Article and Detailing by Detailed Designs Auto Spa
“Man, I would love to own a Nissan GT-R!” How many times have we heard those words spoken? I am going to act like I’ve never said them myself…. But to actually purchase a car that you’ve desired for a long time. What a great feeling. Now that you’ve purchased your dream car, how can you make it look as good as possible and protect it from rock chips and other scuff-damage? See how one automotive enthusiast chose to protect his new toy utilizing modern technology with a dash of artisan craftsmanship.
Many have heard of clear bra and some know of Modesta paint coating systems. But what are they and how do they work?
Clear bra is a clear urethane film that is installed over smooth exterior painted surfaces that acts as a wear and tear surface to protect them from rock chips, swirl marks, scratches and other typical damage caused by things like kids bicycle handlebars, spray paint/keying/vandalism and chemicals that would otherwise cause superficial damage. When installed by an expert, clear bra is literally invisible to the eye. So for folks wishing to keep their paint as close to perfect as possible, clear bra gives the ultimate in peace of mind!
The most common coverage we install is what is called our performance package. This protects the full hood, front bumper, full front fenders, side mirrors, A-pillars, leading edge of the roof, a trunk access strip and rocker panels. These areas are the highest wear and tear areas on modern cars. For owners that want the absolute best, the whole car can be wrapped. Of course, custom solutions are available for owners looking for certain panels to have protection.
Modesta paint coating systems form a highly durable clear hard glass layer on automotive paints, wheels and calipers. Modesta paint coatings produce a deep shine and helps to protect the paint from many forms of damage natural elements throw at car paint. The final results from a Modesta paint coating application is a surface that is easier to clean, is better protected from the elements and incredible gloss and luster. In short, Modesta paint coatings reward proper care with a car that looks better for longer and is easier to keep clean. Modesta paint coatings replace the need to wax paint. Regular safe washes and the use of their easy to use spray maintenance products will give you years of beauty.
Modesta paint coatings are safe for use over clear bra installations as well as painted surfaces. When one has Modesta over clear bra they get the benefits of the coating over paint, over clear bra ensuring a beautiful finish that is also easier to clean.
Modesta offers a full line of coating solutions that are ideal for different automotive surfaces. Not only can you protect your paint with Modesta but you can also protect your wheels with Modesta’s wheel and caliper coatings. Track rats need no fear! Modesta wheel and caliper coating products offer industry leading heat resistance of 2012 degrees Fahrenheit. Modesta’s leather coating is a 2-part system that gives chemical resistance along with an abrasion resistant top coat unique to only Modesta coatings.
I get it. Let’s see that GT-R project!
After a healthy consultation to determine the best path for the owners new GT-R, she was left with us to receive a full body clear bra wrap, Modesta BC-04 on the body and Modesta BC-06 for the wheels and calipers. This, all in preparation for sharing with the public at Caffeine and Octane for the August 2016 show!
Our journey begins with the prep work for the coating.
After the wheels, calipers and wheel wells were cleaned, the body of the car got a foam pre-treat with our proprietary citrus shampoo. This step is great for removing loose debris and helping to break down some of the tougher spots on the car so that the hand wash is as gentle as we can manage.
Once the citrus-foam is rinsed, a thorough hand wash was performed.
Decontaminating the surface with clay bar removes hard bonded contaminates. Without decontaminating the body, the following machine polish will induce marring and we will likely have issues with the clear bra wrap looking clean.
After a polish, the car gets washed to remove dust and other particles to prepare for the clear bra wrap. After washed and dried, the full exterior body was wrapped with clear bra. This is a picture of the clear bra wrapped hood before being coated with Modesta BC-04.
You can see the rear spoiler and emblems were removed in this picture. Removing those parts along with some other parts allows for a more thorough and stealthy looking installation. When complete, we don’t want anyone around the car to know there is clear bra on it. This means we need to ensure there are fewer exposed edges and seams.
Now on to the Modesta BC-04 application to give the body more gloss and luster, and to ease the cleaning for years to come.
This particular product goes on as a “wet-application”. Even before removing the excess residue the Modesta BC-04 begins providing a hydrophilic water behavior.
All buttoned up and ready for years of fun!
