geez...effin spelling errors, thanks for the correct Swart

We had these on our cars and on my Bonneville, I'll be doing this to my Aurora as well...wont ever see many Auroras or Bonnevilles (2000+) with bras, since its aluminum but this 3M stuff is a good alternative.

From what my father just told me, it is not just an alternative, but what we should be doing before putting a bra on these beautiful cars. I had meantioned this to my dad tonight and he said that he put it on his current work truck. He wishes now that he had put more of it on. He put it right behind the front and rear wheels and the paint is chipped above where he installed it (a full 6" wide peice), but where it is applied, it is still a perfect factory finish. This is a truck that sees all kinds of mud and rocks and has always had a very wide open tread profile. He never thought of putting it on the hood, but wishes he had. I'll take a look at it next time I see the truck.

I think I'll be purchasing some of it and putting it not only on the hood, but on the side skirts at the bottom as well. Curl it around the edges and protect EVERYTHING!

For the window rain guards, DON'T get VENTSHADES, they just stick on and are crap, the best kind out there don't use tape, they fit in the window channel and work great. There is NO wind noise and can't imagine not having them

http://www.weathertech.com/store/veh...pt_choice_id=0

On my car.



DOWN WITH BRA'*!!!!!

I suspect that shield tape might produce the same effect as a bra on the hood of a 00+ Bonneville. Be careful.

I don't see how it could produce the same problems as using a bra... It bonds to the hood much like window tint bonds to the glass. The only way it could harm the paint is if it were to de-bond and flap/vibrate on top of the hood.

Bras don't wear or rub the paint. The problem is the primer they use under the color coat, so it bonds correctly to the aluminum hood. You get a hazy appearance after a day or two. I suspect it'* trapping heat and outgassing the primer through the color coat of paint. Or perhaps causing a reaction on the clearcoat. The tape could produce the same or a worse effect. Try it on a hidden area first (perhaps underneath).

:? Possible....

I would contact the manufacturer and ask the effects on aluminum hoods

Of all the hoods I've seen on the 00+ (about 3 of them.....Tam'* being the worst), all the damage seemed to be UNDER the clearcoat.

If it is a paint curing issue and the paint is outgassing, then I could see how the film may cause issues... But there would be little to no more heat on a particular area of the hood with the film. And for a paint to be outgassing (curing) 3 years after it was applied... I don't think so. The paints that are used are typically 2 part catalyst paints that cure very rapidly.

With a bra, the bra tends to insulate and trap heat on hot days as well as cause for higher than normal temperatures in direct sunlight. It is quite possible that these high temperatures are what causes the color coat discoloration.

Anyway, I am not too worried about the hood, I am more looking into this for the side skirts where they get hit with debris off of the tires, as well as behind the rear tires undernieth. My '01 already has a sandblasted look going on down there and I would like to polish it up and keep it that way. Mud flaps are not an option that I would like to pursue.

Mine was one of them. (See my signature)

It was under the clearcoat, which I would also advise caution. Mine took less than a month to occur, and was definately not a rubbing chaffing problem as the surface was still fine.

I don't know the exact problem, but I know my paint was three years old before I put the bra on, so should be cured to full hardness. Apparently it was not, or weak because of thee aluminum hood painting process/materials.

I don't think heat was the issue. My Bra was only on for the month of March. In March, in Minnesota, I will bet that heat (even in direct sunlight) was *not* the issue.

Just my 2c, as a couple of rock chips are still better than an immediate repaint. (I could have run 60K, had the hood repainted, and run another 60K and been in the same place.)