Car bras and paint chips

Car bra's and paint chips

I already searched around on this topic and most of the info was old so I'll see if anyone has input.

What do you all think about car bras, either the standard black vinyl type or the various clear 3M types?

A while back I was on a road trip coming down the 5 freeway and a something flew out from under a semi and gouged my front bumper. I finally had a new bumper painted and installed and it looks nice. Now I am thinking about protecting it. I know I can't protect from big stuff but it would be nice to keep the little stuff from adding up.

Do I get a car bra? Help! :?

IMO, car bras look funny on any car. if you want to protect your paint from chips, the clear tape that you were referring to would be a good idea to prevent any chips on the paint and also rusting. I believe Porsches come with it as an option. =)

And, if you are worried about cosmetics and the appearance of your car, bright colored cars are the safest. With dark colors, the chips tend to be more obvious.

Well i dont like bras... the paint under them wont match the car over time, they also tend to rub on the paint and dull and scratch it in areas. They hold moisture on the paint which also helps to discolor it over time. And if you get a bra, whats the point in protecting your bumper? You will never see it again anyway. Your pretty much protecting it for the next owner so it will look nice and new for them. Know what i mean?

Now the clear 3M stuff is a better idea, but it wont protect your whole bumper, its mostly applied on flatter surfaces, like the leading edge of the hood, and maybe the flatter parts of the bumper. The 3M stuff is noticable when you get close, but deffinately not as ugly as a bra.

In the end, i think part of owning a car and driving it on the highway includes getting chips and dings all over the front of your car, as sad as that may be. There really is no 'good' solution to this problem. You just have to except it, and not tailgate vehicles when it sounds like your car is getting sandblasted!

good points... my girlfriend said the same thing. I definitely am not going to get the standard black vinyl bra because I would like to see my car. Otherwise I could have just covered up the gash in the bumper with a bra instead of getting a new one.

Today at lunch I was on the look out for cars with bras and I didn't see any luxary cars (mercedes, bmw etc) with a bra. If bras aren't even common with luxary car owners then I suppose I don't need one for my 'rolla. I'll just get used to the little chips

On the bright side I just saved myself some money... so how should I spend it? :twisted:

Anybody ever think about using a bug deflector. That would help portect the front of the hood, and might not look that bad.

Well most luxury car owners use stuff called xpel. Well most that know about it. It's a clear plastic that basically goes over your paint. they sell kits for corollas. i see that your in orange county....I know theres a shop in huntington beach that installs them. but i can't remember the address. here is the link if your looking for more info http://www.xpel.com/

Nice, I think its like the 3M stuff, but cut to fit our cars. Looks like it would pretty much protect the whole front of the car. A little expensive thou. Would be nice to get that stuff put on right after buying the car, so it isnt already covered with dings.