Bra and car cover

Car bras: Cons....Ugliest thing out there. To avoid a tiny paint chip you cover the whole front of your car with a big piece of vinyl that will probably scratch your paint.

Pros...If you just have to have one it will go well with your Members Only jacket.

Covers: Cons...cheap ones don't do well in the weather.

Pros...many types to suit just about anyone's needs - from simple dust covers to weather-tolerant space-age and custom-fit.

DP Pics of the cars:

bras: in my experience.....work OK on original paint, tend to abrade repaints, if moisture is trapped behind, can fog the paint. what works for me: fit it on carefully over perfectly clean paint, sit it in he sun so it conforms to surface.....then loosen all the straps except when actually driving the car.

covers: i haved covers for all my cars, most of which sit 99% of the time. then the covers get dusty and i have to take them to a commercial laundry to have cleaned. so now, i just cover the cars with a couple bedsheets that i can toss in the washer.

JC

Bras:

I had a bra on my 95 for a short time thinking it would help while I was commuting to the bay area. I had recently had the front end of my car refinished. I bought a good one. Iit fit well and didnt flap in the breeze.

After about a week, I had the misfortune to get stuck behind a slow moving dump truck on a two lane road where passing was prohibited. Keep in mind, I don't normally follow closely until I am ready to pass.

I watched in slow motion as a big ol chunk of mud bounced off of the truck. It bounced a time or two and hit my car sqarely on the nose. I was so relieved that the bra was on there thinking that my $200 plus dolars had just been justified. When I got home, I peeled it back to have a look just to be sure that it had done it's job.

When the mud ball hit my car some of it fell down just right through the grill screen and got between the cover and the bumper. It abraded the paint in the short time (30 miles) between the incident and the homecoming.

I took the bra off, and returned it, and then spent the following saturday buffing my bumper out again.

After that I got one of those little half bras. I used it until it wore out and it worked pretty well. It was easy to put off and on so I didn't have to leave it there when I wasn't commuting. It did look like crap, but my hood was pretty much chip free. I cannot say the same about the hood on this car. But these little nicks came with the car.

You should also be cautious with your fresh paint. Do not put a bra on it too soon. Particularly since the weather is cool. The paint takes a while to cure completely.

Covers: When I park mine for long periods, I have an inexpensive nylon cover for it. It pretty much keeps the big stuff off and is easy to store and wash.

Kate

Another option is to install a clear protector that covers the nose of the car. It is permanent solution that provides the protection of a bra with all the problems .

Skunkfeet opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m12.aol.com:

Bras = Audis, Infiniti's and Passats

Clear vinyl furniture covers at home

Is that your your kind of people?

I'd rather have chips in the paint!!!!!!!!!!

at 03 Dec 2004, Skunkfeet [ snipped-for-privacy@aol.com] wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m12.aol.com:

I use a bra on my 95 about 6 weeks out of the year. I have to, living in Florida where we have 3 to 4 weeks of lovebug season twice a year. If I did not, I would not have any paint left on the front or hood of my car as at about 80MPH those lil &##$&#^ will chip the paint right off when they hit. They are both hard as concrete and acidic as h*ll. Even with the bra, I carry bug remover, a gallon jar of water and a bug sponge to remove any of those nasty critters after a drive. Otherwise their acidity will kill the paint. :-( I know, I may be anal, but I still get compliments on Pony's paint job and she's almost 10 years old with the original paint.

I don't like the look of the bra, but it's a neccesary evil. Before putting it on I clean the car and wax the front with several layers to protect my paint before putting the bra on.

Note, my car has original paint. in the LeBra box is a piece of paper warning gainst use of a bra on cars that do not have to original factory paint as apparently it's easier to damage the paint.

I have a car cover as well, don't use it much as my car is garaged at home but it is in the trunk in case I have a job where I need to park under trees or in the blazing summer sun.

Love the bra on my 93GT. It is a factory bra, looks great and has never harmed the paint. I had an aftermarket on my 91 LX 5.0 and it did harm the paint. Either way, your choice...

Brad

Okay, thanks for all the input. I will not use a bra but will use a cover. The car is garaged and the cover will be just to keep the dust off. I live in Florida and during "lovebug seasons" I will clean them off right away. Thanks again!

When I bought my '80 it had a bra on it. The bra was in terrible shape and was the first thing to go. Unfortunately, it looked like hell because the paint under the nose didn't fade with the rest of the car.

We're putting on the primer on Monday :)

Skunkfeet,

Bras are a pain. Everytime you want to wash and wax your car, you will have to take it off and won't be able to put it back on until after the car dries. You really don't want to get that moisture trapped in between the bra and the paintjob. And don't believe all the "breathable" hype. When it comes to bras, its just hype. After taking and on and off constantly, the bra won't last long.

But the Pros is that you should be able to keep most of the rock chips away :)

-Tom

snipped-for-privacy@fastmustangparts.com

The clear 3M bra is probably a better way to go.... in many cases you can't even see it once they get it on "right"

Gerry Ft Collins, Co.

Isn't it kind of like a sheet of adhesive that sticks to the surface in a permanent kind of way?

I used something like that on my skis, it was more mess than anything.

Kate

I thought you were going to say you had a bra like that ;)

I don't care the type or method, every car bra will eventually mar your paint, by rubbing the paint itself or the road dirt trapped between it and the paint or by fogging the paint because of moisture. At very least your paint on the rest of the car will fade and the paint under the bra will not. The only way they work ok is if you never plan to take it off.

LMAO!

OUCH!

| > I used something like that on my skis, it was more mess than anything. | >

| > Kate | >

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