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    Color coded bra direct from Porsche

    I'm a waiter and just was notified that my scheduled November build has been moved up and is currently in the paint shop in Stuggart. As soon as I heard paint, I immediately reminded my sales guy that when it gets closer will request referral for clear bra installation.

    He repeated that he's not a big fan of clear bra's. I've read considerable praise from members in this forum about their experience with clear bras and stated that to him. He replied that Porsche recently introduced a color coded external bra that looked sharp. Didn't have additional info but promised to inquire and get back to me.

    Does anyone have pictures, info or experience with these color coded bras from Porsche? I plan to do very little highway driving and this alternative initially seems attractive. Thanks in advance.

    06 997
    Seal Grey
    19" Carrera Classics
    Wheel center sets
    Electric seats
    Auto Dim
    Xenon
    Sport Steering wheel
    Porsche Sport Exhaust
    Sport Chrono
    Crest in Headrest
    TPMS

    Re: Color coded bra direct from Porsche

    Go to this website http://www.speedlingerie.com/ and I think you will see what he is talking about. It supposedly matches the color of your car. But just like the black ones, it is still a bra and can sometimes cause damage of their own from scuffing the paint if you put it on a car that is not perfectly clean. And you probably shouldn't use it in rain or snow since I wouldn't think you would want to chance traping moisture underneath it. They look like a hassle to install to me.

    Porsche already uses a form of clear bra over the paint in front of the rear wheel openings. Why would it be okay for them to use a clear bra there there, but not okay for you to use one on the front of your car? I don't think your salesman knows what he is talking about. Believe me, he would rather take a car in trade that has no dings in the front rather than one with road rash.

    Phil

    Re: Color coded bra direct from Porsche

    Phil,
    I thought the same exact thing about 3m application in front of rear wheel wells. Looks like it works great to me.

    Salesman exact words regarding clear bra "When it gets hit with enough rocks & whatever, it looks bad." I remained quiet and thought, if that's the case, couldn't you just remove and reapply front 3m piece saving paint? I think the link you provided is similiar to what he's talking about. I'm also concerned about removal and reinstallation of exterior bra. I've seen considerable data about 3m experience on forum, majority has been very positive. Hope somebody jumps in that has purchased one of these color coded bras and discusses if it really is a pain to remove and reinstall.

    Re: Color coded bra direct from Porsche

    I've seen pics of the bra he is talking about. It looks silly but it's probably commisionable to the salesperson.

    5 months later with my 3M clear bra on my 997 and not a single mark on the film and I commute through Queens and the Bronx. 1 year later on my Ferrari and not a single mark on the 3M film. 2 years later my Durango's 3M film is perfect driving through winters. My 996 Turbo had the 3M on for 3 years and not a single mark in the bra.

    If something was serious enough to mark up the bra you would have even more serious damage done to your paint. But to answer your question - Yes if it got damaged you could remove it and re-apply. Which just reminded me that I did in fact replace a piece on the Durango but that was only because someone hit my front bumper. The paint underneath was protected even from that and looked perfect, no scratches at all.

    Phil is right about the possible damage too. The worst thing for your paint is to have something rubbing up against it from the wind vibrations. I had a regular bra on a Mustang once and it ruined the paint. I don't care how good the Porsche vinyl bra is I would never chance that.

    Re: Color coded bra direct from Porsche

    I put the clear bra on my car and it is the Base Black so probably the hardest colour to have a clear bra on, but let me tell you I wouldn't trade it for anything. Firstly , yes you can see the line on the car but without it you will no doubt get much worse wear and tear after a year of driving unless you car is a garage queen. Secondly I 've just had a small accident where somehow I scraped the front passenger nose just by the right turn signal changer and when I first saw it I freaked as there were 4, 5 inch long white gashes on my front. When I took a closer look , it actually turned out to be the clear bra that had been scraped and my paint was UNTOUCHED. So I took it back to my stone guard guy and he actually cut the piece out that was damaged and added a new piece and let me tell you, you have to get within a foot of the car to see that its been repaired and all he charged me was a hundred bucks. When I get enough stone chips on the front I'll just have the whole thing redone and that will be that. A lot cheaper and better than having to do a paint job.

    Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Bra's vs Urethane film coatings discussions are like religious or political discussions, as there are passionate opinions on the pro's and con's from both camps.

    I tend to fall in the wear a removable Bra camp. I have a 996 which worn has a Speed Lingerie bra for almost 4 years with absolutely no ill effects. The paint underneath the bra is like it just rolled off of the manufacturing line, and there is no comparison between the nose of my 996 and other 996's that have a 4 year clear bra on them. The clear bras show that they have been taking bullets for 4 years, and are shall we say are a little "scuzzy".

    The interesting thing about the Speed Lingerie Bra is that the cover on the front of the hood has a little lip on it which changes the airflow ever so slightly that dust and small particles tend to get lifted up and over the car. I have very few rock chips on the upper part of the hood because of this.

    The bra is very easy to install and remove, both operations can be done in under 90 seconds.

    The only downside that I can see for a Bra is that you don't want to have it on in the rain. Moisture trapped under the bra that is heated up by the sun has been know to cloud the water-based clear coat paint that Porsche uses. This is not an issue here in California, but would be an issue if you use your car as a daily driver. And if it is a Daily driver, it probably has its share of scratches and dings, so a clear bra would not make it look any worse.

    Normally the bra stays on the car all of the time, but I do take it off about once a month to shake out any small particles that tend to accumulate on the bottom lip of the air intakes.

    The bra is very stable at speed, I have had the car up to 170 with the bra on.

    So I strongly recommend the Speed Lingerie Bra in the color of your car.

    One last thing, this car is the PCA Zone 7 High Points Full Concours winner 2 years in a row, and the best 911 in Northern California/Nevada 3 years in a row and winner of the Palo Alto Concours in the Porsche class 2 years, etc., etc.. I credit part of those wins to the bra.




    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Orient Express,
    I have no doubt that the Speed Lingerie bra would protect your car as well if not better than a clear bra. But you have to admit that it is MUCH more visible than the clear bra even though it is colored. It is very evident in your pictures. I could show you dozens of photos of the front of my car with a clear bra and you would not be able to see anything. Plus your bra does not protect your lights. While not invisible, the clear bra is not easy to see from a few feet away (especially on a color like my car, Artic Silver).

    Like you said at the beginning of your reply, there are strong opinions about all three options, Speed Lingerie, clear bra or no protection at all.

    What I like about the clear bra is that it gives protection 100% of the time. You never take it off, so there is never a chance of getting that accidental ding. Some folks only put their bras on before "long" drives. My worst front end ding on my old 996 happened within a mile of my house. What do you do when it rains? Go without protection? Since I live in S. CA the infrequent rains seems to release all the little rocks and things that have been building up on the road between storms.

    The last car I had a removable bra for was a 1973 Porsche and I was constantly removing/installing it because of weather conditions. It also flapped in the wind and left marks where it went over the top of both fenders.

    I realize your car is in beautiful condition and you are a fanatic, so I would guess todays bras must be improved over the one I had many years ago.

    There is no perfect answer other than never driving your car. Since we all bought these cars to drive and enjoy, that is not the answer. While the clear bra may get chipped up at some point, my experience so far has shown that rocks that would have chipped the paint simply bounce off the more forgiving clear bra material without even leaving a mark.

    I considered all three options and settled on the clear bra. Ask me a few years from now if I made the right decision. I think either bra option can protect you from the guaranteed road rash you will suffer without them.

    Phil

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Orient Express, Thanks for the pictures and input. You made some good points. "taking bullets" analogy made me cringe as I pictured stones hurtling at highway speeds upon fresh unprotected paint.

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Here's a picture of my bra so you can compare it with the Speed Lingerie bra.

    Phil

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    If you're gonna leave the bra on all the time maybe get colored ones. They look so-so, not that great, like there's something wrong with the car, you get closer and you see what's going on. Black bras are self-explanatory which nobody questions, they attract little attention (like a black top vs. grey top!). Nothing beats a paint job by itself and second to that would be a clear bra.

    my $.02

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Good points. And what do you do if you have the vinyl bra on and it starts to rain while on the road ? Pull over and get soaked while removing it ? Then you have to put a wet bra (hee, hee) into the boot ? Only to have to worry about stones on your perfect paint without it protecting. While both type bras protect the paint the film like you said protects all the time. The small chance that the vinyl bra will actually damage the paint is not what I'd want. And once the film is on it equals zero hassle vs taking off and putting back on a vinyl bra. (that alone on a daily driver would drive me nuts) Also zero chance the film will be stolen vs. a vinyl bra. The vinyl bra that I had was stolen. They didn't get the hood piece but I still had to buy another one. But most of all I think the way a film bra looks or doesn't look because you hardly see it compared to the vinyl bra that is the key. It even reflects images just like paint as you can see in this pic.

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    btw : Orient Express,
    Beautiful pics.
    Is that the PCH ?
    My wife and I rode a Harley from LA to San Fran up the Highway (think it was 5) then took a week long vacation coming down the PCH (on the water side) from San Fran to Malibu. Stopping in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara. One of the best va-ca's we've ever had.

    There is a place for Urethane coatings

    I have Urethane film on the headlights, and the trailing bottom edges of the wheel wells. The aero kit flairs are very susceptible to ablation from road dust. I have seen cars that all of the paint is ablated off in no time at all.

    The fact that people can see the bra is no big thing, it makes them look twice, and then when they realize that it is a bra, they appreciate that I want to protect the front of the car. There is no question what the function of a bra is for. With film, the seams are just visible enough that people have to look twice, but more with a "what's wrong with that paint, oh, it's film" look. As the film ages with use, the "off" look only increases.

    As far as rain goes, my car simply does not get driven in the rain except by accident (this is the luxury of living in California). I have a trash bag in the trunk that I stick the bra in when it is not in use. In 4 years, it has only been driven in the rain twice, and in those 2 times, I simply drove the car until it was convenient to stop and remove the wet bra.

    and yes that bottom picture of my other posting is Highway 1 PCH at Big Sur. I had driven to LA on business that day, and decided to take PCH back to the bay area. (It is only 90 minutes longer to drive the P car to LA than to fly. )

    Here is a picture of a friend of mine's 997 with a Speed Lingerie bra. I think it looks pretty good.



    One other advantage of a bra is that the front screens keep bugs and debris out of the radiator ducts!

    Re: There is a place for Urethane coatings

    I think the thing is about wet bras: not to leave them on for a long time while car is parked. Would be okay to drive for a few hours in the rain... .

    Re: There is a place for Urethane coatings

    Quote:
    Orient Express said:
    I have Urethane film on the headlights, and the trailing bottom edges of the wheel wells. The aero kit flairs are very susceptible to ablation from road dust. I have seen cars that all of the paint is ablated off in no time at all.

    The fact that people can see the bra is no big thing, it makes them look twice, and then when they realize that it is a bra, they appreciate that I want to protect the front of the car. There is no question what the function of a bra is for. With film, the seams are just visible enough that people have to look twice, but more with a "what's wrong with that paint, oh, it's film" look. As the film ages with use, the "off" look only increases.

    As far as rain goes, my car simply does not get driven in the rain except by accident (this is the luxury of living in California). I have a trash bag in the trunk that I stick the bra in when it is not in use. In 4 years, it has only been driven in the rain twice, and in those 2 times, I simply drove the car until it was convenient to stop and remove the wet bra.

    and yes that bottom picture of my other posting is Highway 1 PCH at Big Sur. I had driven to LA on business that day, and decided to take PCH back to the bay area. (It is only 90 minutes longer to drive the P car to LA than to fly. )

    Here is a picture of a friend of mine's 997 with a Speed Lingerie bra. I think it looks pretty good.



    One other advantage of a bra is that the front screens keep bugs and debris out of the radiator ducts!



    The film has become so popular here that anyone into cars knows exactly what it is. In my area if you own a Ferrari without film you're in the minority. I had mine installed at a specialty shop but my Ferrari dealer does it for customers and just about every single person has it installed prior to delivery. Matter of fact it is almost expected from pre-owned buyers and some wont even bother if it's not installed. That's how almost required it is now. When I won the 1st place in PCA concourse & peoples choice award on Long Island in July I could see the judges were checking out the 3M job. In terms of the "off" look getting bad over time. You may be thinking about the older type film that was used 10 years ago. I can tell you after 3 years on my Turbo there was zero difference between 3 days and 3 years. And I know friends that have cars with 3M going on 6 years and you couldn't tell the difference between theirs and brand new. And I bet the 3M that your friend in the picture has on his rear quarter panels will look fine for a long time. But that's the beauty of it. If it does get scratched you can wax it out like paint. If it's a really bad hit it can easily be replaced a piece at a time vs. a vinyl bra where you would probably have to buy a new one. For fair weather cars like yours I guess either one would do the job. I think the clear bra is much more convienent because there's no on and off and it looks much better because it's next to impossible to see it on the bumper even from 2 feet away and only the hood line is sometimes visible if you're on top of the car. Also, the vinyl bra doesn't protect the front fenders from what I can see. That area is very prone to chips.

    But It's a matter of preference and personal taste.

    I've seen that picture before. Different strokes for different folks. It's just not for me.

    The PCH is the most beautiful road in the US imo. Can't wait to take another drive there.

    Re: There is a place for Urethane coatings

    Here's another question, if you get the speed lingerie mirror protector bras, do you think that would also stop that high pitch whistling sound that some of us have experienced and which have been the subject of various posts on this board. Assuming it is coming from the mirror arms (and the space between the arms), it looks from this picture that the mirror bras might stop the noise. Orient, any experience here?

    Re: There is a place for Urethane coatings

    Quote:
    wmondo said:
    Here's another question, if you get the speed lingerie mirror protector bras, do you think that would also stop that high pitch whistling sound that some of us have experienced and which have been the subject of various posts on this board. Assuming it is coming from the mirror arms (and the space between the arms), it looks from this picture that the mirror bras might stop the noise. Orient, any experience here?



    Try covering the open area of your mirror with tape. If that eliminates your problem you may wish to just order the Speed Lingerie mirror covers.

    While I notice a slight whistle from my mirror once and a while, it is far from irritating (on my car at least).

    Phil

    Re: There is a place for Urethane coatings

    Quote:
    wmondo said:
    Here's another question, if you get the speed lingerie mirror protector bras, do you think that would also stop that high pitch whistling sound that some of us have experienced and which have been the subject of various posts on this board. Assuming it is coming from the mirror arms (and the space between the arms), it looks from this picture that the mirror bras might stop the noise. Orient, any experience here?



    I have the older mirrors, and have not had the whistling issue. I did have that on one of my Audis, and it turned out to be at the mounting of the mirror to the door frame. There was as slight gap between the 2 which made the noise. I sealed it with black silicon, and the noise went away.

    BTW, how many miles would you guess my "fair weather" car has on it?

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Quote:
    PS CA said:
    Here's a picture of my bra so you can compare it with the Speed Lingerie bra.

    Phil



    where is the bra
    how can i get one of these?

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    clear bra is great for your mental health. But you should know that it looks like orange peel. Is is more obvious for deark colors. Digitl camera doesn't show it, but you will know if you see it in person.

    Re: Colored bras vs clear Bras = religious fevor

    Quote:
    tori said:
    clear bra is great for your mental health. But you should know that it looks like orange peel. Is is more obvious for deark colors. Digitl camera doesn't show it, but you will know if you see it in person.



    There are different surfaces available depending on the film you use. There are three main brands, 3M, Avery and Venture. I went with Venture because its surface looks more like the paint surface than the other samples I saw. If it weren't for the edge where the film meets paint (across the hood and fenders) you wouldn't even know it was there. Where it covers the entire surface you can't tell it is there. It is definitely not invisible, but that is not because of the surface of the film being different than the surface of the paint (in my case). It is because of the exposed edges. If you are within a few feet of the car you can see the edge of the film. If I had it to do over, I might just cover the entire front hood so there would not be an exposed edge.

    Having said all of this, I do think it might be more visible on darker colors than on my artic silver car. But the 3M film is known to have more "texture" than some of the other films. I don't know what brand Porsche used on the rear fender flares, but it looks awful compared to the film on the front of my car.

    Phil

     
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