What is with all the paint chips. Clear bra? Should'nt be. I don't like the looks of clear bra & could paint the front facia & hood { I have chips high on my hood} for what a clear bra cost with a good polyurethane paint at some point in time. 3200 miles of relative careful driving in my Lazer Red coupe coated with Klasse & my Bright Silver sedan had 12000 miles with same chips but not as noticable. I'm well aware of the VOC regulations but should that mean we should just live with the "POX" pits on out new rides????

It is not a dealer problem, it is a manufacturers problem.
Love the car, don't like all the white specks that do not wash off.

 

Yeah man, I agree with you. But I think this goes for every car out there. I try hard to keep my car in good shape, but something eventually has to happen. I guess the only solution to having a perfectly kept vehicle would be to garage it everytime, cover if outside, wash every week in dry non-heated area, wax every 3 or 4 weeks as well, don't drive in rain and always drive in the wide open avoiding mountains where rocks can hit your car. So many stipulations but it boost's your chances of keeping your vehicle well! heh

 

Have a cover & garage, 2 coats of Klasse. I have a co-workers, one with a 02 Passat & one with a 02 Sebring & neither wash & wax frequently or "take special care" & drive the same roads with 12K & 15K miles & pretty much very few chips in the paint .....I have a 93 Saab 9000 CD turbo with 200K with less chips than my 2 month old coupe. Wife has 2001 Grand Cherokee with very few chips. D@#n, I've got chips to the primer from the nose to 6 inches from the windshield on the hood....????

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to say I freakin love the car...It's awesome. I've owned: 240Z, 280Z, RX7, Vette, 4RUNNER, 528, 300SD, & still have the 3/4's worn out 9000CD Turbo Saab.

 

Know at least it not just your guys problem. The softer, thiner water-based paint problem is an industry wide issue, we see it on all cars, even Audis and BMWs get it bad.

As far as repainting the front, how often do you plan on doing it? Once every few months? Once a year? Once you cant stand how it looks any longer? Its been my experience that if your the type of person that can put up with driving around a car with a sandblasted front end for any amount of time, you will most likely not pay to have it repainted just to take it out and get it sandblasted again. Clear bras are not for everyone, but they are permanent and they are completely maintenance free.
Jeremy
Invisiguard@sbcglobal.net

 

"Don't like the looks of a clear bra"??? Nobody even notices my clear bra unless I specifically point it out to them.. then the reaction is usually "oh.. kewl!". Almost a status symbol.

 

How much does a decent clear bra cost and does anyone have any pictures of what they look like on the G?

 

I got clear bra on my hood,fenders, bumper and mirrors for $460 + tax. Envisage studios in Los Angeles - top quality labour. Looks terrific because you don't see it at all.

I don't think you could repaint your hood for $500, unless you do it yoursefl. Even so, body shop paint will NEVER match the factory paint.

Limus
G35C 6MT DG

 

I had mine done at Envisage as well. Well worth the money. I personally would rather "put up" with the film than have to repaint every few years.....even then, there is a good likelihood that the repaint will not match the rest of the paint job. Don't like the look of the clear bra??? It's far better looking than a bunch of paint chips.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by FormerS2000 on 03/06/03 12:06 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

Please no "dealer" flames. I was a Datsun dealer remember them?} in early 70's, then Chevrolet dealer through the mid 80's. & I can do a basecoat clear coat hard polyurethane that matches perfect done for not much more than the clear bra. Will I do it? I don't know. I may live with the issue until I trade. Life will go on.
BTW, when I had my BS G-sedan, I seriously considered the clear bra until I saw a BS G sedan with clear bra at a intersection. It had been raining & the car was a little dirty, I did not like the looks. I could easily see it two lanes away. JMO.

 

I am a little torn, but have decided to go ahead with the clear bra. It goes on tomorrow. Quoted price around $500 In Utah.

What can I say, no competition!

Hoot