Anyone use car bras ? Recommendations ?
 

Hi folks, I am going to Z fest but May is Luv bug season in Florida and Georgia. If you live in the SE you all know about how destructive these bugs hanging on to your front end can be. I want to buy a front end bra / cover. Several companies make them, Le Bra, Cover craft and I see there is an O.E. Nissan unit. Anyone use them and if so can you give a recommendation on a good unit please. I appreciate the advice. Looking forward to Z Fest...:tiphat:

Why go 80's when u can clear bra it.

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Car bras
 

Yes I know about clear protection but, its a bit pricey and I only need the protection for the trip up to Z Fest. I dont take my Z out during the luv bug seasons but I appreciate your suggestion..

Some people tape up the front with painters tape for trips like that.

Yes I have seen people do that but looks a little ridicules. Would be last resort, think a bra, some cling wrap under the bra for headlights and cover the mirrors will be the way to go. The trip to Z Fest is about 540 miles north for me. No luv bugs in California which is great. We get them for about a month on May and again in late Sept. They are terrible ...

I know what you mean during the bug season in GA and FL all the flying bugs are out and in the summer I find myself detailing the Z more often. I installed the Calgan front nose mask/bra temporarily for a long trip before driving the Z it is the only mask/bra that I would recommend and can be found at The Z Store and several other vendors. The Calgan front nose mask/bra did protector the front bumper cover very well but honestly it does not look very appealing to me to use it every time I decide to drive my Z. You will be a lot better off installing clear bra instead. If you shop around and get quotes you will find some decent pricing in your area. In my experience all brands of clear bra can work but the only brands I will install on my Z is either XPEL or LLumar. In FL I had my last Z clear bra on the whole front at XPEL Clear Bra Wraps Miami they do top notch work and stand behind their products definitely a superior shop to do business with and they are the only place I found that I would actually recommend. Over time you will thank yourself for having clear bra installed it’s worth it and will pay for itself. It can be a negative experience taking your Z to the body shop to repair paint damage.

Saran cling wrap

Car bras
 

Again thank you for your reply especially since you also live in bug country. I am going to check out the "Calgan bra" you recommended.
Thank you

The old style Bra's will scratch the hell out of your paint. Just use painters tap or have the front of the car done in clear bra.

The clear bra will give you some protection from small rocks too...$1500 is a small price to pay to protect the car vs. who knows how much to reshoot the front and hope it matches....:eek:

Just spray the front end with either WD40 or Silicone spray lubricant. I have used both in the past prior to long trips and it works. Keeps bugs and road crud from sticking to the paint. Of course this does not offer any rock and debris protection.

There are a number of vendors that sell a temporary clear film designed for track day use that you could use. Much less expensive than permanent Expel, 3M, etc applications and it won't mess up your paint like an old-school bra would. A quick Google search gets me to https://www.amazon.com/TrackArmour-T.../dp/B07F3CN5CY

6"x 100' for $45

A clear bra offers more protection than just bugs. Rocks, gravel, etc. not to mention it doesn’t look ridiculous like a bra does. Well worth the money.

I would not recommend the use of either one. They will both do a good job of making the bugs a lot easier to remove but they each have their problems.

WD-40 is great on metals but the components can degrade plastic and leach out the plasticizers which makes them brittle. Some plastics do better than others and it may take a while for the damage to become noticeable; in my experience, the rule of thumb is "the softer the plastic the faster WD-40 will attack it."

Silicone can soak into the paint which will cause all sorts of problems if you need to respray (new paint won't stick to silicone contaminated areas).

For temporary use, the Saran Wrap idea mentioned by CMadison above sounds like a good solution - cheap, easy to install, clings well but shouldn't stick hard enough to cause any damage on removal. Never tried it but it sounds like a good idea. YMMV

Track armour
 

Wow thank you. I did not know an item like "Track Armour" existed. Will be ordering it soon. I appreciate everyone's input. All good ideas and suggestions.

It’s like those smoked dark plastic hood bug guards that were popular in the 90s. I put one on my Nissan SE-V6 4X4 I had then. Beat the paint up more than the bugs would have.

The brand is "Colgan"

https://www.roadwarriorplus.com/

I run this on my 2018 Sport Tech all the time. Nose, front part of hood, A pillars, and rockers.

I have a brand new oem front bra in the box as well. I’m pretty sure this part is discontinued. These can be a pita to install initially unless it’s really hot out to help with the stretching.

Thanks for sharing. I had not seen this product before. I watched the YouTube video they link to on their site. It looks like using in the rain or mornings with heavy dew could be a problem. What has your experience been driving with this in the wet? Is removal easy, as claimed by the manufacturer and video reviewer?

I don't drive my Z everyday or in the rain. It's garaged.

I have this on the front of my F150. When it gets wet it looks foggy but goes back to normal after it dries out. Since my F150 has been through many heat cycles and has multiple coats, it survives the rain without issue. The key to easy removal is multiple heavy coats (at least two). After application through my experience, it needs to cure for 24 hours before getting wet. I've used this on other family member vehicles and had a peeling problem when it got wet too soon (rain just after application).

Since my Z doesn't have the heat cycles to help curing, I have to be careful when washing. I've had to touch up a few places so not a big deal.

I wash my F150 using a foam cannon with a pressure washer set to around 1100-1300 psi and rinse with the pressure washer as well for a no touch solution. The coating doesn't show any signs of peeling.

To remove the coating you would want it to be wet and looking foggy to make it easier.

I hope this helps and is not confusing.


### Try the 'save10' discount code if you're interested. Not sure if it still works. Used it awhile back. ###

Very helpful and not at all confusing, especially after watching the vid. How often, if at all, do you have to reapply to your F-150? Do you find that the product is durable enough to guard against typical "road rash" (i.e. small pebbles, rocks, etc.)?

I haven't reapplied it on the F150 since last summer. It has 3 coats on the painted surfaces/grille and 2 on the chrome bumper. Early last year I removed it from the chrome bumper because it was looking nasty and reapplied it after I noticed small divots from small pebbles. If the vehicle is used every day, eventually you will have to reapply from scratch. I'm very happy with the product for what it is. I've used nose masks in the past with good luck but some applications are easier to install than others. It became a pita to always having to clean the inside of the mask after being removed.

In addition, keep in mind that a large rock will mess you up no matter what protection you're running. For me it's a good solution to keep from spending a fortune on a clear bra.

Bra's are more harm than good. sure it saves you from bugs and rocks but it causes major scratching on the clear. id recommend something called "Track Wrap". it is a temporary clear wrap that you can use on your drive there then remove and re apply more before your drive home. far better for your clear coat and will serve the same purpose as a bra.:icon17:

Track armour
 

Tyler, so Im going a bit crazy for the Luv bug trip to Z fest in May. Ordered Track wrap as you suggested. Also will order La bra unit because it has a mesh cover for the radiator intake. Yes a bra can damage paint so I will look at where bra lines up and then apply Track wrap under the bra, I will also cover the headlights, turn signals, cover the A pillars and mirrors. If damage happens after that I can honestly say I did my best. Thanks for the tip on Track wrap sir.
Thanks to everyone who has replied. I appreciate it !!!

I did that the 1st time I went to ZdayZ since I had not gotten the 3M front Bra installed.

It was ugly but better than getting rock chips on a brand new car … is along trip from VA

It seems it’s always lovebug season, especially in Ocala/central Florida :rofl2: I work in The Villages and live in Tampa, so I crush them a few times a week, pesky things!