First, I have a question for anyone who's had experience with car bras or hood protectors. I have always heard that bras and hood protectors cause the paint underneath them to be a different shade than the rest of the car. Does anyone know if this is true? I have always thought that it was because the area under the protection would not receive sunlight and this could cause a discoloration from the rest of the car. However, I have read about a magnetic hood protector that they guarantee won't damage your paint. They say that the discoloration is from water and grit that gets under the protector and causes the color to fade. The magentic bra is just that. It is kept in place kind of like a magnet and creates a seal that won't allow water and dirt to under it. It is kept in place with the magentism plus it is hooked under the hood similar to other hood protectors. It's only 6-8 inches wide and spans the width of the hood. I am trying to find something that will protect my hood from rock chips, etc. Also, can someone tell me the difference between GTS VentGuards, Ventvisor, and GTS Sportgard Window Air Deflectors? I am looking for those black plastic pieces that go over the door windows and I am looking for some good ones. Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

Car bras tend to rub a little bit, but the Carflector (Bugflector) does not. The paint will look a bit darker beneath the bra, because it isn't subjected to environmental conditions 24/7, but if any sand/dirt gets underneath, it will become scratched as the bra moves or shifts. Bras need to be dried out (taken off the car) when you receive rain, if you don't want water sitting directly on your paint finish. The Carflector from Ventshade (I haven't installed mine yet, wanted to touch up my paint chips beforehand) leaves enough room so that you can still wax beneath it. It doesn't sit directly on the paint, but hovers above it and attaches from beneath with OEM tape and optional self-tapping screws with rubber washers. It also comes with little bumpstops that install on the top of the hood, to prevent it from bumping/rubbing on the hood's paint surface, in the event that something strikes it or you take it through an automatic carwash with brushes (which is very bad by the way, and not recommended by any Max owner). Personally, I wouldn't use the magnetic hood protector, because the magnets, no matter how strong, would probably shift or scrape the paint, if not from impact then definitely from simple vibrations from driving or potholes.
That's my take on it anyway, hope it helps. Peace.

 

I put a bra on my 84 Z28. Wish I hadn't. I t got wet and dried on the car 1 time, and discolored the paint. It also caused scratches when dust got under it. Wasn't worth it> Caused more harm than good. But may be OK if you live where they rock roads in winter, if you want to put on/take off daily and clean & dry when it gets wet.

 

I have had a bra (the Nissan OEM one) on my Maxima for 5 years now. My car is black and the paint under the bra is still in perfect condition. I do not remove the bra when it rains, only when I am washing the car (at which time I also wash off the bra). Other people may have had negative experiences with bras, but if you keep your car waxed (like every couple months), the paint will be perfectly fine. At least that's been my take on it. i have been so happy with the OEM bra that I bought a new one a couple months ago to replace the old one which had plenty of road grit and holes in it.

 

Only ventvisors to get are the Weathertech Weatherflectors. They go in the window channel, unlike ALL the other ones that stick onto your paint with some form of tape.