Thoughts on bras
 

Now there's a loaded question......

Haven't seen one yet in real life or any pictures on this forum.

I always thought they were excessive on other cars, but now that I have a black GT, I'm starting to see a couple of very minor chips, not to mention bugzilla guts all over my nose.

My GT is black so a bra would be less noticable. The alternative is 3M clear mask, but I'm not comfy with the permanancy of the install.

What do you think? Do real men wear bras?

Tom

Let's see...

3M clear film that is NOT permanent

OR

a leather bra which have been proven to rub the paint away underneath as it vibrates from the wind.

Seems like a no-brainer to me.

I bought a bra for a minivan many years ago and I was so glad I never tried a bra for one of my 'good' cars. I followed the directions thoroughly and really cranked down on all the straps to negate the 'flapping' at highway speeds. No matter what I did the bra caused serious clear coat problems that took a great amount of effort to remove. Never a bra again. Bugs and a few rock chips are minor in comparison.

I like them on the floor. That being said they sometimes look alright but like stated above they tend to rub the clear coat off. I've never really like the clear stuff either. just keep her covered with a good coat of sealer and wax and hope for the best.

I have the 3m clear bra on my s2000. While I haven't removed it, I have been told multiple times that it is easily removed.

They require a different kind of care though, the bugs supposedly can stain the mask (remove them quickly) but they won't chip the paint.

On a black car, the drawback to the clear bra will be avoiding wax buildup on the edge of the clear bra. You can avoid the seam by doing the whole hood and fenders, but you are looking at about $1500 for that job...

My opinion is if one needs protection for the front of the car get the clear bra. I don't even see the old school bras as an option any more.

Also look into "Road Wrap," the spray-on clear bra by 3m, and Road Warrior Plus. They all have a unique combination of invisibility, price, and life span.

One more note on the clear bra I'm bringing over from another thread: I'm told the 3m clear mask takes a learned technique to apply when curves are involved, so you probably need to pay a professional for the bumper, but there may be certain "easy" panels you can save money by doing yourself. Of course you can also waste money by screwing it up, so that's part of the decision process too.

If you get the right Bra you will never have a problem. To many people buy the cheap bras and wonder why the paint looks bad.

Buy the Best Colgan Customs or CoverCraft. Colgan is tops.

Wax the car and install on a hot day. If installed correctly you will never have an issue.

I have had them on all of my cars and trucks. Lets see how good a 3M clear bra works on the interstate when a rock from a truck hits your front end.

With the Bra nothing happens. You just take if off clean it out and don't leave it on after a rain.

Never had an issue.

Plus in Love Bug season you take it off clean it up no bugs on car Just windshield.. Makes for a very fast clean up.

Here's the Colgan Bra I bought from Auto Anything brother. I have only used it for a cross country trip of approx. 5K miles, but was fairly pleased as it did keep bugs, rocks, etc. away from the paint. Ultimately that's all I need a bra to do, because I do not leave it one the car. It was on the front for approx. three weeks in all kinds of weather, and did not cause any problems with the paint. See below for problems.

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/...ps14346199.jpg

Attachment 192688

Here is the problems with the bra. The tabs would not stay between the light covers, and the bumper no mater how many times I pushed them in. The hook that hold the bra around the wheel openings were tricky and didn't look secure, but they did hold without any problems. Colgan doesn't seem to care about the problems with the bra. I contacted them, sent them the pictures, and they said they would be in contact with me. Good thing I didn't hold my breath. Would I recommend it for everyday used, NO. But, if you need one from a long trip it's cheaper than repainting rocks chips, etc. And surprisingly the little dams that keep the hood piece from flapping also help keep bugs off the windshield.

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0eeab78f.jpg

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/...psd6297a85.jpg

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/...psf076b5ae.jpg

BTW, it is a two to three beer process to put on the first time. :)

No doubt they offer pretty good protection but... you have to be a fanatic on removing it after a drive in rain, snow, even real humid weather. The cotton underneath wicks moisture and clouds your paint. I've had them on two previous cars and it happened both times. Even though I would try my best, sometimes getting home late after driving through slushy snow and then to grab those wet muddy corner and underneath tabs was a mess. Then where do you put it to dry out well during winter? So I skipped a few times and sure enough, clouded the hood.

So I'm with 3M now and love it! Added it to my other car too.

You can't see it until close and so yes it is a compromise but I want some protection up front from bug juice. And heck, that leatherette mask/bra is a compromise on looks too! ;)

Bras are great for a long trip but highly don't recommend them permanently. The bra defeats the purpose of preventing scratches.

Keep the front end waxed, dont tailgate, pray , and understand that no matter what you do, you're gonna get chips as long as you drive.

I assumed you intended to put the bra on and leave it on for the life of the car. If you only plan to use it occasionally for long highway trips and take it off to dry and whatnot, then it is a good choice for rock protection. But I would never put one on and leave it on for any length of time.

^^These are my favorite kind of bra. :D
NEVER on a muscle car. :fear:

I'd go clear. Never been a fan of the leather ones.

Some much double meaning in this statement. Lol

Nothing wrong with leather.. :D

Some cars they look fine on, not Mustangs.

Good grief those bras are hideous looking and completely outdated. Sorry bro. I would just of used 3M clear bra.

I don't disagree with you at all my friend. In no way did I put it on for looks. It served it's purpose, and will be on the shelf in the garage until we take another long road trip.

Lol! It does keep the rock chips off and other road hazards off.

OOOOORR, you could not have an ugly bra on the front of your car that you have to put on on a hot day and take off every time to clean it.

With an xpel clear bra it self heals from any damage, wipes clean with zero effort, and is completely invisible.

So much for "the best"....

If you're taking a long drive, then a leather bra is fine temporarily. But a leather bra should never be considered permanent. If you never take it off, then why worry about the paint...No one will ever see it. But if you were worried about rock chips looking bad, well a bra looks worse.

If it's permanent, clear bra of some type or nothing at all.