Just bought my first Gen3. I am really enjoying the car. It has original paint in great shape. Yet I want to drive the car. How do I keep it from getting all scared up?
I live out in the country. So I'm usually busting lot's of bugs with it too.

I remember back in the day with these cars running around with a bra on them. Then it came to light that they were good at a different kind of paint damage to the front end.

Short of not driving the car what can I do preserve the paint?

 

An old trick I always used to make the bugs less of a problem is to hit the front bumper with a light coat of wax after each wash. Makes bug removal a breeze. Also be leery of night driving if your in the sticks, a raccoon feels like hitting a bowling ball.

 

Part of driving a car. I just deal with it. Clean it when needed. They are still making paint.

 

I do this too. Frequent waxing of the front clip makes it much easier to clean.

I always hated those car bra things. Yeah, chipped paint sucks, but at least you have to get close to see those chips. But some people would put a big cover/bras over the whole front end, which is glaringly ugly from a distance. It might as well be one giant paint chip. Okay, so your car is chip-free. The car you never actually get to see.

 

I have the original paint on my car still, and even polished and waxed, the front fascia still shows chemical etching from bugs when you look real close.

If I ever get the car repainted, I'll look for a local installer of this sort of product. I have it on my motorhome, and it's a big help.

https://www.invisiblecarbras.com/

 

I had to do a double take and had a couple flash backs the other day, was walking past the customer orders shelf and it was like I was warped back to 1993. Someone actually ordered a bra for a car. Not sure what car it was going on, but apparently they're still being made and someone thought it was a good idea. Idk, sorta struck the nostalgia chord. But yeah, the bra will rub the paint and do damage the same as rock chips.

 

Thanks! This link you provided may be a solution. I will look into what is available near me, and what it costs.

 

Wash / wax the front end ad keep a moist microfiber towel with you and at the stops wipe down any bugs...

we don;t have a LOT here in Hawaii but when we do there's a lot of tiny little ones...

The faster you get them off before the guts dry the better. When you stop at a gas station etc.. .just wipe them and they should come right off...let them dry and they might etch into the paint!

 

How long do they have to be on to cause that sort of damage ? I bought one a while back for long drives, like interstate trips, but I haven't used it yet, bit afraid to now!

 

Dirt and grit will get under there between the bra and the paint, and wind beating on it as you drive down the road will create a sanding effect, especially around the bra's edges. Also, if you drive in the rain, moisture will collect under there and eventually cause whatever paint is left under there to become cloudy.

Cars driven regularly are gonna get paint chips; it's just a fact of life. Forget the bra, and instead, follow the wax tips above. Additionally, IMO, those bras on a 3rd gen are uglier than a mud fence, far worse-looking than a few paint chips.

 

Exactly. Those bras are uglier than paint chips. So you have a chip-free front end. That you never see.

Been saying this for 35 years. I know people who bought them who would talk about how it would protect their car (wrong) and keep the resale value up. So great. Even if it worked, you'll be preserving the appearance for the next owner, while you yourself never actually enjoy the look of your car, because you ruined it with the bra.

 

I was able to order a new bra when I bought my Car in 2019. Helps cover the damaged fenders and spiderwebbed paint on the bumper cover. Knocks down the ghetto look enough that I feel ok driving it around! Finishing mechanical before sinking the big bucks into paint and bodywork.

Bra hides 90% of the sins of the car.

 

I do like that yellow over silver two-tone. If you ever repaint, you should restore that.

 

Yes, that's pretty cool looking. Don't see many like that.

 

Thanks guys! Been a fun project the last couple of years. Recreating my first car, drove it all through college in the early/mid-90s. Was in the midwest at the time, and drove it all through winter (when I had traction). I figure it has been crushed into beer cans by now, so this car is the next best thing. Was a 1000 mile round trip to pick it up in Tulsa, but the car HAD to be yellow. Only in 85 and 86 Trans Ams, not many to choose from!

Picture from around 93, I'm guessing. Even had a bra on this one!

 

I can't believe no one mentioned clear PPF, (Paint Protection Film).