Don't have a lot of knowledge regarding the 3M protection or the bra. My personal preference is towards the looks on the vehicle. I think the bras take away from the lines and beauty of the car whereas the transparent film is barely noticeable on the cars I've seen. With that said, if I were looking for a solution I'd go with the 3M protection.
LeBra is so 1970's, get 3M, or if you can afford it, get XPEL Ultimate film, but most importantly you need to find a superb installer, otherwise you might as well get a LeBra.
And this is really your first post after joining in 2008?! That's got to be a record!
lol..yes it is my first post. Wow didnt realized it has been since 2008 since I joined. I've heard of XPEL too. Its really just for a one time use with this east to west coast drive I'm about to do.
Had 3M VentureShield on my 2012 civic and it was a great product. Excellent road wear and rock chip protection and I do about 20k miles/year.
Someone backed into my car in parking lot and it saved the paint from cracking and rusting on the hood where it bent. Hood took a couple dings and dents along the way and it held up, didn't peel, or make it look any worse than the damage under it. After that I decided I wouldn't spend the money again unless it were a $50k or more car...
Again, as mentioned, get a GREAT installer. Once it's on you have to live with it so be sure it's done right!
How about just Saran Wrap the front part of the hood for this one trip. You can then peel it off easily without residue. Keep bugs and dirt off. Very cheap and probably not very noticeable.
for an out of state trip I feel the OEM bra will do best job and its only temporary. I bought one off ebay 2 months ago for mine but haven't used it since its middle of winter.
I have the 3M bra installed on my car and I never have to give it a thought. Why not have one installed and leave it on the car permanently? If you're against that, then just go with one of those black clip-on monstrosities for your trip and take it off when you get there. you can throw it back on when you drive back.
the bra route is awful...an older civic of mine had a ton of paint go very dull because of the bra...i used to take it off after washing the car and let it dry and it still dulled the paint.
as for the 3m protection..i have that on my accord and its been a god send, especially in the winter months!!!
A bra is only bad if you used yours like my neighbor does and that means you're too lazy to take them off after you use them. And that is to leave it on the car all the time like you and he did. I have bras for several of my vehicles and they work as intended. Also my paint hasn't faded from using any of them. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I don't leave the bra on my cars all the time to trap in moisture and ruin my paint job. I take them off when my trips out of town are completed. Last but not least it does state that prolonged use of a bra may cause paint fade due to trapped moisture between the bra and the hood.
I had a bra on my 1975 Datsun 280Z and over time it left some scuffing on the paint. I had a 3M clear bra on my 2001 Miata and they cut the paint installing it. I think I'll just leave the EX alone and repair the chips from time to time.