[ecpund]

I have read a number of threads on the best way to protect the hood from rocks and such dinging the hood. My friend worked in the aftermarket dept. at an automall in Chicago and says the clear ones are pretty noticeable. I just got my E a few weeks ago and do a lot of highway driving on a daily basis, and was just curious if one is prefered over the other. I had a plastic deflector on my old '97 Ford Explorer, and my mom has one on her Odyssey. I want to get something on their soon before I have too many dings and scratches on the hood. Any suggestions?

 

[Westy_]

Not sure if all clear bras do this but.
I have seen a few clear bras when looking for them. Some were nice others not so nice. But a lot of them had a yellowish tint to them, so i figured out that after a few years (some? all? i dont know) start turning yellow.

Just a friendly heads up!:vomit008:

 

[Darth Raider]

Clear or Invisible Bras (3M 8mm clear cover) are no different than your clear coat, your head light lens, etc. If you regularly wash and wax your vehicle then they are not going to yellow. If it ever did, you would only have to use an abrasive cleaner polish to bring it back up to new condition. My entire front fascia is done and I've had the Invisible Bra on for well over two years without even the slightest amount of yellowing.

Chief

 

[accord driver]

ecpund,

If you want to go clearbra my guy in Villa Park does a great job. He does them for a lot of the Audi, Lamborghini dealerships.

 

[Westy_]

Clear or Invisible Bras (3M 8mm clear cover) are no different than your clear coat, your head light lens, etc. If you regularly wash and wax your vehicle then they are not going to yellow. If it ever did, you would only have to use an abrasive cleaner polish to bring it back up to new condition. My entire front fascia is done and I've had the Invisible Bra on for well over two years without even the slightest amount of yellowing.

Good to know because that was holding me back ever considering getting a clear bra. I will have to look into it again!

 

[E_BikeR]

Clear or Invisible Bras (3M 8mm clear cover) are no different than your clear coat, your head light lens, etc. If you regularly wash and wax your vehicle then they are not going to yellow. If it ever did, you would only have to use an abrasive cleaner polish to bring it back up to new condition. My entire front fascia is done and I've had the Invisible Bra on for well over two years without even the slightest amount of yellowing.

Chief

I love the look you got goin' on there Darth. My favorite E in all of EOC!

You are quite right on the wax front, and I asked the wax question about my clear-bra and was told just to keep in mind that the color of the wax <may> absorb into the clear-bra material. With that in mind either clear wax like Turtle Wax Ice (clear version), or a white base wax like another I've used on my clear-bra, "Black Magic". Both of these have no effect on color absorbtion that I can see.

I've had my clear-bra on for three years covering the full front end, and full hood, headlamp and fog lenses, and along the leading edges of the rear wheel wells on the painted surface too. No rock chips, and still looks new!

If you are starting with a fairly pitted hood leading edge, this material will obviously stop more from occurring, but might not be worth the cost for you. Here is just one place that sells the pre-cut material, but I am not seeing the full hood material here. Usually the local new Honda dealers can point you toward a good install shop.

Good luck, and hope this works out for you.

 

[Darth Raider]

I love the look you got goin' on there Darth. My favorite E in all of EOC!

You are quite right on the wax front, and I asked the wax question about my clear-bra and was told just to keep in mind that the color of the wax <may> absorb into the clear-bra material. With that in mind either clear wax like Turtle Wax Ice (clear version), or a white base wax like another I've used on my clear-bra, "Black Magic". Both of these have no effect on color absorbtion that I can see.

I've had my clear-bra on for three years covering the full front end, and full hood, headlamp and fog lenses, and along the leading edges of the rear wheel wells on the painted surface too. No rock chips, and still looks new!

E_BikeR...thanks, the props are totally appreciated! You've had yours done, longer that myself and more extensively, and have come to the same conclusion about the care and upkeep of the Invisible Bra. So I hope that this puts the yellowing thing to rest once and for all.

Chief

 

[ecpund]

Not sure if all clear bras do this but.
I have seen a few clear bras when looking for them. Some were nice others not so nice. But a lot of them had a yellowish tint to them, so i figured out that after a few years (some? all? i dont know) start turning yellow.

Just a friendly heads up!:vomit008:

Thanks, Westy for the heads up- That's what has been keeping be at bay from getting a clear bra because I have also seen this on the few I have noticed. They are also quite noticeable as well (the ones I have seen) and what my friend has mentioned to me from the ones he's seen on some cars that have gone through his department.

Chief- That is probably one of the best E's I've seen! Love it! How often do you wax your E? I am afraid of the yellowing since I don't always have the time to wax/wash it on a weekly or so basis, as much as I wish I could spend more time working on my E.

 

[Darth Raider]

Chief- That is probably one of the best E's I've seen! Love it! How often do you wax your E? I am afraid of the yellowing since I don't always have the time to wax/wash it on a weekly or so basis, as much as I wish I could spend more time working on my E.

ecpund ...thanks for the compliment, I've put a lot of hard work into "Darth Raider."

It doesn't mater how often you wash and wax the entire vehicle. Just take about 15 minutes to apply a cleaner wax to the the areas that the clear bra is on about once a quarter and you'll be fine. I know you can dedicate four times a year for a grand total of about 2 hours out of 8,760 hours for the year. So, anytime you do the entire vehicle, that's just a bonus application!!! :grin:

Chief

 

[Mikement]

My Odyssey has had a clear bra since new in 2003. I've done nothing but wipe it dry when I wash the Ody. It's 12" back on the hood and the mirrors. 7 years of ski trips, road trips to California, lots of sun and the clear bra still looks great. It was a dealer install so I'm not sure of the brand. I sure don't see any yellowing. I'm really wanting to have one installed on my E - as soon as the weather warms up a bit I guess.

Has anyone installed a clear bra themselves?

I love the grill Darth Raider!

 

[Darth Raider]

Thanks Mike! ;-)

Chief

 

[paulj]

I don't think the Element's hood is very susceptible to chips. I had an Isuzu Trooper with about the same miles as my Element that had lots of chips, but the Element has none (at least nothing that is noticeable without close examination). Part of the problem with the Trooper may have been an inadequate undercoating, so the smallest chip turned into a rust spot, but I think the geometry and resulting air flow made a difference. On the other hand, I never got rock chips on the Trooper's windshield - the hood must have caught them all.

 

[Mikement]

I don't think the Element's hood is very susceptible to chips. I had an Isuzu Trooper with about the same miles as my Element that had lots of chips, but the Element has none (at least nothing that is noticeable without close examination). Part of the problem with the Trooper may have been an inadequate undercoating, so the smallest chip turned into a rust spot, but I think the geometry and resulting air flow made a difference. On the other hand, I never got rock chips on the Trooper's windshield - the hood must have caught them all.

Interesting. Mine has 1 little hard-to-see touchup spot with 46,000 miles on it. I'm the 2nd owner. I'm not sure of the driving habits of the first owner but they sure didn't collect hood chips.