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In your estimation, and based on your highway traveling expertise how useful is a vinyl front mask on your vette over the years ? Tell the good and bad. Some folks tell me it will wear away the paint and others have only great words of praise ?
As you can see I have used one for travel. I used it from Pittsburgh to the Outer Banks. Than on the return trip I didn’t use it. Yes it will rub the finish. I was indifferent to it. I didn’t notice any damage when I ran without it. It can be a problem if it rains. If I do travel again with the vette I will not use it.
The cost of seeing a beautiful car in a gimp mask is far too high to justify saving a few rock chips.
Aside from the bra looking hideous and immediately making the car look ancient in a bad way I've removed many from cars over the years and bug shields and they always cause damage. Sometimes it is just difference in UV exposure and sometimes there's lines of missing paint or spots where a place was loose and got buffeted into the paint on repeat for years. If you're just using it temporarily I would make sure the area underneath is very clean and coat it with wax or ceramic or something beforehand.
I scored a lightly used genuine GM nose cover on eBay for $45. I’ve used it a bunch of times for 4-5 hour trips up to Michigan and back. It’s only on for a few days a year and is easy to take on and off. The nose is always clean and freshly waxed before I put the cover on and I’ve never had a problem with it damaging the paint. I lay it out in the sun for a few minutes to warm it up and it goes on like butter. I haven’t been caught in the rain yet with it so I can’t speak to that. I read a bunch about nose covers on this forum and lots of people swore by the genuine GM cover (PN 12368760) for proper fitment and ease of installation so that’s what I bought. GM doesn’t make them anymore so you have to find a good used one or go with an aftermarket brand.
Concerning aesthetics I’m in my 30s and already driving “the boomer” Corvette so the look of the nose cover for road trips doesn’t bother me
Last edited by Midwest19942000; May 17, 2025 at 11:42 PM.
Been using GM nose cover during winter months. Protects the from from stones
used it for the past 10 winters no effect on the paint. Has to been installed tight so there is no movement or flapping
Concerning aesthetics I’m in my 30s and already driving “the boomer” Corvette so the look of the nose cover for road trips doesn’t bother me
If you did nothing but put clear corner lenses, remove the body side mouldings and put a set of c6 wheels on the car it will update the look by 2 decades immediately. Don't give in!
Most here know I have rather.... strong... opinions against these so I won't go back through that.
But having owned 4 C5s now since 2000 and my last daily one having 130k in it which were earned through all 4 seasons what I am going to tell you based on that experience is that having these man diapers on the nose is not going to help anything anyway.
What hits the nose: bugs, pollen, and the parking blocks at the 7-elevn which scrap the bottom.
Where do chips form:
- headlight covers
- hood first 2/3rds
-front fenders near headlight covers
-rocker panels behind front wheels
-rocker panels midway back and on to the rear
-side view mirror covers
the bottom six inches of the rear bumper where it faces the rear tires
Oddly, the nose itself has never taken much damage on my cars.
PPF is the way to go if you are so concerned. Easily replaced. Easily readjusted / heated to fix. Not lame looking. But most importantly it will actually protect those parts of your car which stand to take the most abuse.
There is another option. Wash, wax and drive it. These are not Ford GTs. They are disposable heroes.
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I ran a GM front cover on all three of my C5s - kept it on the cars constantly (except when cleaning the car) and never had paint damage. It did protect against rock chips, bug splatters and any other type of hazard. I now have a front cover on my C7 and no complaints about using it.
PPF will give some protection to the paint, but it is expensive to install and expensive to replace.
As stated in a number of responses already, some feel using a front cover detracts from the looks of the car. For me, I just do not feel that way and will continue to use mine.
So, whether to use one is a personal decision that you’ll have to make.
On a red car, don't leave it on in the summer for days on end. Red paint shows sun wear quicker than any other color. I removed one of these from my GF's Celica GT (Red car) and you could clearly see the "line". No big whoop, it's a commuter car. I don't care for how they look. it's like you are hiding crappy paint. PPF is the way to go.
#1 buy the best one you can if you need to run one. Colgan is the best on the market. They invented the car bra.
#2 make sure it is tight. Lose is where the paint gets damaged. If it moves it will rub.
#3 if it gets wet and you are now in the hot sun take it off as it can cloud some paints.
#4 take it off as soon as you get where you are going. They are only for travel not daily use.
#5 Make sure it is damn clean under it or you can damage.
#6 You still can suffer chips beyond the cover.
#7 hard to store on the road.
Novistretch is the new one that will stretch over the nose of the car.
#1 they can be used wet.
#2 they snap on.
#3They are great for bugs and small stones but large stones can still damage.
#4 Can be used on several cars. My C5 will fit my Fiero too.
#5 will fit body mods.
#6 it can be stored in the glove box.
Outside of these two only Clear Paint Protection is better.
You can buy temporary covers with tapes and materials for a trip and redo it to go home.
None are perfect and you still can get chipped where any of these don't fully cover.
Do not buy a cheap bra or you will be asking for trouble,
I used the GM front mask for the C5 the first 2 years I owned the Vette. It was only during road trips and not around town. I decided it wasn't worth the hassle even for long trips and that I get more damage from the crap roads around STL then from road trips. That being said, the front isn't that chipped up as you'd expect after 22 years on the road. I agree with getting PPF instead of the bra or just know that someday you may have to have the front end repainted.
Long ride Precautions . . .
