Looking for Full Bra!

Hey Dutch,

I have one of those "batwing" bras. It would slide under the driving lights. Doesn't protect the hood but will help with most of the road rash.

It's yours if you want it. Just dialog your address.

Really nice to meet you, buddy.

Thanks Terry I appreciate your offer, I sent a PM with info. Happy to pay you what it's worth plus shipping. Still looking for a full bra as well for long trips. Your "Penny" is a sweet looking car and will send pics as son as I pull them off my camera. Cheers buddy and great to meet you Kevin and rest of the crew!. Aleta and I had a blast.

I read your question out loud and the answer came back ... Dad I know  a lot of stores, I can answer that!

I'll put in a plug for Wardlow Custom Masks. They make a 3-piece bra that covers the front of the car back to almost mid-wheel.  There's the one main piece, one for the bumper, and one for the front of the hood.  That way you don't have to remove it to fuel up.  You'd have to buy new, though.  Here's a pic from 2007.

Lane that bra looks like a good fit.  No pun intended --- but a loose bra will chafe the paint where it flaps causing worse damage than stone chips.  Often moisture under a bra too causing paint to bubble up (especially very new paint). The 3M invisible applied vinyl seems like good stone protection without above downsides. I've even seen a spray on version (3M paint defender 9000 spray film).  I just wonder if the paint under it fades differently from the rest of the car?

Lane Anderson posted:

I'll put in a plug for Wardlow Custom Masks. They make a 3-piece bra that covers the front of the car back to almost mid-wheel.  There's the one main piece, one for the bumper, and one for the front of the hood.  That way you don't have to remove it to fuel up.  You'd have to buy new, though.  Here's a pic from 2007.

Thanks Lane I will check them out. I like the idea of a  3 piece bra, and I would not be leaving it on all the time. Appreciate the tip!

WOLFGANG posted:

Lane that bra looks like a good fit.  No pun intended --- but a loose bra will chafe the paint where it flaps causing worse damage than stone chips.  Often moisture under a bra too causing paint to bubble up (especially very new paint). The 3M invisible applied vinyl seems like good stone protection without above downsides. I've even seen a spray on version (3M paint defender 9000 spray film).  I just wonder if the paint under it fades differently from the rest of the car?

Wolfgang, I agree that it can cause problems if left on too long or in the rain. I had a Colgan bra on my real '61 1600 Super Notchback way back when and I made the mistake of leaving it on all the time. I think I like the one Len suggested and should be ok if I use it only when needed and do not leave it on permanently. I do like the clear 3M vinyl but that stuff is expensive and not many people will do that on a speedster. Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

I had a "clear bra" installed on the last Spyder, and it worked well.....   Worst problem was finding some one local who did the work....

Leon:

Did the coated and uncoated paint maintain the same color over time?

Desi (Cabanaboy on SOC) is in the business of Commercial/Residential/Auto tinting as well as clear bra. His shop is located in Huntington Beach. He installed the clear bra on Vince's previous wide-body Speedster. Not cheap but works very well.

The clear bar idea is the best for a daily driver and I have one on my BMW.  Over time they do age a little, particularly if the car is outside all of the time.  I have used the Wardlow bra on mine for 10 years now with no chafing, but I only leave it on for extended interstate travel, and I never put it on unless the car is clean and dry.  The front of my car has MANY scars from living in a beach town with a lot of truck traffic.

That's a nice bra Lane. I'm looking for one too. The bendable aluminum strips in mine have already broke. I must be doing something wrong!

Once the aluminum tabs have been bent to fit your fenders do not un-bend them to remove the bra. Even with the bra attached to your car, the bungee cord will still have some give. Simply pull the tab away from the fender, stretching the bungee until the tab clears the fender. No need to keep bending / unbending that tab. Had bra for each of my P-cars lasting years with this method.

Jim we have the same bra from Vintage. How do you take that off and on? I just bought some 14 gauge aluminum strips that I'm hoping I can repair mine with.

2 hooks in the back from my younger years... 3 hooks and hold on..

From the looks of it I like Lanes bra the best. Got a quote from them yesterday. $350, but, my front end would be well protected and out here we need it.

Rusty, those look cool, but I found myself not liking to put it on the car in town... wash every time....

Finally, put expel film, on the whole hood and midway up the fender like a black bra.

Better... but not perfect either.   

I would totally to Desi's film thing if I had fresh paint in front. I have pits and the paint in front isn't perfect but it's well worth protecting.

I have a full hood bra with cutouts for the turn signals. PM me if interested. It is from a 356 coupe that had external fuel filler I once owned. It will protect the entire trunk, but it is a PITA to put in gas. 

MAJORKAHUNA - Can you put up a picture of it so I can see what it looks like on your car? Thanks!

MusbJim posted:

Once the aluminum tabs have been bent to fit your fenders do not un-bend them to remove the bra. Even with the bra attached to your car, the bungee cord will still have some give. Simply pull the tab away from the fender, stretching the bungee until the tab clears the fender. No need to keep bending / unbending that tab. Had bra for each of my P-cars lasting years with this method.

  

Man - I would gladly pay you tomorrow for that sweet looking Targa today (if you still had that!)

Robert M posted:

NOW THAT IS A FULL BRA!!!!

Rusty S posted:

From the looks of it I like Lanes bra the best. Got a quote from them yesterday. $350, but, my front end would be well protected and out here we need it.

Rusty - I like that 3-piece approach that Wardlow does for their bras also. They are in Long Beach on Atlantic but they want your car for 1-2 days to measure and make a custom fit bra.

They can do it remotely.  I live in coastal South Carolina and they worked with me.  My fit isn't perfect but it's pretty darned good.  Perfect would require dropping the car off, but that wasn't an option.

My car is currently indisposed. It is the same as every other bra except it is flush and covers the entire trunk. It slips under the trunk at the top and around the wheel wells with bungee cords and hooks. I can post pic on my deck rail. 

Robert- I knew it wouldn't take long....

ALB posted:

Robert- I knew it wouldn't take long....

Just waited for someone to ask. hehehehe  

Lane Anderson posted:

They can do it remotely.  I live in coastal South Carolina and they worked with me.  My fit isn't perfect but it's pretty darned good.  Perfect would require dropping the car off, but that wasn't an option.

Thanks Lane I will call them tomorrow. They are not that far from me (about 45 min ride) so I could drive the care there for a few measurements to make sure it all fits well.  Yours looks pretty good.

majorkahuna posted:

My car is currently indisposed. It is the same as every other bra except it is flush and covers the entire trunk. It slips under the trunk at the top and around the wheel wells with bungee cords and hooks. I can post pic on my deck rail. 

That would be great, who is the manufacturer of that bra?

Thanks Jim and Rusty for the shout.

I've had mine on for 11 years and it show a little Yellowing, but this is 2nd generation 3/M film, the product today is 11 years better so no Yellowing, no stretch marks, no adhesive problems .

BTW - had a 2' piece of wood hit the lower front fender at 60  mph i thought for sure it would be cracked, so surprised to only see a scuff.

Pay now or swear later 

Like Desi, I've had my clear BASF bra on there for a (surprising!) eleven years, now, too. I started noticing some yellowing a couple-three years back, but it's hardly noticeable.  I've taken a few stone hits - one was walnut sized - without any trace and one BIG one that punctured the film (pinpoint) and was fixed with clear fingernail polish.  That's it.  It's been surprising that some of the hits didn't crack the paint or something - a credit to the resistance of the film - mine is 6-7mm, I think.

You can easily see mine if the light reflection is just so, but 90% of the time it is invisible.

Hey Gordon, what is the process to fix ...I have a few small ones in my expel film 

Get a teeny-tiny bottle of clear fingernail polish (or steal your wife's, when she's not looking) and just put a small dab (infinitesimal) from the brush right on the point where the film is punctured.  Just cover the puncture hole, so as small a dab as will do the job.  

Walk away.  Don't try to make it beautiful, as the stuff is a bit self-leveling, all alone.

That's it.  Let it dry for an hour and you're good to go.

Thanks Any issues if it gets in the paint... Obviousky we are trying not to do that

It is essentially clear-coat in a bottle.  No problem if it gets on the paint, other than it may, if it's filling a biggish hole in the film, adhere to the paint beneath so you'll have to be a bit careful if/when you decide to remove the film later on.

Thanks everyone for you feedback on a protective front cover for my speedy, great info and now I need to make a decision to either go film or old school.

Here are a couple of pics of the full bra. It is in almost unused condition. It started life on a 356B I had in the 70's. I apologize for the long delay in posting. I was doing something highly unusual for an actor, I was working. 

Film is a the best way to go if the paint is still in decent shape.  4.5 years and almost 15k miles and the front is still very fresh.  It is pricey, but it provides protection & convenience.