Scuffed front bumper. Ignore, repaint, or get a bra?
 

I have a couple small scuff marks on my front bumper. It's so minor that I'd feel silly paying hundreds of dollars repainting it. If I could find someone who was getting rid of a stock silver bumper really cheap, I'd be tempted to buy it and swap it on. But the reality is that a used bumper will cost more than repainting.

So for now my plan is to leave it alone. I know some auto enthusiasts are really into keeping their cars pristine and will probably be disgusted by my attitude. But this is my daily driver, not a show car. I bought it for its driving dynamics and practicality, not its looks (and I've never been into modifying a car's appearance).

On the other hand, I plan to keep this car for 10 years, and while I don't obsess over its appearance, I do care about it enough to keep it clean and the imperfections are kind of annoying. Something like a LeBra would be a cheap and easy way to cover up the scuffs. But I've always thought car bras were stupid.

Just wondering what other people think...

Dude ya live in MA.. a bra come winter time is a must depending on where you live. Thankfully my own town isnt salt crazy durring the winter. I say if repainting is a bit much right now.. just wait a year or so, and repaint it say every 2 years. Or we can meet up and sneak into a Mazda Dealership at night :rofl: :FIREdevil

Is it possible to get a clear bra? My STi has one...anyone know? Sorry to throw things off topic but I didn't want to make a new thread.

You should definitely get a bra though if you live where there's a lot of snow. My clear bra on my STi definitely helps.

i believe it's 3M that people use around here.

Good place to get it?

Bras cause paint scratches. I thought of getting one awhile back, but decided not to, but they look really cool though....I decided its best for me to stick with the bras I like the most and what fills them up :wink2:

If people need to buy a 3M shield, then what is the protection that is already on the vehicle, and why isn't it working for them?

There's slick rectangular pads beside the rear wheels, and all along the underbody of the sides and underneath the front wheel flares.

get it re-painted to get the best result.

remember, silver is one of the hardest colour to match, so getting a "spare/2nd hand" one will probably look worse....

I've got a silver one for sale with a clear bra on it in the "for sale" section.

I don't know how big your scuff marks are but a polishing compound would help smooth down and minimize the scuffs. Try some and see how it goes. If it's a bunch of fine scratches it can almost make it completely disappear.

Bra are for old ladies.

You might be able to polish out some of the scuff marks, depending on the depth and extent of the marks.

Sometimes your dealer, or the local body shop that does Mazdas will have a specialist come in to repaint - if they can let you know when he comes you may be able to repaint at discount.

Yes because debris can only hit a car 5 or 6 inches off the ground. I take it you have never had a paint chip. New driver possibly?