The car bra was introduced by Bill Colgan to protect the front fascia on the Porsches of three German engineers from Lockheed back in 1961. A trim and upholstery worker by trade, he used polyvinyl chloride (vinyl for short). It looked a lot like leather and was always black. The term bra came from, of course, the under garment for ladies.
Having this on your vehicle in the 70’s made you the coolest cat on the block!
The clear version of this bra was first developed by the military in the Vietnam war. Helicopter rotor blades and other sensitive parts of military transports were often damaged by flying shrapnel and debris. To protect these parts, the military asked 3M to come up with a cost effective and inconspicuous solution. Called helicopter tape at the time, paint protection film was invented as the solution.
NASCAR took this invention to the track in the 80s to protect the front end of their race cars from track rubber, road debris, and close contact driving. This version of the black vinyl car bra was called clear bra. NASCAR teams still put film on their cars today, but that coverage now includes the entire car to protect the advertising their sponsors pay to have put on the vehicle!
This thermoplastic urethane, now called Paint protection film or PPF, has continued to evolve over the years and become cheaper, thinner, more flexible, hydrophobic, and self-healing.
Now available in a variety of colors and patterns in addition to the clear, it is on more vehicles you drive by than you may think!
The most common installations are on the front impact areas of the vehicle, but PPF can be applied to any painted surface. With new fashion films coming to market all the time, covering the whole vehicle is becoming more and more common.
We even have three different colors available to cover the lights on your vehicle!
We offer PPF from STEK and Kavaca in three standard packages and we have the ability to customize pieces as well. With the most common coverage packages starting under 1k, we can create something that will fit both your needs and budget.
It doesn’t matter if you are just looking to protect your investment, plan on hitting the track, or want to stand out in a crowd we can help you accomplish your goals.
Give us a call, drop an email, or stop by the shop for a customized quote to your needs and vehicle!
14286 169th Drive SE, Monroe, Washington, 98272
425-818-2820, info@apcautospa.com, apcautospa.com