Car bra?

Nobama · Post by **Nobama** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:40 am

I hear the factory paint on Vibes leave much to be desired when it comes to durability. I live in South Florida, and if the rumors are true then lovebug seasons may end with bare metal showing on my bumper.Anybody here have a bra? I never got one as I didn't like how they looked, but I guess it would look 10x better than a torn up front bumper.Thanks.

lovemyraffe · Post by **lovemyraffe** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:22 pm

I'm not a fan of the car bra. I've heard a bunch of bad things about the paint but have not experienced it personally.

AKLGT · Post by **AKLGT** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:45 pm

car bras can trap dirt and crap under neath it that will cause paint damage. I have a 3M clear bra on the entire front end of my car, have the front bumpers and hood done on my old LGT and on Mav's STI. He had just the front hood done on his 04 Vibe and it held up quite well, didn't even see it on the car.

Nobama · Post by **Nobama** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:05 am

How much did that cost?

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Fri Jul 03, 2009 12:41 pm

And where do you go to get one put on? I saw one installer at an auto show - the clear film was hard to even see. But the price sheet was something north of $600.

bikeman1 · Post by **bikeman1** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:08 am

I jumped in and bought a Magnet Bra today.....after looking at my wife's 2007 Neptune and checking out all the paint chicp flecks at the head of the hood. They are tiny but a multitude - and they won't be hard to touch up.....but I like the look of the black magnet bra (lets see how it looks in person). The price is reasonable. http://www.magnetbra.com/thanks to someone on this site for the tip

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:36 am

I got a quote yesterday from one of the 3M film installers - $795! Youch!

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:09 am

Okay - got a better quote at $550. Still don't know if I want to do it.

bikeman1 · Post by **bikeman1** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 3:45 am

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...stingAt this price, you could afford to try it out and pitch it if you don't like it. It is not the 3M film however. Safe bet that the 3M is thicker (8 mil).http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...l1116Let us know if you try one out and how it works....

L5K · Post by **L5K** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 4:09 pm

Go to a junkyard, find a car with a bra still attached and peel it back.Every car I've ever seen with a bra is sanded through the paint and rusty throughout the metal areas the bra covers after a few years. I'd take my chances with rock chips.

djkeev · Post by **djkeev** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 8:41 pm

Wax wax wax wax. Clean and wax your car religiously. It won't stop rock chip damage but the bugs? They'll slip right off with a sponge and water. Clean and wax the front again.The bra is ugly, stupid and causes other damage. The plastic overlay is a great idea but after a few years is chipped and damaged and needs to be renewed.Wax and clean, touch up chips as they occur, repaint when the need arises.I'm a fan of bras, just not on cars!That being said on any given day I prefer braless. Dave

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:34 am

Tomorrow I'm getting the clear bra installed for $550. It is actually "Venture Shield" rather than the 3M product, but I understand from talking to the installer that 3M bought them out though the product has not been substituted. I'm thinking I might even put on the side guards and then have them run some down the door ding zone.

vibolista · Post by **vibolista** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:37 pm

Magnet Bra 50 bucks and shipping. Thin clear film 550 bucks or more. So that's about 500 bucks in the bank if you went with the Magnet Bra instead of the thin clear film stuff. And if you read through their web site, you'll find that it says you can even paint the Magnet Bra to match the car. I'm going to try out the Magnet Bra. I've used regular car bras for many years, and they do take some maintenance to keep them from messing up the paint. A good quality bra should not mark the paint on your car hood, if you keep the hood clean and waxed. You should also rinse the back side of the car bra once in a while to keep debris from piling up under the thing. There are some environments where it might be better not to use a regular car bra. I don't think I would use one if I lived in a hot climate where rain is a daily event.

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:36 am

I don't like the looks of the magnet bra - the price is great (and you could buy 11 of them for the price of the clear urethane shield - not that you'd need to) but IMO they are only a small step up in appearance from a bug shield, which I've never liked. Never liked the looks of car bras either. They are like slip covers for seats. Protect the beauty of something by putting something ugly over it.That said, there's a lot of beauty to be found in functionality and economy.

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:19 pm

I've used a Perfect Fit car bra for four years now and I've had none of the bologna about scratching or peeling at all. In fact, I bet my front bumper cover looks better than 99% of '05 Vibes on the road. Now you do need to take it off when you wash the car and you do need to maintain the bumper cover (ie, wax it). But unless you're a completely lazy car owner and never wax it, the scratching/paint damage thing is a non-issue. As for spending $600+ on a 3M product, that's crazy, IMHO. Plus, though 3M claims to have fixed the yellowing issue, I still remember when they were sued over it (class action in AZ & NV). BTW: Everybody bags on the Vibe/Matrix paint quality, but my GSucks has the worst by far. The vehicle is three years old, paste waxed four times per year, nano-waxed bi-monthly, and the paint still failed on the front bumper cover. $405 to fix...

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:41 pm

I don't know if these photos are of much use, but there is not a single scratch or ding on the bumper cover. Still looks brand new, even with four years, 36k and a 4k road trip from Baltiwhore to Seattle on some very third-worldy highways. Oh yeah, the bra only cost me $60...http://img262.imageshack.us/im...1.jpgh ... im...f.jpg

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:35 am

Well, it does come with a lifetime warranty against discoloration, bubbling or peeling away. We'll see how it holds up. They also did the rear bumper top included in the price.At some angles it is impossible to detect unless you get within a foot or so - like when you are standing in front looking at the hood. But if you get out of the vehicle and look down at the hood the line is much more visible.All in all, I'm very satisfied and after getting many a stone chip on all the other cars I've owned, I am looking forward to that. BTW, I've never had paint fail on any vehicle I've owned, though an '86 Mitsubishi in solid red did fade pretty heavily until the plastic bumper covers looked almost pink and the rest of the car was a tomato orange.

PIROZOKIM · Post by **PIROZOKIM** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:23 am

A question that I hope someone can help with ideas, and or suggestions:I have a clear 3M bra on my white Toyota Solora. This was applied by a private business and not a Toyota dealership. Over the many years that it has been on, I believe the "yellowing" is caused by the auotmated car washes wax etc. Is there any product or anything I can do to combat the yellowing. I have seen similar bras on cars and theirs appear to be clear and shiny unlike mine. H- E- L- P- ? ? ? Thanks, PIROZOKIM~

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:55 am

If the yellowing is something deposited on the surface over time, you might be able to buff it off. They say you can treat the clear film just like paint. I'd contact 3M and see what they say (but if they have had lawsuits over "yellowing" in the past, they may just ignore you.

PIROZOKIM · Post by **PIROZOKIM** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:36 am

Okay, that sounds good, but what about the yellowing caused by "defective material" and GM having past lawsuits??? Is there something I can do with being in conjunction with this past lawsuit and the product I currently have on my car? I guess I need to call the private business (that is if they are still in business) and check with them.Thanks.PIROZOKIM~

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 1:46 am

Quote, originally posted by Cougar Vibe Â»Plus, though 3M claims to have fixed the yellowing issue, I still remember when they were sued over it (class action in AZ & NV).This is all that I was referring to - I personally had not heard of this issue, but it wouldn't surprise me with any new product, real world use often exposes a need to reformulate. A google search about the product with the word "lawsuit", "suit" or "complaint" might get you some good info.Hope you find it can be cleaned up. Who knows, maybe if not 3M might have some extended warranty program or something that would help cover some of the cost to re-do it.

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 6:28 am

The class action lawsuits I mentioned, if I remember correctly, were for 3M products prior to 2002 (I was living in Las Vegas then and remember reading about it in the local paper). It had nothing to do with any car manufacturer, only 3M...and I suspect, though I have no proof, that it was sun/heat related (AZ & NV). But I can imagine that the soaps and gimmicky waxes/sprays they use in those automated car washes could do something like that (not only to 3M products but car paint & plastics in general). Now how easy it would be to prove your case is another story...

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:13 pm

Just sharing some more of my experience regarding getting the clear bra put on.My car doesn't have fog lights. After the clear bra was installed I waited about a week and then took it thru the car wash. It looked like high pressure water blasting into the fog light blanks pried up the film on both sides. On the driver side it was the low outside corner. It lifted it on the bevel, not on the face of the bumper, if that makes sense. On the passenger side it lifted a very small amount right in the upper outside corner. Once lifted, dirt was trapped under the film.Something to watch for or maybe have the installer trim it out a bit in advance. The installer was able to trim it out just a bit and it looks fine and essentially undetectable - still looks like it could be machine cut even though it doesn't match from side to side.Also, I'd recommend having the entire hood done, if possible. The quarter hood is a bit more noticeable than I'd like. I got a quote after it was all done (to have the quarter hood removed and then the hood redone to cover all of it) but they want $280 on top of the $550 I already paid. I got the impression that it would have been much less than an extra $280 if I had it done in the first place. Something to consider.

ou.grizzly · Post by **ou.grizzly** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:32 am

Quote, originally posted by Cougar Vibe Â»I don't know if these photos are of much use, but there is not a single scratch or ding on the bumper cover. Still looks brand new, even with four years, 36k and a 4k road trip from Baltiwhore to Seattle on some very third-worldy highways. Oh yeah, the bra only cost me $60...http://img262.imageshack.us/im...1.jpgh ... ...f.jpgDo you do anything special to maintain the paint?

VforVIBE · Post by **VforVIBE** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:21 pm

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly Â»Do you do anything special to maintain the paint?Don't do it........ there is no saving the paint..............It falls right off!!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!one1!!!!

vibolista · Post by **vibolista** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:16 pm

Quote, originally posted by bikeman1 Â»I jumped in and bought a Magnet Bra today.....after looking at my wife's 2007 Neptune and checking out all the paint chicp flecks at the head of the hood. They are tiny but a multitude - and they won't be hard to touch up.....but I like the look of the black magnet bra (lets see how it looks in person). The price is reasonable. http://www.magnetbra.com/thanks to someone on this site for the tipTake a picture of it and let us see the magnet bra when you put it on and look at it in person. I'm thinking about getting one. They can be painted... although that kind of defeats the purpose of the thing. If it's painted... wouldn't it chip?A good fitting car bra, if you are able to keep it clean (like sometimes we don't because the weather, called winter, keeps it too cold or the sand is constantly being applied to the roads) won't do too much harm to the paint. It will protect from the zillions of little rock chips and hits that pile up after a while. I have a little hazy line along the back edge of the hood/bra on my old Saturn Winter Wagon, if you look at it in the sun, but no chips or damage. It has driven through 10 Winters.

bikeman1 · Post by **bikeman1** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:39 pm

Quote, originally posted by vibolista Â»Take a picture of it and let us see the magnet bra when you put it on and look at it in person. I'm thinking about getting one. They can be painted... although that kind of defeats the purpose of the thing. If it's painted... wouldn't it chip?A good fitting car bra, if you are able to keep it clean (like sometimes we don't because the weather, called winter, keeps it too cold or the sand is constantly being applied to the roads) won't do too much harm to the paint. It will protect from the zillions of little rock chips and hits that pile up after a while. I have a little hazy line along the back edge of the hood/bra on my old Saturn Winter Wagon, if you look at it in the sun, but no chips or damage. It has driven through 10 Winters. I'll get out and snap a picture when we get some sun. winter has arrived.The bra looks great and has kept its shape since the install. Unlike the old Le Bra things, it is form-fitting -- even a small speck of dirt underneath would show. But no sand could get in there (unlike the old bras) Also, to get a good install, I think you would need very warm conditions, and probably summer sun. A cold bra would be a real pain!!!I am not sure about the paint part. I think it would crack and chip. The surface is like vinyl, slightly soft and a little slick. You would probably have to rough it up to have a chance of getting it to hold, and prime it. Check with the vendor, but my guess is leave it blackBM

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:06 am

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly Â»Do you do anything special to maintain the paint?Not really...no clay bar, no bi-weekly detail with polish/wax/sealer, no obsessive/compulsive routine.Pretty much this is it, since new:1) Paste wax twice a year with "Mother's California Cleaner Wax" (it's carnuba, but with a wee-bit of polish compound in it); A 3-4 hour job.2) Wash & dry every 7-10 days, regardless of the weather or season (winter can tough, but I get it done); A half-hour to hour job, again depending on weather.3) After every wash I lightly buff the car with a microfibre towel and "Eagle One Nanowax" (Spray); ten minutes.4) Splash guards, grill inserts and tires get a wipe down with "Mother's Back to Black" or, if low on product, some tire shine; ten minutes.5) Car bra itself: I vacuum the back of it and treat the front with a little low-gloss interior detailer (Meguiar's or Mother's). Every three months or so I also throw the whole shebang into a washing machine, on the "delicate" cycle. One caveat though about my result: My Vibe is garage parked overnight...

03VibeOttawa · Post by **03VibeOttawa** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:29 am

This thread keeps getting bumped/added to, so I am going to add my $.02 so I can let go of reading it every time. (disagree if you will) :-)I think the LeBra for the 03-08 is fantastic. The paint on the front bumper cover of the 03-08 is a joke, and gets pitted and scratched if you look at it the wrong way. Clear bra is fine if your car is brand new and you have mega $ to keep it looking that way. If your front bumper cover is aesthetically compromised, I'd say put a bra on your car and forget about the front of your car below your hood. I've seen so many people in this thread say a bra will damage your paint..if it is already chipped beyond an easy touch-up...who cares? Put a bra on, and spend your money on power and suspension mods (or whatever else floats your boat) instead.

ou.grizzly · Post by **ou.grizzly** » Fri Dec 11, 2009 12:45 pm

I ordered a LeBra Car Bra for my 09 Vibe earlier this week. We shall see how it goes.

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:29 am

Here are some pics of mine (not a LeBra, but CarBra):

Kincaid · Post by **Kincaid** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:59 am

Why am I am reminded of...

vibolista · Post by **vibolista** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:31 pm

Yea, but he won't get any nose chips this Winter. They sanded the roads early today and on my way to work, several fast movers (headed the opposite way I was) sprayed my Vibe with a bunch of small rocks. I waited too long to cover up the nose... so I'm sure that nose paint degradation has started. I was moving as slow as I could, to reduce the impacts. Ah, well.

Cougar Vibe · Post by **Cougar Vibe** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:08 am

Quote, originally posted by Kincaid Â»Why am I am reminded of...Hmmm...that would be a pretty cool vanity plate emblem; pretty sure people would get out of my way if they saw that in the rear view mirror.That said, the worst comment I ever got about my Vibe was when my neighbor asked me how much of a rebate I got for buying an "Aztec." We don't talk much anymore...

Car bra?

Car bra?

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took the plunge

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