With apologies to Omar Kyam, the gentleman who originated that line, it seems to kind of fit in my case, too. Except, of course, I didn't buy the Remington Company - I didn't even actually buy any company, but I did buy a dealer's license for a company whose product did impress me mightily!
In mid-May of 2001, a good friend of mine told me he'd made a decision about his new, yet to be delivered, BMW M5. He'd decided to have it shipped directly to Salt Lake City, Utah where it was to be 'wrapped' with a product called ClearBra(TM). He'd done a lot of research into a number of competing products and had concluded that ClearBra was the one to provide rock chip protection for his new baby. This decision was driven by the experience he'd had with his first new M5.
In March of 2001, a group of car nuts and friends decided to participate in a loosely organized car rally I had laid out and called the "March Monterey Meatloaf and Merlot Madness." [See previous article by Al on Bookshelf page - ed.] We left the Portland area on a morning threatening rain and were soon rewarded for our boldness with - rain. But, as the trip wore on, the weather ceased to be an issue. However, some spirited driving on the California coast left us all with 'war wounds' on our valiant steeds. The wounds were in the form of paint chips and a few windshield chips tossed in for good measure.
Given that a BMW M5 is a very expensive car, it was easy to understand how
upset the Beemer pilot was with the state of his paint when we returned to
Portland. This was part of the decision that led him to decide to sell this now
flawed beauty and buy the second M5, which he already had queued up,
apparently on a contingency basis. Since the economy hadn't completely tanked
yet, his 'old' car was quickly snapped up and his new one was set for delivery in
late May.
Finally, he received the call that the car had arrived, so we loaded up in my 'Vette and trundled off to Salt Lake. I was interested to see this ClearBra product that he was so pumped up about. After a nice drive, where I got an unbelievable 31 MPG while cruising at brisk freeway speeds, we arrived in Salt Lake. The next morning, we made our way to the store. The car had just been finished and stood gleaming in the sunlight. My first thought was "Good Grief! What have you done??" The car had a clear, tough material adhered to virtually every exposed surface, including the entire hood, front fenders, front air dam and bumper, side rocker panels and even the rear bumper. The reason for my concern, though, was that it looked like a teenager with a bad complexion. Splotches of foggy bubbles were visible all over the surfaces covered.
Some close questioning and clear answers followed, revealing that, "Yes, there are foggy patches, the result of moisture trapped under the material. But, they will go away over the next few weeks, as the material is gas permeable." Frankly, I was still not convinced. However, about this time, a beautiful red special edition Pontiac Gran Prix drove into the lot. The owner was there for a 'tune-up' on his ClearBra. This free procedure is scheduled for about 30 days after the installation. During the tune-up, any remaining foggy patches, loose edges or other areas needing trimming or adjustment is taking care of. I had to walk over and closely examine the car to be sure I was really seeing the same product - it was true! The bubbles do go away, leaving a glossy, protective film that is barely detectable from 5 feet away.
I was hooked! I knew I had to have ClearBra on my 'Vette, even though it too
had already sustained some road wounds. I wasn't sure if I'd be in a position to
repaint in the foreseeable future (remember the economy?), but I wanted to halt
any further damage from occurring. We left Salt Lake, heading back home, with
me plotting how I was going to get the job done on my car. It would mean
another trip to Salt Lake before winter comes and the gravel starts to fly again!
Then, my employer gave me a helping hand...sort of! The group I worked in was being disbanded after having sold our product and we were put "in the pool", Intel's euphemism for "you have 120 days to find a job or you're out the door!" The only problem with this scenario was there were very few jobs to be had and a lot of people vying for them. The longer I searched, the more I became convinced retirement was in my immediate future. However, I wasn't ready to retire.
Finally, the light dawned - open a ClearBra store!! So, after much negotiation, two weeks of training for my son (and chief installer) and I, we finally took the plunge and opened our store in mid-September. One of our first projects was, of course, wrapping my 'Vette. As seen (or not!) in the photo above, the entire front end of the car has been covered. Even though I had over 25000 miles on the car and a lot small (and some not so small) dings, the results are excellent. Because the material is crystal clear, it will not 'hide' chips that have broken the paint, but I had numerous hits that had scuffed the clear coat and they disappeared!
While not interesting for "show cars" which are not meant to be driven, but only
admired, ClearBra is excellent for cars which will be driven, providing superior
protection against the airborne road debris that seems to be so prevalent in
driving in the Great Northwest. The material is a two-layer polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) with an acrylic adhesive. It's laid on the car using a mixture of alcohol and
water, which retards the adhesive for a short while to allow it to be positioned.
During the process of wrapping the car, it's natural to capture some water and/or
fog bubbles. We remove the big ones as part of the installation but allow the
remainder to 'outgas' as part of the curing process, which can take 30 - 45 days.
This illustrates an important point - the ability to allow the paint to breathe means
your paint will age correctly with ClearBra in place. No 'two-tone' effect if you
should ever decide to remove it. And, yes, it can easily be removed (although I
recommend you have us do it) without damage to your paint or sheet metal (or
plastic). The acrylic adhesive never hardens or cracks, so removal is easy with
very little clean-up required afterward.
For another example, here's a photo taken of an Acura CL sport coupe with ClearBra installed on it. The picture was taken after only about 3 weeks of curing time, so the process is not fully completed, but as can be seen, the material is virtually undetectable! Note the ClearBra sticker on the picture.
Since we've opened the store, we've done a number of very nice cars and even a few motorcycles, with good results! If you're interested in learning more or getting an estimate for having your car protected, give us a call at (503) 439- 9031 or (888) 439-9031 (toll free in Oregon). Or, better yet, drop in and see us at 2020 NW Aloclek Drive #118, Hillsboro, Oregon. The coffee pot is usually on and there might even be a cookie or two left.
See ya down the road!
Al