher when and if you trade it in.

We offered the 08 xB paint kits the day the car was available for sale and do a LOT of them right now. Mostly since the paint is now 42% larger surface on the front end on the 08 over the 06 xB.

Your only other choice for no chips is dont drive it which we all know is not feasible to do.

As for the clear bra yellowing it is possible but unlikely. 3M warrants against it for 5 years of no yellowing, cracking and/or fading. Dirt build up, diesel, oil and other foreign stainable road going chemicals can cause the film to yellow. But if you washa nd wax it often you will have no problem.

If anyone has anymore questions on this matter please feel free to let us know. Be more than happy to help you out with your questions or getting you a clear bra.

Tomas

Thank you, Chad, for the more knowledgeable and detailed explanation.

I didn't feel comfortable going farther than I did in mine, since I'm not directly involved in paint or protection - I was hoping someone like you would chime in with the details.

Last I heard, the Toyota paint shops are actually using a water based paint on all their cars, which I find absolutely amazing.

As to yellowing, I have a Polar White box, and the 3M film is in it's third year. There is very slight yellowing, but even that looks MUCH better than road acne.

There is not one chip (nor any damage to the film) on the front of the box, even though I had to replace the heavy plastic cover over the front plate due to it being essentially "sandblasted" with stars and cracks in three places... The film works, and is worth it.

(I also have vinyl armor on the headlights, and they are in good shape, too.)



Tom

Schmohey

Can you get the bra from the dealer? How much?

Anyone ever tried the eBay bra?

RockBlocker

I know several that have tried it. Key word tried it. Kits like these aer better left to the professional. Off to go do another xB Clear bra kit right now for the dealer

Tomas

I watched the guy who did mine work on getting it all on right for about 5 hours - NOT something I would want to attempt...

Tom

hotbox05

I wiash I was smart enoyugh / knew abotu clear bra before the entire front end of my xB got ruined from chips. now to do it i'd need to paint the entire front 1/3rd of my car. from the a pillars leading edge of the rood and the entire front end.

unless i get an insurance covered total car respray It'll never happen.


LEARN from me , go out and get it clear bra'd as soon as if not before you leave teh dealer's lot.

Kenage

So with this clear bra do you wash & wax the car like usual or do you have to do something special with it? It seems like a nice thing to do for the car. How much does it usually cost?

Tomas

It is clearcoated just like normal car paint, so it washes and waxes about the same.

The cost for the material itself is fairly high, and the labor to put it on has to cover a few hours of time for a qualified installer.

I've seen prices from arount $250 (too low - that company does not seem to be in business any longer) to $1000 (at a dealer, of course). Around $500-$600 seems to be where it normakky should fall.

It seems high, BUT it keeps the road acne off the car's nose, and is cheaper than having to paint it again...

Tom

Kenage

So I would be better off getting it not at the dealer? Is there any advantage from getting it at the dealer instead of another shop? Thanks for the quick response Tomas.

Tomas

No problem on the quick response - just happened to be in the right place at the right time to respond.

As to where to get the work done, I regretfully won't touch that. I have my own opinions, but they are just that: opinions. I got mine from a shop specializing in paint protection film, in fact the same shop that many local dealers used... In the stall next to mine was a new BMW from a dealer getting the "dealer" protection film.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3..._the/Consumer/

Tom