Bra lines and paint damage

**TurboTodd** · 03-10-2010, 06:46 PM

Removed my clear bra for a good detail. The clear bra was only on the car for about six months. Then I noticed a edge line where the bra used to be. So I tried goo gone no luck.
So I grabbed the PC and some Klasse all in one and an orange LC pad, nothing. Time to get serious I try some Pinnacle advance swirl remover with a yellow pad. Line is still there

Now while trying to remove the line I think I have damaged the paint. Is it possible I burned the paint? I never held the PC in one spot but I did concentrate one 12"x12" area at a time moving the PC slowly.

Is there anything I can do to remove the lines and that blemish?

I am about ready to give up, remove the hood and have it repainted.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

**A4 1.8tqm** · 03-10-2010, 07:09 PM

To me that blemish looks like you have removed all of the clear coat in the area. if I'm right, your best bet is too have it taken care of by a pro.

**Brennan Beasley** · 03-10-2010, 07:26 PM

Looks to me like clear coat is gone!! Hope Im wrong. I have seen this a few time especially on vehicles with a repaint. My advise on a repaint car is once its on leave it.

**TurboTodd** · 03-11-2010, 04:35 AM

Thanks for the input

Is there a way to confirm that the clear is gone?

If I went thought the clear would I have seen color on the pad?

Is there a way to repair or add clear?

**A4 1.8tqm** · 03-11-2010, 06:26 AM

You should see color on the pad if the clear is gone, maybe try lightly working the area with a finishing polish by hand to check. Has the car been repainted? As far as repaints go, I thought that "generally" a repainted car has much thicker coats and is safer to work on (and needs it), and factory paint is thin, so wet sanding/heavy correction is not recommended.

If so, you "could" tape it off, spray a few coats of rattle-can clear, and wet sand/polish to blend the tape lines. I say "could" because even though it is possible to achieve, removing paint tape lines is not easy. I have successfully blended clear coat tape lines on the lower area of a bumper, tape lines completely gone, but after hours of slow and careful (learn-by-doing) sanding. Your working on the hood and if it's not perfect it will show.

**TurboTodd** · 03-11-2010, 11:43 AM

I took some Klasse all in one on a white cotton towel and rubbed it in good. No color at all on the towel rubbing it in or buffing it off.

I purchased the car when it was seven years old so I don't know if it has been repainted. If it was repainted they did a good job you certainly can't tell.

The paint on the car otherwise is in excellent condition. It was never a daily driver and was well taken care of. I was just trying to get that bra line off.

The bra line is still there BTW.

**OCDetails** · 03-11-2010, 12:29 PM

It is tough to see from the pictures, but it is possible that the adhesive has leeched into the paint. I've seen that kind of thing before with clear bras. This is why they should never be removed. Once you put one on, you are married to it. It's not that they damage the paint, but the rest of the paint will get damaged and the part under the bra will be preserved for the most part. You'll end up with mismatched paint no matter how you look at it. They are meant to be kept on once you apply them. Replace as needed, but you are married to the material.

**TurboTodd** · 03-11-2010, 05:43 PM

Well looks like I did go thought the clear coat. I didn't have anything to lose so I thought I would give it another go. This time with just an lake country orange pad and the pinnacle. The spot just got larger. Just goes to show ya you can damage paint with a PC.

I will pop the hood off and get it repainted. I will have to think long and hard before I install another clear bra.

Thanks everyone for your input

**A4 1.8tqm** · 03-13-2010, 01:38 AM

Too bad a paint shop can't just repaint the clear only, the color coat is fine... Good luck!

**oldmodman** · 03-13-2010, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by A4 1.8tqm

Too bad a paint shop can't just repaint the clear only, the color coat is fine... Good luck!

They can. A neighbor had the clear starting to fail on his Volvo wagon and let his brother take care of it. He owned a pretty decent collision repair shop. He pulled off all the molding, trim, and door handles. Wet sanded the car with 800 grit sanding discs on an air PC. Then shot the car with three coats of high build clear. The color looked fine, even where the clear had failed.
It still need to be finish sanded and polished, but the owner doesn't seem to care enough about the orange peel. Since it was done by his brother it was free. If someone had just driven in for an estimate, with the same car, it would have been $1600.00