www.carbras.com 05 bra

[Pick]

I just installed one i got from http://www.carbras.com and here is my review/ordealThe bra seems to be very well built, but those metal tabs (about 20 of them) you have to bend over around the edges is a true pain in the (removed). The fit is very good also.Now the not so fun part, i only put on the lower part, i did not install the hood cover, apparantly their source has decided to only manufacture the full hood cover, not just the skinny one that goes across the front of the hood. I didn't know this when i ordered from them. I can't stand the way those full hood bras look, since the 04 and 05 hoods are the same, i have asked them to trade me hood covers for the style i want, i'm still standing by for their response.When i ordered they were out of stock, they told me over the phone it would be in, in a few days so i ordered, then i get an email says it will be 7 to 10 business days, i say ok (i really needed the bra for 3 trips i made but didn't have a choice, http://www.autoanything.com had already cancelled my bra order because they didn't know when they would get some in) a month goes by, i emailed them and asked "What's up with my order?", they then send my bra to me and now i have the style of hood protector i don't want. I'm really hoping they exchange it for me, they didn't mention it on the phone when i ordered and most every picture on their web site has the style of hood bra i want, so i really think they owe it to me to get it right.

[Mavrik]

false advertising if the picture of the Vibe with it on is not the one you keep getting. I agree those tabs are a pain in the (removed) as I had to bend them into place myself on mine. I found needle nose plyers worked best for that. Hardest part for me was getting it to fasten in the wheel wheel.

[Pick]

Update: They asked me to send back my full hood protector and they would send me the smaller hood protector from an 02-04.Hooray! It unfortunately cost me $8.55 to send it back, but at least i'll be happy with it.

[ragingfish]

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »false advertising if the picture of the Vibe with it on is not the one you keep getting.Unless there were recent changes to the site, there are no pictures of a Vibe to be had on that site, so technically, there's no false advertising.That being said, glad to see the company is going to make good on a customer concern.

[Pick]

You're right, but look at every picture they have of every car, none of them have the full hood protector nor was it mentioned when i bought it.

[Mr. Poopypants]

Pick, be careful with those bras, they will beat the crap out of the paint underneath it.

[Pick]

Roger roger, i've had a few bras and never had problems. I just take it off every so often and wash/dry it, wax the front end. The damage i get from rock chips is far worse than anything the bra could do. The front end of every car i've had that i didn't put one on was all torn up. I do alot of highway driving (about 36k miles a year) and the bugs/rocks/road debris do a number on my front end.

[Mr. Poopypants]

You are on top of things. When I used to detail cars, people would come in and ask if we could do anything with the paint under the bra, I almost had to ask, what paint?, there wasn't much left and what was left was all scratched with no more clear coat. I always give a little heads up with the bras, not everyone knows about the damage they can do.

[hjwii]

I'll preface this by saying I ordered one of those bras, and if you look pass the 182 tabs and the full hood cover, it looks pretty good. Grranted, I may never take off the bottom half... those 217 tabs will take a while, and the wheel wells are a @#$%^&..But, you mentioned the damage to the paint. Now, I dunno about you all, but after 2 bottles of touchup, 40K miles of bugs and stones and dirt... well, I dont have much paint left on the hood. And the bottom facia is all cut up and chipped and even peeling. So, as I see it, it's the lesser of two evils...Just an observation...hjwii

[Mr. Poopypants]

I understand where you are coming from, but I don't really have the chipping problem, I have 2 small chips on the hood and one on the fender, they are barely noticable unless you are looking for them. And I've had the Vibe for almost 3 years. I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.

[Pick]

Quote, originally posted by Mr. Poopypants »I understand where you are coming from, but I don't really have the chipping problem, I have 2 small chips on the hood and one on the fender, they are barely noticable unless you are looking for them. And I've had the Vibe for almost 3 years. I guess I'm just one of the lucky ones.I've had mine for a few month and have over 8k on the clock, i already have a few chips on the hood i had to touch-up, that's why i'm ticked about waiting so long to get the hood protector.

[hjwii]

I counted when I did my first touch up session, which was at about 20K... 27 lil chips... all over the hood and above the windshield. And, I would say I have no less then 20 more... Of course, I've had my car for almost 10 months, 42K on it (averaging 34+ MPG ) and drive the interstate at 75 mph behind gravel and sand trucks for 150 miles a day. On my third windshield as well. So, maybe my driving schedule is a lil extrordinary....hjwii

[Man of Steel]

Hey, I got one of those bras from Carbras.com. I was the one who first mentioned and posted it. I too was a little disappointed with the hood portion at first but overall, you have to admit it's well made, has a nice fit and offers great protection. With all the stuff that these cars and trucks kick up and the way most cars are poorly painted today, the added protection is needed. Yeah, its a bit excessive but it only has impress one person----me. You can always just run with the bottom part of the bra and just use the top part in the winter. Around here that when stone chips seem to be the worst.I mentioned in a previous post that I had a Colgan bra on my Hyundai for about 3 years. It did absolutely no damage to the paint. I kept in on constantly and removed it just about every time I washed and would apply a quick coat of wax before slipping it back on. Most of the time it wasn't completely dry when I slipped it back on either, however I found that it dries out as you drive it around. Another reason why I think I ddin't get any paint damage was that it had a tight fit like the one I just got so it doesn't slide around and is made from a breathable material. Agree the metal tabs you mentioned are a pain but the Colgan had them too. Once you get them bent right the first time I find it comes off and on easily.The other bra you mentioned from autoanything if I'm not mistaken doesn't carry a five year warranty like the one from Carbras.com, and may not be made as well. Carbras also makes the claim that you can leave theirs on your car if it get wet, something the other manufacturers don't do.

[Pick]

Yep, i'd have to agree with all of that. I just don't like the full hood protector and would have liked to know before buying it, i sent back the hood piece as requested and it should have been delivered over 2 weeks ago, i have yet to see my replacement hood piece.

[Pick]

Quote, originally posted by Pick »Update: They asked me to send back my full hood protector and they would send me the smaller hood protector from an 02-04.Hooray! It unfortunately cost me $8.55 to send it back, but at least i'll be happy with it.I got it back to them over 3 weeks ago, still haven't received my hood replacement from them, their response last monday was that it was already sent and should be here anytime, that was a 10 days ago

[Cougar Vibe]

Pick,Did you ever get the right hood cover from Carbras? I'm thinking of ordering one tomorrow, but I too don't want a massive hood cover either. Cougar Vibe

[Pick]

Sorry, i haven't been around for a month. Yes i finally got it a couple of weeks ago. Very happy with the look/fit of it.