Ok, I autox my 8 again today & it's the first time I've hit a cone w/ my bumper... My problem is that it appears that it scratched up my xpel kit (see attached). The smear on the paint came right off w/ just my hand, but this wont . NE1 know of the best way to get this off/fix it?

 

You'll have to have that (clear bra) piece replaced. There is is no way you're gonna rub that one out.

 

That photo is way too fuzzy to make out important details. Basic rule of thumb: if the xpel is visibly torn then you have to replace. Otherwise a clay bar may help. Without a better photo I can't say any more.
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Is this any better?

 

Yes. Although the surface texture looks rough, chances are it's a film deposited by the cone and not the xpel itself. Try using automotive clay. You can find cheaper clay at almost any auto parts store if you don't have any already. Be sure to read the directions and try not to rub the paint--it will strip wax.

The triangle in the upper left looks worrisome though. It looks like the xpel is lifted away from the paint? That won't go away unfortunately.
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That's gonna continue to lift off of there even more over time. Like I said, that piece may need replaced.

 

Yes, it's lifting off. This is the second time this piece has been put on (by a business, not by me). I'm just thinking that I can have him use a xacto knife to cut out the errors rather than have him replace the whole piece again (took about 2-3 hours just for that 1 piece).

 

I have a clear bra and personally i dont think they are worth the hassle. I know I am thread stealing, but this is one more example of why they are a waste. for the price of materials and install on an 8 you can have your bumper repainted 2-5x (depending on what kind of deal you get). Also, a fender bender or a cone bump, and your investment is (potentially) lost.

 

Interesting. I was pretty much planning on getting a clear bra, but now I'm not so sure. how much do you think it would cost just to have the front bumper piece painted?

I had a yellow 99 mustang gt for 5 years and 100,000 miles. the paint on the plastic nose piece had lots of rock chips in it. but being yellow, if you stood back about 15 feet you could hardly tell. I also had rock chips on the front part of the hood, but they weren't as noticeable.

 

The thing that convinced me to get a ClearBra (Xpel) was having the front of the Miata repainted. I only wanted the best for her, so after two years of small chips, I had it repainted from the windshield up. I had the best place in town do it, and when it was returned, it was MAGNIFICENT.

However, it was $1500 (with a discount for SCCA). After two more years of ownership, it wasn't AS bad, but sould have used painting again.

My ClearBra was $607, installed. I have had the car since last July, the ClearBra was put on immediately, and there is not a chip in the car anywhere.

Seems like a deal to me.

 

I still think it's worth it, even w/ the cone blood.

 

Guess one just has to drive carefully. How did you hit that cone anyways?

 

Also, I have about 10-12 coats of Zaino on the car now, but the ClearBra must have 50. I put a coat on every time I think about it, and certainly the morning of every autocross. It seems to absorb it (or used to - I think it's saturated now).

The marks left by the few cones we have hit so far have literally just wiped off.

 

If you aren't hitting cones, you're not driving fast enough I was going through the slalom when I hit the cones that left the marks.

 

Down here in FL there is a place (i can't remember now which one it is..i want to say ft. meyers maybe??) that the slalom is between LIGHT POLES! Not enough coats of wax or a clear bra would save you from damage done by that!!

I've yet to run in an autox in the 8...come may 9th though and my silver car will be orange!!

 

Another solution is to simply buy a real bra, the black vinyl job, and put it on when you drive in an event.

 

Or you could just use some racer's tape when you AutoX. That is pretty common around here.

 

you can in fact cut out the bad section- my xpel installer did that on 1 of my cars. Of course this was one th eedge of the rear bumper- so it did not need to be filled in- not sure how that would have looked- have the guy try it with the idea that if it doesn.t look good he will just charge you for the new fron bumper install. My guy gave me a significant discount on the second 8 I had done after the buyback.

 

What is "racer's tape"

 

Who in their right mind is charging $607 bones to clear-bra a auto?? It is what I do as a side job here in minnesota. I charge $125 for the hood, and typically $200 for a bumper. I would talk to the people who scammed you out of your hard earned money. The Clear Bra is a wise investment, granted you don't over pay. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!

-Matt

 

He meant parts & labor. Remember, w/o tax, the kits alone are $509.85 from xpel.