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Just took possession and got to drive my 1970 Coupe!
Any thoughts on how to protect the front chrome bumper from bugs, rocks, etc.?
Are "bras" safe for the paint and chrome?
Is there any kind of clear plastic/vinyl I can apply, like the Cleartastic products for later year Corvettes?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
The chrome resists more than the paint.
You better protect that.
The bumper can easily be removed, replaced or rechromed.
But if it really necessary, there are stone protect foils you can wrap around it.
Should be no big deal. But I bet you will loose the typical chrome surface apperance.
If you a person who absolutely does not want nicks/chips on a car that is perfect use some type of bra. The bra can be tucked away upon arriving at destinations/events.
The nose collects chips, the bumper does not. Wax the bumpers with a decent paste wax and clean them once in awhile. For the nose, either ugly bra, live dangerously, or you could look into the films they are applying to new cars.
Good advice here. My two cents, take the bumpers and bumperettes off and paint the backside to protect against rust. But that is not an easy job. Re-installing, do not over tighten anything or you may crack the fiberglass
Stay away from 'polishes'. They are usually mildly abrasive.
If you a person who absolutely does not want nicks/chips on a car that is perfect use some type of bra. The bra can be tucked away upon arriving at destinations/events.
My restorer told me a bra will scratch the paint finish.
What do you think?
never been a big fan of the bra's, not even on my daily driver i had.
bought one for it, gave it to the new owner when i sold car 19yrs later, still in the shopping bag....
but at Easter this year we drove one way 2,725Km, about 1700miles across country, Adelaide to Fremantle, for the Australian Nationals.
think barren wasteland, nothing around for 100's miles out in the middle..... i needed protection.
at the South Australian and Western Australian borders, basically a desert.... after crossing the Nullarbour Plains.
even the daily with us had a bra on.
at the Head of the Bight, white 71, my yellow 72, bronze 79, and a C5 (not sure of the year) has a colour matched bra.
we took them of when we reached our destination.
a good waxing before using, keep them clean on the inside felt, keep away from dust/then rain.
i figure a few small marks are better than stone chips. ymmv.
Never, ever use a classic type bra. They will ruin your paint. I bought a Porsche with a bra in January and the paint underneath was shot because of this. Clear vinyl is fairly effective at protection.
Most people that install bras on their cars, put them on and never remove them. Dust and dirt get under them abrading the paint. I have never considered a used car that had a bra on it.
Got a bra for my '77 years ago. Installed it once, took it off immediately when I saw how ugly it was. Returned it the next day. I'll put up with chips (never actually got one in 24 years and 45k miles) any day before resorting to a bra.
I lived in thick forest areas for years were the bugs were so thick in the evenings that the front of your car looked like it had fur growing off it and you continually had to spray out the radiator core to keep the air flow through the radiator.
I ran bras on all my cars to protect them.
I never had any paint buff, chips or issues running a bra and they were on at least 200 days a year.
Hose out the inside of the bra, let it sun dry, and keep a good wax on the surface.
After 11 years of use on my black 1989 Chevy dually the only noticeable difference was there was no paint fade under the bra like the rest of the truck.
Purchase a good quality bra made specifically for your car, make sure it's tight and does not flutter when going down the road.
You will find that they do take continuing adjustment to keep them tight as they will shrink at night and stretch out in the sun.
Last edited by OldCarBum; Jun 16, 2018 at 12:00 PM.
Bras are not "safe" for the paint. The attachment straps can wear thru the paint due to vibrating in the wind. Wax the bumper well and clean it as soon as you finish your ride.
Most people that install bras on their cars, put them on and never remove them. Dust and dirt get under them abrading the paint. I have never considered a used car that had a bra on it.
The people I've seen put bras on their cars eventually removed them at some point to find they trapped dirt and moisture which caused far more damage than if there was no bra at all.
Having the clear plastic 'wrap' professionally applied will work and help out quite a bit. I have seen what it can do first hand and I am impressed.
As for using a bra....only limited use when driving if you ask me. And I have some customers who use a bra along with small sections of the 'wrap' products where they know the paint can be effected the most.
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The people I've seen put bras on their cars eventually removed them at some point to find they trapped dirt and moisture which caused far more damage than if there was no bra at all.
