Wear a Bra?

PaulGS3 · 10-18-01, 05:38 PM

Your Lexus, that is.

I recently got a Lexus bra as a birthday gift for my GS. Since I've never used one before, I'm trying to figure out when is/are the best time(s) to use it.

Other than its paint-chip-reducing ability, what else is the bra good for? Is a bra okay for daily driving or just specific occasions? How about moisture damage or paint wear issues?

Any help appreciated

Paul

mooretorque · 10-18-01, 06:12 PM

Other than it's paint chip reducing ability, the answer is "nothing" (unless you live in a part of the world, as I do, where the bugs can really be a mess at certain times of day during extended commutes.....for that, it's also very helpful). Moisture can get trapped underneath, as can dirt. The trailing edge actually forms a small low pressure area and tends to suck dust right under the edge of the bra. Therefore, I removed mine more or less every day, vacuumed the back (paint contacting) side and washed (at least the front of) the car. I should add that this was when I was single and my round trip commute involved 130 miles/day through the delta of Arkansas. During bug season it was absolutely worth it. The rest of the year, I only used it occasionally. For most things other than extended highway travel, it's mostly an ugly addition to the front end of the car.

Captain Ratman · 10-18-01, 09:13 PM

Hey Mooretorque,

I totally agree with you about paint chip protection but I expand it to include total front end protection (to a certain size of foreign object hitting the front of your car). I disagree with you in the "looks" department. I have always found the an auto nose guard provides a certain amount of sportiness to the car, especially if the car is on the "bland" side sporty-wise. I bought a factory one for my Lexus ES300 and it made the car look much better. As a matter of fact, I bought the bra to accent the look of my Lex and in my opinion, I succeeded!

The only downside to having the bra on all the time is the fact that if you live in the sunbelt region, the paint around the bra will start to fade normally but underneath the bra it will not. Result is a line with a suttle but distinct line where the bra was on. It is up to you PaulGS3. If you don't like the look of the bra then don't use it or do like Mooretorque suggested: Have the bra on only when you are driving the car and take it off when your not.

Scott.

D-MAN63 · 10-19-01, 07:20 AM

Damn, I was getting all excited. When I read the topic, I got all GITTY!

Mean Gene · 10-19-01, 08:51 AM

Diesel - Yeah, I kinda hoped that this was gonna be one of the "Hot Women" threads!!

Paul & Scott - Since I live down South like MT, I gotta agree with him on the bra. Had one on my RX-7 & even though I kept the nose well waxed, by leaving the bra on pretty much year 'round the covered area got scratched & ( as Scott mentioned ) didn't fade to match the rest of the hood - nothing I couldn't buff out, though. I had a body kit on the Mazda so the bra was custom fitted but it still loosened up over time & would flap at certain speeds ( HIGH!! ). Don't know about Cali but twice a year in Louisiana we get the love bug infestation & that splatter is extremely acidic & hard on the paint. I'd invest in a bra ( for Interstate travel exclusively ) & leave the nose uncovered ( but well Zaino'ed ) the rest of the year.

BananaGS · 10-19-01, 09:06 AM

you hear
if you got big "head lights" then you should wear a bra ho ho

PaulGS3 · 10-19-01, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mean Gene
Diesel - Yeah, I kinda hoped that this was gonna be one of the "Hot Women" threads!!

Gene, Diesel - exactly why I used the subject line and why I put it in the Lobby. I'd never get a reply in the Maintenance forum

MT, Capt R, thanks for your replies!

Paul

RON430 · 10-22-01, 07:11 PM

PaulGS3 - I have used bras on cars for a lot of years. I have never had paint fading so I can't address that issue. Here are the facts of life as I have found them on bras. First, only put it on when you have the car and the bra clean. If the bra is flapping, you either need to make it stop or take it off. The damage that can be caused is by particles getting between the bra and body and then having the bra vibrate and sand the finish. This just doesn't happen with a good bra. I have the Lexus bra on my GS and it is one of the best I have ever had. When it rains you have to take it off. The rain does two things, first it washes grit from the hood under the bra which you don't want and the second is that water gets under the bra. If you don't take it off and let it dry the sun will heat it up and actually turn the water to steam and it will oxidize your finish pretty badly. The bra really only should be put on when it is clean and the car is clean. They do a great job of keeping the stone chips out. A second side benefit is that when you hit the lower lip, either from a low driveway, parking curb, speed bump, etc., the bra tends to take a lot of the damage. Obviously if you are asleep at the switch and really plow into something you are screwed but the minor rashes you might get normally just rip up the bra and leave the body work alone in my experience. I would rather throw a bra out and replace it than have something repainted and lose the car for several days and then figure out whether the new paint matches, etc. I had one car that had a bra on it continuously, except for taking off during rain, for twelve years and not only didn't the paint fade but the front of the car looked show room fresh after twelve years. At the Serramonte meet here in the bay area a few months back I noticed that the GS seems really prone to stone chips. Lowered with nice rims and tires and suspension mods and intakes etc. but the front end of several cars looked really quite bad. That steep drop of the nose of the GS may make the stone chip problem even worse, gives the stones a flatter surface to hit, so the bra stays on mine. Like I said, the Lexus bra is a quality unit that I like much better than the after market ones. The Lexus bra has that small ridge air deflector and not the stand up wedges like you get on Colgan, etc., and has an excellent fit. I have seen comments here that the Lexus bra is not as pliable as some other bras but I haven't seen that to be the case either. The Lexus bra is expensive, but it really looks to be a quality piece, typical Lexus/Toyota. Good luck.

Captain Ratman · 10-22-01, 08:14 PM

Right on target Ron430!!! Couldn't of said it better myself. I purchased a Lexus bra for my '99 ES300 and it is the best fitting bra that I have ever bought for a car! Also the MOST expensive one as well but it is worth every penny. My ES300 also has the typical Lexus type nose and low to the ground which picks up many stones as well but the bra takes the punishment and keeps the front end looking brand-spanking new. Lastly, YES.....everyone, PLEASE make sure that BOTH your cars front end is clean (newly washed/dried) and the bras backing is at least brushed clean (free of dirt/grit) before applying and when it rains....make sure to take it off for exactly the reasons stated by Ron430.

Thanks again Ron for those well chosen words!!!

Scott.

PaulGS3 · 10-22-01, 09:32 PM

Ron, thanks for your PhD dissertation on car bras. Lots of terrific information.

Yes, mine is a Lexus bra. My daily commute is only 10 minutes, so I'll save the bra for highway blasts up or down the coast, or twisty back roads.

On a recent road trip from L.A. there was this one secondary highway north of Santa Cruz I was taking inland to Sunnyvale that had a bunch of loose gravel. Could have really used the bra then. No dings, though.

Gerald Novarro · 10-23-01, 10:38 AM

I have a Lexus bra on my RX300, much better than LeBra and other brands. Helpful hint :since a small dirt particle can scratch your finish you have to keep the underside very clean. I use a lint roller that is normally used for clothes, it's a roller with sticky tape that when used up (full of contaminants) can be pelled off to reveal the next layer of sticky tape.

RON430 · 10-23-01, 12:11 PM

Gerald Novarro - Hey, that is a good idea on the lint roller. I have never really cleaned the back side of the bra much even though I would like to. I just try to keep it from getting very dirty. A friend of mine actually through his in the washer and was happy but I never felt comfortable doing that. If anything, I would use upholstery cleaner and vacuum it. Don't want to beat a dead horse but you need to keep the crud out from between the bra and the car. Glad to see the positive comments on the Lexus bra. I have used Colgan and Le Bra in the past with OK results but the Lexus bra has an excellent fit on the GS while some of the aftermarket bras are not as good. There is a tradeoff between good tight fit and ease of installation and removal and the Lexus bra seems to be a reasonable approach, goot solid fit without too many little hooks and clips to fight putting on and off. Still haven't found a very good one for my wifes Maxima. Nissan bra flaps quite badly at highway speeds and that will beat the hood to death.