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View Full Version : Clear Bra as a hull wrap?



Guma
07-21-2009, 07:28 PM
lancesaville started a thread about getting his Moomba wrapped with vinyl. One point he mentioned was peeling it off in a few years to reveal the (hopefully) factory gel coat finish unharmed.

I was on a long drive back from Miami today and got to thinking, I don't want a wrap, but what could I do to protect the hull from dings, scratches and what not.

They make this stuff called Clear Bra for vehicles. It basically wraps around the front of the car and they will end the wrap at a body section. The stuff is honestly completely see through and very clear. I have seen a few where if I did not know it was on the car I would not have seen it at all. Protects the front of a car doing 70 mph+ going down the road so why not a boat hull.

So to protect your boat, but not hide the Color Pattern E Gelcoat that you laid out an extra $695 (MSRP) for, why not cover it from rub rail to rub rail with the Clear Bra? I know someone who does it locally and when I get around to it will ask him if there are any advantages to doing it on a boat and if it would last or be a complete waste of time.

Here is a site I found real quick for those who like to see for themselves what I am referring to.

http://www.getclearbra.com/

sandm
07-21-2009, 08:46 PM
I had this on my last 2 evolutions and it's on my wifes murano.
good product, but runs almost $500 for the front of a basic car, so I would think that it's going to be in the 2-3k range for a boat? lots of surface area, just not a lot of cutting and shaping.

zegm
07-21-2009, 10:21 PM
Ok for 2 to 3k I could pretty much get a zillion dings, nicks and scratches repaired in a paint job for that. Matter of fact I could have gotten my old MasterCraft completely painted for that cost.
Where's the balance in this project?

Guma
07-22-2009, 08:54 AM
Yeah there might not be any balance to getting the clear bra if it costs that much. I didn't know even putting it on a car was $500. More of a brainstorm I had on my long lonesome drive through alligator alley yesterday. LOL

sandm
07-22-2009, 09:54 AM
last car I did was an '06 evolution. was $520 for the mirrors, front bumper and 20" up the hood and wrapped down the fenders in front of the wheelwells.
murano was $460 for the same coverage, but was cheaper as there aren't as many bends and creases in the nose of the car.
awesome product and works very well, but also very expensive and still prone to tears when hit hard. it's a product that you have to replace every 3-4 years. protects the paint, but does so by taking the hit itself.

on the subject of wraps, it's my understanding that the real cost of the wrap is in the vinyl and the install. the custom designing and printing is a very small % of the overall cost.