Hi Detailed Designs
Thanks for taking these questions:
What protects the car best....wrap or clear bra in terms of rock chips and swirls created during car washes?
Many of the Model S owners do know how much clear bra costs...what are the advantages of getting clear bra vs painting it later..?
Thanks for your time
Fantastic questions taurusking.
In terms of protection, there is nothing that surpasses clear bra right now. It is the thickest protection membane, can be replaced when damaged and has self-healing properties that keeps it looking excellent for a long time. What some may not completely understand is what self-healing means though. Clear bra that has self-healing abilities indicates that it can, more or less, repair what would otherwise be seen as swirl marks or scratches in paint. Self-healing clear bra has a topcoat that has memory. When damaged, but not penetrated, with marring/swirls/scratches, the top coat recalls back to its original shape(flat and optically defect-free). Self-healing does not mean a defect in the film from a rock impact that causes physical deformation will correct itself. There is a limitation to how much recalling the top coat can do.
Clear bra will cost more up front than not having it, but definitely has benefits:
One of the most comforting benefits is peace of mind knowing you're as well protected as is possible. Folks tell me regularly that having the protection allows them to relax more while enjoying their Tesla.
The self-healing attributes allows folks to not sweat swirl marks like one would without the film installed.
With a quality installation by an expert, it should be practically invisible.
For folks who wrap a whole car, they have the option of not performing paint correction and still having perfect, or, near perfect paint. This is the defect masking ability of clear bra. Defect masking does not work when scratches are of a different color than the paint(black paint with white scratch(primer/metal showing).
Keeping the original paint of a fine, and expensive, car like a Tesla is a big selling point to someone shopping. If you're wanting top dollar and have a respray it may limit you on how much you can recover. Certainly, there are exceptions to this rule. But resprays tend to have negative side effects that impact a sale price.
You can replace individual pieces if you feel something merits being addressed. I have replaced a number of pieces through the years for folks who can't stand the idea of any defects even in the film(you can only imagine how it would affect someone like this if the paint was damaged). Right we have an RS5 in the shop that got some kind of funky damage on the rear fender clear bra. He was scared it penetrated the film because of how it looked. We pulled the film back so he could inspect it before he left and the paint was *perfect*. This is not something you get with any other technology. The film will be replaced, recoated and then he can go about enjoying his brand new(enjoyed) car for many more years knowing it is still perfect.
With all of that said, clear bra is not for everyone. It has its advantages but it is still a premium priced service if you're using someone who really knows their stuff and can offer a beautiful install. If the idea of spending money on clear bra to be installed eats you up because you see cars as wear and tear or rock chips don't bother you....pass on it. It's a solution for many people's concerns, not a solution for 100% of car owners.
I am not a fan of repaints. Not because of clear bra being a means to pay bills. But because there tends to be cut corners that ends with a car that looks worse than one that had some minor wear and tear. And it's not that it's impossible to get a great paint job. That's available for an absolute premium as well. But when you get to that level, the price of a full body clear bra wrap looks minor.
For more about clear bra and some of the nuances, feel free to check out an article I wrote here:
Is Clear Bra A Good Fit For You?
I hope this helps answer your questions. If you have anymore, please feel free to ask.
