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I have a GM Bra on my 2016 3LT Z51 and I have to say the fit of the Bra into the interfaces of the fenders, fascia, headlights really sucks and can cause paint damage which I am getting fixed under warranty. I was getting paint spider cracks on the front fascia at the fender headlight hood interface. What is the forum consensus on a the best bra for the C7? And no I don't want XPEL.
If you use a GM bra that requires tucking the mounting tabs in between the body seams that creates a condition that restricts the movement of the body panel causing strain on the body panel. The paint crazing/cracking is the result of that strain. I believe the underlying fiberglass is fine but I would think if you kept it on long enough it might eventually crack the fiberglass. The paint is not flexible enough to allow restricted movement creating strain on it. I have had no accidents with the car. This is an area where the front fascia/bumper is unsupported and movement is restricted causing strain by the bra. The fit is very tight and I keep the bra on full time. I guess I learned my lesson.
If you rule out a clear bra (Xpel), your'e out of luck. I don't know why you won't consider a clear bra, but I'm sure you have good reasons, so I won't try to convince you otherwise. I would suggest nothing. Just have the front resprayed when it becomes annoying to you.
I don't believe any bra looks particularly good on any car, however I would tolerate one for short periods to protect my paint if I could find one that would absolutely not damage my paint in any way.
The last bra I used years ago on a 911 left fine scratches/marking around the entire outline of the bra and have never used one since.
A "forum consensus"? You must be joking. If you've ruled out Xpel, the consider a Novistretch and use it only on long trips where you're likely to get more "action" from bugs and debris. Easy cleanup, easy on, easy off, and won't harm anything. It also keeps stuff out of your radiator and interior parts. Of course, some people feel they are unsightly, and I'll give them that, but on longer trips they are a good compromise and not all that expensive.
What consensus? You just spelled out pretty much everything bad about bra's. Anybody who puts one of these on their car should be smart enough to know wtf is going to happen because it's been happening for decades.
I don't mean for this to come across as "bashing" but just an observation. The vette is the only world class sports I've ever come across where people consider putting on a bra. It baffles my mind. XPEL'ing the area covered by a bra is less than $1000.
LOL, I think (just guessing here) the forum consensus will be a Paint Protection Films (PPF). Clear bra. Xpel. Etc... there's a reason for this pattern. Certainly I misread that you had an actual car bra on the front. Can you imagine? Not even a Novistretch?
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Originally Posted by Mcrider
What consensus? You just spelled out pretty much everything bad about bra's. Anybody who puts one of these on their car should be smart enough to know wtf is going to happen because it's been happening for decades.
Funny - I've been running a GM bra on my C5 for nearly 9 years and there has not been any damage to the paint areas. It fits well, does not flap and is easy on/easy off.
Perhaps the C7 version has problems, I don't know.
I wanted a bra for road use, but the standard vinyl bras use too much space in back when removed, so started searching and found the Novistretch mesh bra, which was small, light and had good reviews. I bought one and installed it - this is my Amazon.com review UNBOXING - Out of the box, the item appears to be well made with quality materials. One of the reasons I bought it was for its size and stowability in the limited space available in the car. Included are the bra, instructions and snap head screws that replace existing screws to attach the bra. INSTRUCTIONS: The instructions are in real English (as opposed to the all too prevalent Chinglish) and have some small black and white pictures of bits of the installation. They describe the process, but are stingy with relevant pictures YouTube was much more helpful. INITIAL INSTALLATION: Some assembly required - Need a 7mm socket/wrench, plus #15 and #20 Torx drivers. Initial install took a bit over an hour from turning on the garage light to closing the door.
The bra is attached by eight button snaps that fit onto snap head screws that replace OEM hardware - Three in each fender well and two below the front end.
The top of the bra is secured under the front edge of the hood by loops that fit over sheet metal tabs in the front of the engine compartment.
To cover the lower outer corner of the fender, the bra's lower outboard corners are stretched to sandwich between the lower air dam and the fender (see pics). To do this, the outboard dam-to-fender screw must be loosened to allow the bra to be slid between the dam and the fender to secure it. IMO this is really poor design, as you either leave the screw loose, risking the loss of the screw and the dam slapping against the fender, or re-tighten the screw, requiring a wrench or socket/ratchet every time the bra is removed. Additionally, the stretched material on the corner looks like a failure waiting to happen. A better design would be to replace the dam-to-fender screw with a snap head screw and either modify the hem or add a strap and button snap to pull the fabric taut. (RANT ON - The current design appears to be an afterthought or an "Oops! How we gonna fix THAT?" I'd like to think no competent designer/engineer would think this was a good idea - RANT OFF) IN USE INSTALL/REMOVAL: Once the hardware is attached the bra installs and removes quickly, but a couple of the snaps required a lot of force to pull them off the snap screws. Installation time - 5 minutes. Removal time 5 - 7 minutes OVERALL IMPRESSION
Good idea, but design needs improvement to be ready for prime time. The jury is out on its effectiveness and longevity. "Normal" Colgan bras have lasted for over 10 years, but somehow I don't expect that kind of longevity PROS
Well made, good quality material
Compact storage, light weight
Clever design
Hand washable CONS
Price - $145 is excessive. IMO in its current configuration, $80-$90. After fixing corner attach - $100-$120 including "Corvette Tax"
Washer heads on the supplied snap screws are half the size of OEM, barely cover the holes, provide little support
Instructions are short of pictures, but can be deciphered - YouTube recommended
Poorly designed lower corner attachments
Difficulty unsnapping some snaps
5/15/18 UPDATE - It worked well for keeping bugs off the front of the car, was easy to install, remove, clean and reinstall. While it is apparent, I didn't consider that the bra covers the front cameras on later model C7s, rendering useless an important tool for avoiding contact with curbs and parking lot chocks.
The result was that I was unable to see a curb that I was approaching, which I contacted, dragging the bra under the car which tore a hole in it, and ripped one attaching snap out of the bra and destroying the Sho N Sto license plate bracket. Since the bra will likely be used on road trips to strange parking locations, not being able to use the front cameras is a serious problem. Granted, I was responsible for avoiding obstacles, but buying an accessory that renders unusable a valuable safety feature is poor design at best. Downrated to TWO stars.
AFTERMATH - Despite the bad taste in my mouth from spending $145 for a poorly designed bra, further research failed to find a viable reasonably priced option, and I hesitantly bit the bullet and bought another, mindful of its significant shortcomings. I used it on my road trip to Spring Mountain, and it kept the front clean, but was very frustrating when the front camera was needed. I plan to have an upholstery shop install a couple of vinyl grommets around the camera lenses... Somehow, at $145 for a piece of mesh fabric it should address the corner attachments, allow for forward cameras, and be basically bolt on plug 'n' play.
Stretching bra around fender corner
Front cameras covered - low light situations render it useless
So the forum is not surprised that the learning curve I am going through is par for the course with bras. Go XPEL or go home is the forum consensus. I was concerned about XPEL yellowing over time. Also, how do you repair it when damaged? The car came with XPEL behind the doors on the rear wheel fenders. Or some material similar to it. It looks like it is doing ok there. But it is in a small discrete area. If you say XPEL then I will look into it. I was hoping someone found a better fitting bra. I am not crazy about the Novistretch bra.
What consensus? You just spelled out pretty much everything bad about bra's. Anybody who puts one of these on their car should be smart enough to know wtf is going to happen because it's been happening for decades.
I suspected something like this might happen. But I figured it was designed by GM for the Corvette, it had to of been tested by them? Right? I guess not, at least for the C7.
You have posted this exact same review before and the answer is still the same. You can't blame Novistretch because you ran into a curb. Anyone who wants to see the reaction to your last identical post can read it here: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1597413155 And do take a look at your last pic there. All that junk you see wuld be in your engine compartment and radiator except for the bra. No other bra can do that. It's quite telling that after hating the first one so much and giving it such a poor review, you went out and bought another one.
You have posted this exact same review before and the answer is still the same. You can't blame Novistretch because you ran into a curb. Anyone who wants to see the reaction to your last identical post can read it here: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1597413155 And do take a look at your last pic there. All that junk you see wuld be in your engine compartment and radiator except for the bra. No other bra can do that. It's quite telling that after hating the first one so much and giving it such a poor review, you went out and bought another one.
FYI, in the original post, I praised the ability of the bra to keep crap out of the radiator, and I EDITED the review for this thread, indicating that I was responsible for the original damage, both of which your either failed to read or recognize.
Additionally, I indicated that I was NOT pleased about buying another, but nothing else fit my needs at a reasonable price, hence the phrase "hesitantly bit the bullet and bought another". You would have seen ALL of these if you bothered to read the post before rushing to your keyboard to slam it.
Before spending $145 for a flawed product, most buyers would like to know that it renders useless a popular safety system installed by the manufacturer.
FYI, I praised the ability of the bra to keep crap out of the radiator, and I EDITED the review for this thread, indicating that I was responsible for the original damage, both of which either failed to read or recognize. Additionally, I indicated that I was NOT pleased about buying another, but nothing else fit my needs at a reasonable price, hence the phrase "hesitantly bit the bullet and bought another". You would have seen ALL Of these if you bothered to read the post before rushing to your keyboard to slam it.
Before spending $145 for a flawed product, most buyers would like to know that it renders useless a popular safety system installed by the manufacturer.
I've got a NoviStretch Bra and only use it for "road trips"..... then remove it. Mostly for bugs, debris and minor sand blasting.
I modified mine to have 2 round cutouts where the front cameras are. Marked them and used a wood burning tool to cut out a quarter size round hole where the lens is. Then hand stitched some a black shoe lace around the perimeter to keep it from unraveling. Works GREAT, and I have full visibility with the front cameras.
07-12-2018, 06:24 PM
Forum Consensus on Front Bra
Not even a Novistretch?
