Anyone use car bras ? Recommendations ?

Hot Rod 370 Z

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...

tvfreakazoid

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

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Hot Rod 370 Z

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..

redondoaveb

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

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Hot Rod 370 Z

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 ...

Quicksilvers

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.

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CMadison

Saran cling wrap

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Hot Rod 370 Z

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

Spooler

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.

Ghostvette

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....

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Cyber370

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.

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Mick_12Nismo

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

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MZ DAIZY

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.

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SouthArk370Z

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

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Hot Rod 370 Z

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.