GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I was curious if anyone has any experience, thoughts or suggestions regarding the car bras for a 09/10 (or any year really) Vibe? I've never had / used them before, but I am considering getting one for my 09 GT. While I am not really a fan, I need a solution for the awful "love bug" problem we have down here in Florida. They usually creep up in the spring and fall each year and are awful little things. There can be tons of them, and if they don't get cleaned off the car soon, they can etch into and ruin the paint (sometimes in as little as an hour, but usually a bit longer) which I have often seen and also experienced myself . I am tired of constantly having to worry about the paint getting ruined and always cleaning off / wiping down the front end of the car every time I drive it. I am thinking this may be a viable temporary solution for when the little buggers are out! Any thoughts?

I think it will work out fine, but you'll need to remember to clean under the bra at least once a week. If in dusty conditions, I recommend daily. As long as the weather is warm, you can remove it, dust it off, clean your car's front end, and get it back on in like 30 minutes.

You could also use a spray on car bra. Plastidip is great for paint protection, lasts 3-5 years, repairs easily, can be peeled off if you want, and costs far less than a regular bra that can damage your paint.
here's a link to doing a bra.
http://youtu.be/_WpjxNovvIU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And here is how to pull the tape for razor sharp lines.
http://youtu.be/2kBWaSDmj0g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I actually just saw a commercial today for a new product from 3M. It's called Paint Defender and it's just like a clear bra, but you spray it on and it's not permanent. It peels right off whenever you want, sort of like PlastiDip I guess, but clear. Looked very interesting.

vibenvy wrote:I actually just saw a commercial today for a new product from 3M. It's called Paint Defender and it's just like a clear bra, but you spray it on and it's not permanent. It peels right off whenever you want, sort of like PlastiDip I guess, but clear. Looked very interesting.

Plastidip comes in clear.
Dipyourcar.com is the source for everything plastidip. They do sell black, white, and clear at Walmart though.

ajb812 wrote:I was curious if anyone has any experience, thoughts or suggestions regarding the car bras for a 09/10 (or any year really) Vibe?

This guy (Rodney1t1) JUST sold his Red Vibe GT and is somewhere in Georgia. If you saw his post viewtopic.php?f=46&t=40904&p=482647#p482647" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; he originally had some pics of the Vibe wearing a rather LARGE Bra He would be a good one to contact and get feedback. Since the car is officially sold, he took the pictures down.

Thank you everyone for the input / suggestions / advice!

hotbug1776 wrote:Plastidip comes in clear.

I have seen a lot of people here use plastidip for various things, but didn't know it was available in clear so I never thought of using it as a spray on car bra before.

tpollauf wrote:This guy (Rodney1t1) JUST sold his Red Vibe GT and is somewhere in Georgia. If you saw his post viewtopic.php?f=46&t=40904&p=482647#p482647" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; he originally had some pics of the Vibe wearing a rather LARGE Bra He would be a good one to contact and get feedback. Since the car is officially sold, he took the pictures down.

Yes, I did catch that. IIRC, the one on his car was just the top (hood) piece. I would most likely be looking at the hood and bumper. Seeing those pics made me think the hood and bumper bra would probably be a bit gaudy looking, but maybe would be a bit more subtle since my car is black.

vibenvy wrote:I actually just saw a commercial today for a new product from 3M. It's called Paint Defender and it's just like a clear bra, but you spray it on and it's not permanent. It peels right off whenever you want, sort of like PlastiDip I guess, but clear. Looked very interesting.

Thanks for pointing this out - it looks pretty cool! I had not heard of it, but since you have mentioned it I noticed a commercial for it the other day.

3M Auto wrote: 3M™ Paint Defender Spray Film sprays on anywhere on the car’s paint and dries to a clear, durable film for virtually invisible protection. This clear film defends against a range of elements, including love bugs and other airborne insects; gravel, sand and grit in warm-weather climates; winter road grime in cold-weather conditions; and rocks and other paint chip-causing road debris anywhere.

It seems like a viable and less expensive alternative to a clear bra. They also say it provides up to 80% of the protection of a traditional clear bra. Seems to provide pretty good protection and is easily removable. I do like this idea better then a traditional car bar which I am a bit concerned about dirt and whatnot getting behind it and rubbing / scratching the paint, although I would only use it when needed.

Thankfully the bugs haven't been too bad yet, so hopefully it will give me some time to think about it...

Thanks again everyone!

http://youtu.be/3h6LLbgRw5A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ajb812 wrote:Seeing those pics made me think the hood and bumper bra would probably be a bit gaudy looking, but maybe would be a bit more subtle since my car is black.

It seems like a viable and less expensive alternative to a clear bra. They also say it provides up to 80% of the protection of a traditional clear bra. Seems to provide pretty good protection and is easily removable. I do like this idea better then a traditional car bar which I am a bit concerned about dirt and whatnot getting behind it and rubbing / scratching the paint, although I would only use it when needed.

Thankfully the bugs haven't been too bad yet, so hopefully it will give me some time to think about it...

Yeah, I think a full bra would look goofy like you said, but it wouldn't be as noticeable on a black Vibe.

Scratching, dirt, etc. would be my concern about a traditional bra. I would definitely go with the 3M stuff. My concern for the PlastiDip is that it's not really made to protect anything, especially since the front end is going to get absolutely nailed by bugs, dirt, rocks, etc. whereas the 3M stuff is made specifically to protect. Just my $0.02 though. Let us know what you end up doing.

vibenvy wrote:Scratching, dirt, etc. would be my concern about a traditional bra. I would definitely go with the 3M stuff. My concern for the PlastiDip is that it's not really made to protect anything, especially since the front end is going to get absolutely nailed by bugs, dirt, rocks, etc. whereas the 3M stuff is made specifically to protect. Just my $0.02 though.

Yes, my thoughts exactly...

vibenvy wrote:Let us know what you end up doing.

Absolutely, will do! Time to think, hmmm...

Cars and paint finishes differ, of course, but I had a bra on my '80 Z28, and leaving it on there after rain did definitely cause the paint to haze. I finally just left the thing on there all the time, because it looked better with it on than off. I don't remember what brand of bra it was, but it was a good quality one. I think these are best in climates with very little precipitation. I'm planning on trying the 3M Paint Defender.