OP: Clear "bra" for incoming 335is

[FixedNotBroken]

So...decided to pull the trigger on a new 335is. It's an old friend who has it and only put just over 6k miles on it. It DOES NOT have a clear bra for the front to prevent rock chips or any other kind of debris. I have seen these all over the place but I have no idea where to purchase one for it..Does anyone know where to go? How much do the things run? Etc..

[esldude]

Don't know who is the best to get it from. They all seem to be using the 3M protective film.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotchgard_Paint_Protection/Film/

https://skipchips.com/

http://www.ecolorsautopaint.com/news/

http://www.stongard.com/

http://www.clearmask.com/

[davidlee]

Ask around with some of your local shops and car clubs. The trick is finding someone really good to install. This is not a DIY job .
Two of my mates here have it on their m6 and m3 and it looks great/ does its job .

[fuzzalow]

With 6K already on the odometer, I would check first if there are already chips and other road debris scars already in the paint. And if there were any then I wouldn't bother with protective film. Normal road driving is usually not that bad for chips.

If you plan on tracking the car, then I might do it. Sometimes when you'd be pressing a car in front and he runs wide on the exit, that sprays up all kinds of crap.

Enjoy the car.

[Fishbike]

I first thought this thread was about nice leather bar tape. I fear I have drunk the Kool Aid.

[Ahneida Ride]

uh .....

Nope .... I won't say it ! :banana:

[Ahneida Ride]

oh why not !

www.HandleBra.com :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[djg21]

Spend the money on a JB4 and DCI intake from http://www.burgertuning.com/

[DreaminJohn]

I first thought this thread was about nice leather bar tape. I fear I have drunk the Kool Aid.

+2

"Maybe he has nice carbon bars he wants to see through the tape?"

:)

[summilux]

I say don't bother. I've got a 328i ('07) and I get chips almost 1/2 way up the hood. Touch up paint and "Blob Remover".

[firerescuefin]

FNB...higher end tint/accessory shops will also tend to be installers of Clear Bra...and do a great job. Just had my car re-done. Definitely not a DIY

[slowgoing]

I say don't bother. I've got a 328i ('07) and I get chips almost 1/2 way up the hood. Touch up paint and "Blob Remover".

+1

2007 335i here, no bumper protection but no chips either.

[Ken Robb]

Spend the money on a JB4 and DCI intake from http://www.burgertuning.com/

And then kiss your warranty good-bye. Your driving license too. :)

[benb]

I've had these on my RSX Type S since 2005. I had the original done by the dealer at purchase time, and it was replaced this spring by a body shop when my car was hit while parked. (They did a ton of damage, whole front end & hood was replaced, so there was no question the protective stuff was going to have to be replaced.) Both places did a great job.

It works fine but I found:

- The original film "clouded" over time. My car is black so the film looked kind of bad after 6 years. If the film clouds, I'm not sure it looks as good as a car that has chips or just had the chips touched up. Most chips are decently easy to touch up yourself. (Scrapes are not IMO)

- The film circa 2012 seems to have gotten better. It's harder to see

- The film is a PITA when waxing the car (not something I do often). You need to be very careful when applying wax near the edge of the clear film. It is easy to get the wax off the film but it can get trapped on the edge and that is very hard to get off. If you get it on there, you get a white line at the border. Not going to bother a typical car owner, but it would bother anyone who takes significant pride in their car.

- The film can separate if the air dam is low and you scrape it exiting a parking lot, etc.. it won't fall off but it will not look as good.

- I get chips all the way up the hood so it's almost like you need it on the entire hood. In Massachusetts at least, it is totally cool for dump trucks to spray gravel out of the back of the truck as the driver goes 75mph in a 55mph zone. You just keep your fingers crossed they don't break your windshield in addition to chipping your bumper/hood.

[CaliFly]

2001 540i here, no clear bra for me...but check bavauto.com and search for "3m".

Cheers!

[djg21]

And then kiss your warranty good-bye. Your driving license too. :)

Maybe your drivers license if you have absolutely no restraint (and don't have a good radar/lidar detector). But you sure will enjoy the ride! Add 5 gallons of e85 to every tankful of 93 Octane and the car just is too much fun! There are days when I even find myself rushing home from my bike rides to go home and do errands so I can drive somewhere!

Take a look at the forums at http://www.n54tech.com.

Warranty won't be an issue so long as you don't drive like a total jerk. My BMW Service Advisor actually recommended the JB4 and told me it isn't a problem unless the warranty issue is caused by the chip, which is unlikely. Of course, I neither over-boost nor constantly red-line the car, and I do not take it to the track. I've now driven 25,000 miles in my chipped 335xi (52K on the car total). The only downsides are (1) increased tire ware; and (2) decreased gas mileage resulting from my enhanced need to accelerate rapidly and regularly :) (and the e85 which results in a higher overall octane, more power, and fewer MPG).

When I go in for service, I deactivate the tune. In the unlikely event that the turbos go while under warranty, I can remove the tune from the ECU (it's a piggyback chip that can be uninstalled in about 45 minutes) and wipe the codes with my laptop before going in for warranty service.

As my SA told me, if you are going to spend the money on an n54-equipped BMW, you might as well spend the $500 on a JB4!

http://www.n54tech.com/forums/images/smilies/burnrubber.gif

[zap]

snip

Add 5 gallons of e85 to every tankful of 93 Octane and the car just is too much fun!

You will have to explain this to me.

It's next to impossible to purchase pure gasoline in the USA. All that's available is 90/10 junk.

[djg21]

snip



You will have to explain this to me.

It's next to impossible to purchase pure gasoline in the USA. All that's available is 90/10 junk.

Typical premium gas is approximately 10% ethanol (and hence is termed "e10"). e85, as you might expect, is approximately 85% Ethanol.

You need to have the car tuned to run e85 even as a mix. For a BMW 335 with the n54 or n55 engine, that means a JB4 or Cobb tune. I am not a mechanic, but my understanding is the the ignition timing needs to be advanced to account for the higher octane.

Running an e85 mix, you will see noticable power gains but get lower MPG (e85 supposedly has 33% less energy per gallon). However, e85 also is substantially cheaper than 91/93 Octane. e85 also can be harder on engine parts if the car is left without being driven for lengthy periods.

With the JB4, it seems most people are running mixes of e85/91-93 octane at ratios of 30-50%. I've been playing with between 4-5 gallons of e85 in each 16 gal tank (of 93 octane) and getting good results. My car just seems tame when filled only with regular gas for instance when I bring it in for regular service or am travelling and can't find e85). I do not have any other mods such as downpipes or an intercooler, and the car runs great.

You can learn more on the n54tech forum I linked to in my earlier post.

[FixedNotBroken]

Maybe your drivers license if you have absolutely no restraint (and don't have a good radar/lidar detector). But you sure will enjoy the ride! Add 5 gallons of e85 to every tankful of 93 Octane and the car just is too much fun! There are days when I even find myself rushing home from my bike rides to go home and do errands so I can drive somewhere!

Take a look at the forums at http://www.n54tech.com.

Warranty won't be an issue so long as you don't drive like a total jerk. My BMW Service Advisor actually recommended the JB4 and told me it isn't a problem unless the warranty issue is caused by the chip, which is unlikely. Of course, I neither over-boost nor constantly red-line the car, and I do not take it to the track. I've now driven 25,000 miles in my chipped 335xi (52K on the car total). The only downsides are (1) increased tire ware; and (2) decreased gas mileage resulting from my enhanced need to accelerate rapidly and regularly :) (and the e85 which results in a higher overall octane, more power, and fewer MPG).

When I go in for service, I deactivate the tune. In the unlikely event that the turbos go while under warranty, I can remove the tune from the ECU (it's a piggyback chip that can be uninstalled in about 45 minutes) and wipe the codes with my laptop before going in for warranty service.

As my SA told me, if you are going to spend the money on an n54-equipped BMW, you might as well spend the $500 on a JB4!


Is the JB4 even worth it? How much gain?

[djg21]

Is the JB4 even worth it? How much gain?

Depending on mods and map, up to 100+ hp. It's a huge difference even running a conservative map. Without downpipes or other bolt ons, probably in the neigborhood of 60-70 hp. The DCI helps and just sounds good.

[ofcounsel]

Depending on mods and map, up to 100+ hp. It's a huge difference even running a conservative map. Without downpipes or other bolt ons, probably in the neigborhood of 60-70 hp. The DCI helps and just sounds good.

Which is pretty impressive considering the base 300hp rating on the 335i is "conservative" I have an 08' myself, and I love it.

[zap]

Running an e85 mix, you will see noticable power gains but get lower MPG (e85 supposedly has 33% less energy per gallon).

Thanks. I think I understand now.

I did not cruise the forum you linked (way to much info to go through quickly) but did some quick research on a corvette forum.

From what I gather, ethanol can boost power due to higher octane rating and that it's cooler. So, it appears a high(er) compression turbo engine that's tuned can see hp gains.

Vented hood to improve cooling is probably a good idea too.