Bras for Speedsters

Does anyone have a recommendation for a bra for my new VS? I was thinking about a clear bra but maybe a conventional fabric one would be better.
Also my horn button keeps sticking in the one positiion.I've tried several lubes and can't make the button pop back out. Any ideas?

Bras has(have) come up in discussion from time to time and the clear (peek-a-boo) is always an intriguing idea but I don't know if anyone ever went so far as to have that kind installed.

The tried and true 'Colgan' has served me well over the years and again, I think we are all in agreement they aren't very good looking but they do ward off the inevitable roadway stone with your name on it

As for your horn, you might try honking with both hands for a measured break-in period, then after a while you can get back to honking and waving to your friends at the same time...
It is a new car thing!

I use the Colgan versus the V.S bra because it covers the most area including the front bumper. The Vintage Speedsters' bra does not cover the bumper or leading edge of the front hood. I am very satisfied with the fit and ease of use of the Colgan bra. I only keep it on when I am driving on the freeway and more vulnerable to flying debris.

If you buy a fabric bra, don't leave it on for a long period of time....because the paint will fade, and the price for the 'clear' bra is very expensive (at least in B.C.). Drive it and collect paint chips. When you get enough, cash them in and get the front repainted.
Ron

An interesting point. If you have a flared Speedster is this considered a "D" cup? 356 A doesn't need a bra? 356C probably could use one, but a convertible D now....

Ron O: I know you've said that before, but I gotta tell ya, it's a heck of a lot less costly to apply a clear shield than getting the car painted - especially trying to match (usually unsuccessfully) a metallic paint! And forget trying to match the paint on Jerome's or my car or others like ours!!

I don't like either the look of the black bra's or the fact that they wear the paint right off over time. I STILL think a clear shield is the way to go. (now all I have to do is convince myself to do it!!)

gn

Gordon. Have you priced the clear sheild? If so, how much? Thanks, Jim

Gary, you may want to try removing the unit from the steering wheel that holds the horn button and try sanding around the circumference - it may be too tight - causing binding in the horn button.
If you're interested, I have a brand new Colgan Bra for sale - $50 + shipping.

Dave

Jim: Not yet......been trying to get to it, but been too busy.

It's from a company called Venture tape, who supply the clear stuff to places like "Clear Shield" and "Armor Glove". I have their number in Massachusetts, where they produce the stuff, so let me try talking with them tomorrow and see what I can find out.

The dealers who sell it usually have some sort of template figured out for different cars to allow them to cut it on a bench and then fit it snugly (along with the benefit of a heat gun) to your car. We would have to come up with that template(s) for our shape(s).

gn

Everyone will have their own opinion. I have seen the clear bra stuff on a speedster at IM, and I think it looks terrible. Dale saw the same car I did. What do you think Dale?

I think that the color of the car is the determinging factor. You also need to decide if you think that rock chips, bug guts and cat fur is a detriment to your cars appearance. I can not be an arbiter of taste, you should have seen my first wife. There is a nice car in SoCal that is a chiffon color that wears the clear bra very well, again much better than my first wife.

My IM is almost 20 years old, has 21,000 miles on it and still has the original paint job. I have a few paint chips...okay, maybe a dozen noticeable ones, but not enough to worry about. Are you guys over reacting, or do you have dozens of paint chips on a fairly new vehicle?
Ron

I also think that the color of your car is an important factor here. My white car doesn't show the chips, to any great degree, but I bet the same chips would really stand out on a black colored speedster.
Ron

Chips are easy to deal with....just fill in after each wash. I've used the Eastwood system with good results on a silver car...and this system comes highly recommended although I have not used it..

www.langka.com/newsite/index2.html

But there comes a time when there just are too many. Like the time the city spread stones on the icey road and stoned the drivers side of my car...not one square inch without a chip. And up here those stones stay on the road until they try and take them up in the summer. I say try because there are still a lot there...enough to crack your windshield. Then the kid in the 'Stang in front at the stoplight figures he has to do a burn out in front of you and stone the whole front of your car...

Anyway, I use a Colgan bra that I picked up new off Ebay for $9.95 (you guys were sleeping that day!) and chase the inevitable chips using the Eastwood system.

Brian

I have a StoneGard clear bra (3M) on a Roadster. The car has 16000 km without a ding or scratch to the front end, and I have never bent over to take the damn thing off in order to wash my car. I am pleased with both the endurance and appearance of the product. I had a black Speedster with a black material bra previously. In terms of both appearance and convenience, I like the new combination much better. StoneGard has a 356 pattern, so there is little or no cutting, but how skilled you are at putting it on the car has a lot to do with how it looks. Might be better to have it put on BEFORE the car is shipped if possible, since the front bumper has to come off. Getting someone skilled to apply the material is definitely worth it, since the surface curves in several directions at once. The surface must be COMPLETELY CLEAN, and you have to keep the surface and the material wet and soapy throughout, so that the 3M material can slide and stretch into position. There is a "seam" across the top, but nothing like the seam of a material bra. If it is done right, the seam cannot be distinguished from the paint from a distance of five or six feet. It takes on wax very well, and the color continues to match perfectly. It also doesn't pay to put the money in unless the car is new or the nose is newly painted. It won't repair dings and if you have dirt or imperfections underneath they will show through.
Price is a concern, but I had to have the front end of my black Speedster re-shot, which was done for $500 about a year after I bought it new. At that rate, the cost of the clear bra is cheaper by year two.

Here's a link to a company that cuts the StoneGard bra for 356 dimensions. pricey, but better than trying to cut the stuff yourself.

www.stoneguard.com/sgcontent/sgDetails.asp?id=832

Scott: I've been looking at something like this for a while and watching the posts here as well. A friend of my son has something like the Stongard system on his Audi and it looks great and wears very well. I've also seen variations on street rods, especially the curved front fenders of the 30's rods. Venture tape sells the material in rolls, but they don't have any vehicle templates for cutting.

The folks at Stongard told me that, with all the curves on the 356 front-end, it would be best to have someone experienced install it as it'll take a bit of positioning, trimming and fitting, plus the bumper, horn grills/directionals and headlights are removed. I understand that there is some gentle stretching and heat gun massaging to get it to all fit correctly, and there is an adhesive backing as well (wonder how it reacts with the soapy water you mentioned).

Did you have yours installed or did you attempt it yourself? Curious to know that.

Stone chips are a bitch on my car - 3-part White Pearl paint over a black gel coat - any chip looks bad really fast and are darned near impossible to touch up. This might be worth looking in to.

gn

I have StoneGard as well. I had them to install it (they are 10 min. away from my house). The installer said 356 is very difficult to install because of its curvaceous shape. I don't remember exactly, but it costed near $700 for material + labor, that includes extra coverage on front bumper and door rims.

It's been 6 months since it's installed and so far it's working well - almost invisible, no chips. The car is semi-daily driver.

No, I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself. I paid $500 to a guy who has contracts to do this stuff for a lot of the dealerships in Southern Cal. Needless to say, he had a lot of experience, but it is the curves that make the installation difficult, and you need to stretch it. Moreover, you can't get enough water and soap involved. That is followed by a mixture rinse that releases the soap and the material adheres in the position it is placed. Moreover, some the generalizations about application, e.g. push the squeegee from the inside toward the outer edges (for example) are subject to exceptions and some judgment derived from experience. I was told the best way to learn this stuff is to do simple patterns first (if you're interested) and then tackle some of the more complex deals. Given the cost of the material and labor, I'd agree the Speedster/Roadster deal can be professionally done for between $700 and $1000, or about the cost of a couple of paint jobs for the front half of your car. Remember that otherwise, you also have to live with the chips, or trying to sand and repair the chips in between paint jobs. I will take the Stonegard way anytime....

I guess the big test with clear covers, like Stone Guard, is how they will look in five or ten years. If they still look 'clear' and still protect the paint, then it will be well worth the expense. Then again, how many of us will keep their speedsters ten years?
Ron

Hell! It took me ten years just to BUILD it! Keeping it for another ten shouldn't be that big a deal!! Maybe I can convert to electric when the oil runs out!! - gn

StoneGard guarantees it stays clear for the life of the vehicle, or they'll replace the product. Although I can't find the definition of "yellow" in the warranty.
Hopefully I can keep the car for 10 years and tell you how it goes.

Now you've got me thinking about my single cab. I'm getting it painted in a year or two and there is that big, flat front end....just saying to small rocks, "Hit me."
Ron

Given your incident a while ago, you might want one for both ends......maybe REALLY THICK ones....

Repainting just the front end of some cars may not be an option. In my case, I have a silver metallic and trying to blend the color (colour) seamlessly is not too easy, which means a total body repaint and probably door and hoods too. $700-1000 seems like a ton of dough, but today, just the paint material would set you back 400-600 even if you are in the business and that doesn't include the labor (labour,....canadian spelling?) to put it on eh?

I know some colors can be blended fairly easily, so this would be a case by case situation.