Picked up this USB a few months ago with 24k miles. Overall the car was in great condition but the paint needed some decent correction.

I got the paint corrected and tried wrapping the entire hood but failed. My first attempt in handling any clear bra install. I will have to give it another try next week

Disregard the dull front bumper the old faded clear bra was still on and we didn't touch it since I will be repainting the front bumper.

Meanwhile, I am waiting for a long list of parts to arrive; LED HL, Volks TE37 Ultras, and BC Coils. Still trying to decide on lip and diffuser.

Before:






50/50



After:





Clear bra attempt:

Great job! What products and machine did you use?

Looks great! Please post these threads in the Club Lexus Detailing forum in the future it helps members of all models review and reference your products, process, and results.

(mod, consider moving to detailing sub forum)

USB looks sick with paint correction. Which products did you use for correcting and protecting? Im a menzerna 'guy' myself for correcting my MM but USB looks just stunning. Great job.

Looks like Meguiars correction compound/polish and M105/M205 in the reflections.. Both great products, easy to work with, cheap, and very effective.

Did you do the correction yourself or did a shop do it for you?

Regarding the clear bra, why not let a pro do it instead of trying to install it for the first time on a freshly corrected paint? Not trying to be negative but all those adhesives, spray, and film going back and forth to the corrected fender doesnt look too good.

Have you considered coatings or are you firm on wrapping?

BTW the car looks fantastic looks like you took the time to do good work. Its gonna be tough maintaining that puppy but with the correct procedures you shouldnt need to go back aggressive paint correction rather light polishes.

Both products serve entirely different purposes.

Clear bra is applied to protect a given area from damage resulting from minor impacts (most commonly chips from rocks and debris on the road). Nano coatings provide protection from environmental contamination, but provide no protection against rock chips or any other form of impact.

Ideally, a vehicle would have both clear bra and a nano coating applied for the best of bother worlds. The clear bra is applied onto nicely polished paint, and the nano coating is applied on top of the clear bra to help protect the surface from environmental contamination while also making it much easier to clean and maintain.

Do I really need Paint Protection Film (PPF) aka Clear Bra? by Ivan Rajic
Which Paint Protection Film (PPF) is Right For Me? by Ivan Rajic
The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern
Paint Coatings: Why You Should Give Them a Shot by Reece @ DI

With proper washing and drying technique, the owner should only have to deal with light wash induced marring. Swirl marks will not be introduced when careful washing procedures are followed and high quality products are used. As you mentioned, only light polishing should be needed throughout the rest of the ownership... never any real correction work.

How To Properly Wash and Dry a Car by Todd Cooperider
Clear Coat Preservation: Are You Polishing Too Often? by Zach McGovern

I did not do the correction myself. k20trick is correct, Meg M105 and M205 was used on but I am not sure on with what pad.

I will be coating the car with multiple coats of Ceramic Pro 9h. Just as zmc said, coating and clear bra serves two different purpose. Although technology has evolve greatly I do not have 100% confidence that ceramic coating is strong enough to embrace rock chip damage which is why I will be wrapping the entire front end. Quite honestly its not that difficult but I was pressed for time and wasn't able to give the process the time required to properly lay it down.

I am always up for a challenge and also try to do the work myself. I would have tackled the paint correction myself but I was in the process of moving and couldn't find time. Now that the car has been freshly restored and I am settled I will be applying the coating myself.

Once the PPF is installed, I will coat the entire car but in the meanwhile the car got a few coats of Pinnacle soveran.

Trust me, ceramic coatings do NOTHING for rock chips. No matter how many coats you apply.

Clear bra is the way to go for protection from small impacts.

I'd have to agree with serving differences, but in the end your forgetting that both serve as a protection to the paint in one way or another so while they may be differences, the #1 priority is to protect.

Which is why I stated that ideally you would apply both

Installing the clear film is an art.....especially around corners and curves....I bought bulk film and was tinkering with it on my cars....its not as easy as you would think.

The car looks great.

wow I need this done to my car as well but have to get some imperfection repair first...

What are you using for wax or sealant? (I'm assuming you haven't coated the paint yet?)


Don't forget to pick up something like CarPro Reload to maintain your coating!

Very nice work. Putting the time into these cars does pay off.

Love the USB, was my first color choice, but couldn't find it.

Poor car was probably taken to the local car wash by someone who did not know what they own......

Lol or the dealer washed it with every service :s

With the new coatings it makes maintenance significantly easier. I just coated my F a few weeks ago. I had some Wolfs Chemical Hard body lying around that I never had a chance to use on my last car, a WRB WRX. it's not as advanced as the new stuff, but it is said to last up to 2 years with two coats, and it is super hydrophobic. I remember watching videos of a guy hitting his car with the butt end of lighter and not even leaving a mark. (Not to say that's a great test, but I found it interesting)