5th Gen Bra or alternative?

[bofa]

We are planning an 1800 mile trip next summer in the T4R and I'm trying to plan ahead. I expect the trip to take about 3 days total. One of the things I'm concerned about is bugs/grime/etc on the front of the car. I don't really want anything permanent or that will cause more work than it's worth but want to get some input on the options. I know painters tape can be used in a pinch. I've looked into some of the clear film options. I see that Colgan offers a bra.

What have you guys used, if anything?

 

[deekoi]

We are planning an 1800 mile trip next summer in the T4R and I'm trying to plan ahead. I expect the trip to take about 3 days total. One of the things I'm concerned about is bugs/grime/etc on the front of the car. I don't really want anything permanent or that will cause more work than it's worth but want to get some input on the options. I know painters tape can be used in a pinch. I've looked into some of the clear film options. I see that Colgan offers a bra.

What have you guys used, if anything?

I use 3m clear bra and it works great. Gone on a couple road trips now and afterwards, it's a simple wipe away.

 

[NJshadow93]

You could always give it a fresh coat of wax or two, and carry around some spray detailer. That will take care of the bug guts and dirt.

 

[CookieRoe]

You could always give it a fresh coat of wax or two, and carry around some spray detailer. That will take care of the bug guts and dirt.

But it won't protect the paint from small stone chips.

3M clear bra is the way to go! BUT, it is sort of permanent (you can remove it whenever you want, or leave it until its no longer useful). I have it on my DD car and love it. I do plan on putting the clear bra on my truck whenever I get the front bumper painted.

 

[1engineer]

I have drove 45,000 miles in 19 months. I had a 3000 mile week not too long ago. I just touch it up every now and then as I follow the 10 10 rule. If it looks good from 10 feet or at 10 mph that is good.

 

[bofa]

10/10... hah that is great.

I was searching last night for something like the 3M stuff that was easily removable. I found this site last night but it looks a lot like packaging tape and I wasn't able to find many reviews.

Protect Car from Insect Damage | EZ Shield Paint Protector

I know down here the painters tape thing is common for track day and driving to the car shows but I'm not sure what kind of mess it would leave after such a long trip. Plus it will be mostly really warm weather driving.

 

[bofa]

I've been doing some more reading here and on other car forums and it seems stucco tape is an option. Plus it can be found in various colors so it's not such an eyesore.

Part of me says to just get the bra but based on past experience, they can be hell on paint.

 

[CITADEL96]

I had it installed. Works pretty good. I did a google search of this thread, posted and read a bunch of info prior to paying the money and having it installed. Only issue is that it does wipe off, but it WILL STAIN with bugs and bird droppings. I still have to use good old elbow grease to get the bugs off when I wash it......

 

[deekoi]

10/10... hah that is great.

I was searching last night for something like the 3M stuff that was easily removable. I found this site last night but it looks a lot like packaging tape and I wasn't able to find many reviews.

Protect Car from Insect Damage | EZ Shield Paint Protector

I know down here the painters tape thing is common for track day and driving to the car shows but I'm not sure what kind of mess it would leave after such a long trip. Plus it will be mostly really warm weather driving.

I have a large roll of packing for pallets. I've heard it works very well for off road/brushes and such but takes a while to put on.

But these are more off roading alternatives.

3M clear bra is probably your best bet for long term (or roughly 3 years) after that the clear bra's color fades into an ugly yellow.