I enjoy working on my car and take pride in maintaining its appearance. But as the number of construction projects in this area continues to increase, it's become harder to do so. Moreover, I started noticing a corresponding increase in the number of rock chips caused by stones, gravel and related debris kicked up by trucks, buses and other vehicles driving in front me. Disconsolate and frustrated, I was desperate to find a way to protect the front of my beloved car from these projectiles before it got any worse.

Coincidentally and in response to similar inquiries from customers, I was asked to research and identify a product and reputable company that Curry's Auto could recommend. Knowing that there are really only three viable solutions; i.e., vinyl bras, magnetic contact sheets, and clear urethane films, I decided to fully research the advantages and disadvantages of each before making my recommendation.

Magnetic car bras, like those sold by Magnetbra, are made from a safety-coated, flexible magnetic sheet. The safety-coated magnetic sheet is designed to conform to the front hood and will not abrade the paint even with long-term use. Because of the complex hood designs on some vehicles, however, magnetic car bras are not available for a large number of automobiles. While this product is the easiest of the three materials to install and remove - and at $44.95, one of least expensive solutions - it also offers the smallest area of coverage, is not compatible with non-metallic bodywork; i.e., plastic, carbon fiber or fiberglass, and as related above, it's only available for a limited number of vehicles.

Vinyl bras are also called car masks, front-end covers, and hood bras. The (typical) black outer vinyl shell is UV-resistant and made to look like leather or carbon fiber and is lined with a soft polyester material. The original style is the most popular and is fitted to cover all painted frontal surfaces, principally the fender, hood and oftentimes the leading edge of the fenders, and usually comes in two-pieces: one for the hood and one for the bumper/fender. Ranging in price from $34-$590, most vinyl bras are functional looking at best, and at worst, are unattractive and detract from the car. And if left on for extended periods, the paint under the bra will become cloudy and/or fade at a different rate than the rest of the car. While offering excellent front-end protection from rocks, it is, nonetheless, a high-maintenance product that needs to be removed often and cleaned since it can trap dirt and moisture.

Urethane films were initially developed to protect the leading edge of helicopter rotor blades against sand and dirt. For automobile applications, they are generically referred to as invisible bras or clear bras. The clear film is constructed of a tough, 6-14ml, urethane (thermoplastic) film with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing. Manufactured primarily by 3M and VentureShield, these films can be applied directly to almost any painted surface, of any age, after it has been thoroughly cleaned and prepped. It is a semi-permanent solution that can be removed without damaging the underlying paint and conforms to the curves of a vehicle's hood, fender, headlights, mirrors and front bumpers. While not totally invisible, it does offer the same level of protection as a two-piece vinyl bra application - without the headache of having to remove it before or after every foul-weather encounter. Furthermore, the same inhibitors contained in the film that prevent it from yellowing also allow UV rays to penetrate, which means the paint underneath the urethane will fade at the same rate as the rest of the car. Each kit is specific for each vehicle, but with professional installation (recommended), this is the most expensive solution by far; $150-$300 for kits and an addition $200-$800 for installation.

While each of the aforementioned products has an advantage over the others, I came to the conclusion that the urethane films offer the best long-term solution - especially if the car is a daily driver and/or driven year around. The superior coverage offered by these products, their durability, and the fact that they are virtually invisible and require no additional maintenance combine to make the invisible bra a protective and aesthetic winner.

This part of my assignment, however, turned out to be the easiest. I next had to identify a reputable company. There are literally dozens of businesses out there competing for a slice of this lucrative market with impressive-sounding names like Star Shield Armor, RockBlocker, Invinca-Shield, and Protective Film Technologies, just to name a few. But in order to objectively determine which was best, I developed a set of criteria that I could use to evaluate each company. This included years of experience, reputation, product warranty, template design and type of film.

A review of the clear urethane films offered by Lumar, Avery Denison, 3M, and VentureShield, for example, revealed that 3M is the only one to incorporate a clear coat on its film. Knowing how effective clear coats are on the painted surfaces of automobiles, it seemed logical to want this added protection on the film too. As a result, I was able to eliminate a large number of invisible bra installers who do not use 3M films.

Thanks to the Internet, I was then able to compare one company's template against another for the same model car. I deduced that designs that yielded the most coverage with a minimum number of seams and relief cuts would be the least visible and provide the best protection. In the end, those that offered templates designed by PROFORM™ appeared to have the least number of "pieces" to their kit while providing the broadest coverage. This further reduced the list to just a handful of installers. Of those, only one had the reputation, experience (9 years) and warranty (Lifetime Paint Protection Guarantee) that I was ultimately looking for: Protective Film Technologies (www.pftfilms.com; 703-944-7076).

I then arranged to have Skip Vachon of PFT install a paint protective film kit on the hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors of my car. Not only have I stopped "collecting" rock chips, but of those I already had, the urethane film seems to have hidden them. And as advertised, its almost impossible to see and virtually maintenance-free. All I have to do is wash/wax it whenever I wash/wax the car. Skip added that his film is also OEM approved for all makes and models and insurance companies will reimburse the cost of the product and installation in the unfortunate event the car is involved in an accident.

Ideally, it's best to have the film applied when a vehicle is new and undamaged. However, this isn't absolutely necessary, as it was in my case. Skip says he routinely applies his kits to track cars to keep stones from further damaging their hood and bumpers. Almost one year later, I can attest the 3M film that Skip installed is without exception the best automotive-related purchase I've made to date. Protective Film Technologies is the only company that Curry's uses and recommends for this work.