Hood bras

Whatever happened to these? I snagged one on the ridiculously cheap the other day, and while i feel like i'm trying to bring the 80s back, i dig it.

Anyone else still have these?

I hope they stay gone. I have a paint protection film business.

Unless you kept them scrupulously clean, they tended to sand the paint off your hood.

stuart in mn wrote: Unless you kept them scrupulously clean, they tended to sand the paint off your hood.

Well in that case, i'm glad that my paint on my hood is already shot from 20 years of being a japanese red car.

Don't keep it on the car if it gets wet.

Ugg. Thats one thing that I'm glad is gone.

those are totally awesome......

if the front edge if your hood is rusted out and the rest of the car is nice.

I'm guessing more rock chip resistant paint is what happened to them.

I still have the one from my '94 Escort GT. The car has been gone since '97.

your headlights are yellow...?

I have one for the mercedes, I installed it a few times but above 75mph it inflates and starts beating up the paint. You aren't suppossed to allow them to get wet or they ruin your paint, oh if you leave it in the sun the black vinyl can ruin your paint. They are pointless and ugly.

I thought you were talking about something different originally.

petegossett wrote: I still have the one from my '94 Escort GT. The car has been gone since '97.

I'd want that, but the girlfriend drives the Escort, and she hates them.

Raze wrote: your headlights are yellow...?

Yep, i actually have two sets. The yellow set and the stock set. I have a hard time trying to figure out what to do about it. I don't like the stockers, but i'm having a hard time channeling my inner artist/customizer to figure out how to fix it.

The yellow works, but they don't hold up real well.

stuart in mn wrote: Unless you kept them scrupulously clean, they tended to sand the paint off your hood.

Black car + bra + hot day + thunderstorms + repetition = cracked clear coat + hood respray

I saw one on a Prius the other day, so they must still be producing them.

I'll take possible rock chips over guaranteed paint damage, thanks. Most people don't know that you're supposed to remove the bra every time it rains or snows. Rain is dirty, dirty gets between bra and paint, airflow buffs the paint off.

This thread prompted me to sell the bra I have for my car, thanks!

I only see bras on cars that have been in slight front end accidents.. generally if you see one, the hood is already beaten up

93celicaGT2 wrote:

Raze wrote: your headlights are yellow...?

Yep, i actually have two sets. The yellow set and the stock set. I have a hard time trying to figure out what to do about it. I don't like the stockers, but i'm having a hard time channeling my inner artist/customizer to figure out how to fix it. The yellow works, but they don't hold up real well.

What did you use on them?

turbojunker wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote:

Raze wrote: your headlights are yellow...?

Yep, i actually have two sets. The yellow set and the stock set. I have a hard time trying to figure out what to do about it. I don't like the stockers, but i'm having a hard time channeling my inner artist/customizer to figure out how to fix it. The yellow works, but they don't hold up real well.

What did you use on them?

Krylon glass paint. This is just a test run. If i decide to go with it permanently, i'll lay some clear coat over it next time.

Is it the stained glass stuff? I was thinking of doing that to the high beam lights on my Datsun. I'm too cheap to buy the Mercedes foglights and do it the right way.

turbojunker wrote: Is it the stained glass stuff? I was thinking of doing that to the high beam lights on my Datsun. I'm too cheap to buy the Mercedes foglights and do it the right way.

Yep! It's cheap, and works well, though i would definitely suggest clearing it afterwards for toughness.

I thought amber lenses were illegal on headlights? They don't look bad though

mad_machine wrote: I thought amber lenses were illegal on headlights? They don't look bad though

It's not amber really, it's a much lighter yellow than that picture would suggest. Lighting was weird.

It's about the same color as the factory yellow Lexus foglights. I've never been hassled for it.

I used the yellow stained glass paint on the high beams on the XR4, but since we don't have bulbs or wiring harness to support high beams they're for show, and look good IMO.

As an aside, my tail lights on the Fiat looked pretty worn/faded after 38 years, some red stained glass paint and 10 minutes later and they look almost new, darker than before, it's really a nice look and cleans the back end up nicely.

IMO stained glass paint rocks, but I know this thread is about bras, I wouldn't mind one for the XR4 to rock the 80s theme, but the AutoX and track peps are likely to frown upon a highly flammable sheet up front...