Clear Bra Worth the Investment?

[newmanjr]

Hello,

Before I pick up 2024 M340i in few months, can someone please let me know your thoughts on adding Clear Bra to the following: Front bumper, Headlights, Full hood, Full Fenders, Mirrors, Door cups, and edges as per Vendor’s Quote?

My current 330i definitely has been dinged without one but is the Clear Bra worth the $3k investment? Also - Vendor’s Quote states “3 Yr Ceramic”

[DocL]

For a regular 3 series, it's not worth it if it's not a difficult color to match.

[No one]

Originally Posted by newmanjr

please let me know your thoughts on adding Clear Bra to the following: Front bumper, Headlights, Full hood, Full Fenders, Mirrors, Door cups, and edges

Just put it on. That's all.

[Nettles]

Are you leasing or buying the car? Mileage/yr? Average length of ownership?

[CTPJ]

Being in Colorado, if you're going to keep it for awhile or want to maximize its resale value, I'd say add it. You may be able to role the cost into your payments if you're financing it.

[newmanjr]

Originally Posted by Nettles

Are you leasing or buying the car? Mileage/yr? Average length of ownership?

I am buying w/ approx. 15k miles per year & average length of ownership is 3-4 years.

[Nettles]

Originally Posted by newmanjr

I am buying w/ approx. 15k miles per year & average length of ownership is 3-4 years.

Not worth it BUT your money. I do agree it's not worth it on a 3 series. I in fact drive a 3 series.

[tigermack]

3-4 years for a regular daily, not worth it.

[ppointer]

I have done all my cars with some form of PPF since 2008. I get the bumper done, along with a foot of the front hood and the mirrors. Should be less then $1k for that. Full fenders and hood are not necessary in my opinion. I would do so even if I was certain to get rid of the car in three years. BTW, stuff lasts for about a dozen years.

[Portimao Blue M440ix]

It sounds like you are getting ppf and a ceramic coating as well and that's why its 3k.

I just got a new to my 2022 m440i and I did a full front end ppf but no multi year ceramic coating. I just had them do a ceramic coating topper/reload for just the cost of the bottle of boost. I like to add a topper/lsp when I wash the car. I can use the boost multiple times and saved on spending the pro grade ceramic coating but thats what works for me.

[Pauly Wauly]

If you are only keeping it for 3-4 years it`s not worth it. If you were keeping it long term, than it`s worth it.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by newmanjr

Hello,

Before I pick up 2024 M340i in few months, can someone please let me know your thoughts on adding Clear Bra to the following: Front bumper, Headlights, Full hood, Full Fenders, Mirrors, Door cups, and edges as per Vendor’s Quote?

My current 330i definitely has been dinged without one but is the Clear Bra worth the $3k investment? Also - Vendor’s Quote states “3 Yr Ceramic”

Originally Posted by newmanjr

I am buying w/ approx. 15k miles per year & average length of ownership is 3-4 years.

I think part of your decision has to take into consideration how bad the roads are in your part of Colorado. If your current vehicle, the 330i has a great deal of damage and you do have the money to spend and really want your new M340i to be pristine you should do it. Protect the entire front including the A pillars and the rocker panels. Also put PPF on your headlights.

If money is an issue then don't.

[dscabra]

Colorado ... get it! I lived in Colorado until just a couple of months ago. I bought a brand new truck and didn't have the dealer put the clear bra on. Within the first month, I had multiple rock chips in the paint. I took the truck to a local Xpel installer and they touched up the chips and put Xpel on the entire front end of the truck for $1,300. That was for the bumper, headlights, valance, and ~20" of the fenders and hood front edge. Not a single chip since then.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by newmanjr

I am buying w/ approx. 15k miles per year & average length of ownership is 3-4 years.

PPF is good for 10 years. You’re only protecting it for the next guy lol. And 3-4 years is relatively short.

[buckybadger]

I have an M2C and I paid close to $1,200 for a complete front Xpel PPF, included fenders, hood, lights and side mirrors. This is back in 2018. It has held up extremely well and I don’t even see a single bubble. No one can tell the car is PPF’d and seams are also invisible.

Having said that, I think it’s not worth it. I’m going to get a 2025 M3C and not going to get the PPF this time. Use that money for something more useful, like a suspension upgrade or buy something that you will hold on to for a long time.

PPF typically lasts for 7-8 years as far as I know.

It’s a depreciating asset so by all means invest the money somewhere else if at all possible. Worst case improve the car’s performance if you really want to spend more money on the car.

Small knicks and scratches can be buffed or touched up over time. After a couple of years you won’t care that much about cosmetics.

[NYG]

I've had a recent change of heart about this after getting PPF on my last 6 cars.

I think PPF is excellent. My favorite part is how easy the car is to clean and how I didn't have to be careful at all during the washing process before swirling the shit out of it. The protection was nice too, especially on track but ultimately you end up with PPF covered in rock tears anyway which will annoy you just as much as rock chips in paint if you want your car to look immaculate all the time.

That being said, I don't think I'll be getting it again unless I get a unique/classic car that I'll hold on to long term.

I tend to swap cars every 2-3 years. The amount of money that I've spent on PPF was equivalent to flushing it down the toilet. Every time you sell your car to a dealer or another buyer, the PPF is lost money that no one will give you a better valuation for. The cost is ridiculous too. Paying 7-10% of your MSRP for plastic wrap is wild if you really think about it. I've lost about 35k~ on PPF over the last couple of years and in retrospect the benefits and convenience, which there definitely were, weren't worth it at all. It's almost the equivalent of not banging your girlfriend for the next guy.

Is PPF nice to have? For sure, especially if you have disposable income that you don't mind getting no return on - most cars are already terrible investments anyway. If you go to car shows a lot and are OCD about the cleanliness and condition of your car then it's definitely worth it. If you're going to get a new car in 3 years then it's not worth it, imo. You'll get the exact same money for your car as someone with an identical car that has 7-9k of wrap on it. No one cares about small rock chips, especially dealers. A good detail/paint correction will cost you a fraction of what ppf does.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by NYG

I've had a recent change of heart about this after getting PPF on my last 6 cars.

I think PPF is excellent. My favorite part is how easy the car is to clean and how I didn't have to be careful at all during the washing process before swirling the shit out of it. The protection was nice too, especially on track but ultimately you end up with PPF covered in rock tears anyway which will annoy you just as much as rock chips in paint if you want your car to look immaculate all the time.

That being said, I don't think I'll be getting it again unless I get a unique/classic car that I'll hold on to long term.

I tend to swap cars every 2-3 years. The amount of money that I've spent on PPF was equivalent to flushing it down the toilet. Every time you sell your car to a dealer or another buyer, the PPF is lost money that no one will give you a better valuation for. The cost is ridiculous too. Paying 7-10% of your MSRP for plastic wrap is wild if you really think about it. I've lost about 35k~ on PPF over the last couple of years and in retrospect the benefits and convenience, which there definitely were, weren't worth it at all. It's almost the equivalent of not banging your girlfriend for the next guy.

Is PPF nice to have? For sure, especially if you have disposable income that you don't mind getting no return on - most cars are already terrible investments anyway. If you go to car shows a lot and are OCD about the cleanliness and condition of your car then it's definitely worth it. If you're going to get a new car in 3 years then it's not worth it, imo. You'll get the [...]

I agree!!

[natracsoph]

If you do a lot of highway driving it’s worth it. You mention ceramic which is different too. Clear bra is usually PPF

[Westside Guy]

The good news is that doesn't even sell the M340i in frozen colors. If it did, that would strengthen the argument to use a product like Xpel Stealth PPF on the entire front end.