Thinkin' bout getting an OEM hood bra for the Del Sol, but I've heard that it can mess the paint up underneath after awhile (debris and pebbles getting under there and causing ****).

Is this true?

 

I know that the hood bra on one of my cars definitely trapped a lot of debris and ruined the paint on the bumper. But, if you take the hood bra off periodically and wash/wax underneath, the paint won't get ruined so quickly.

 

i had one wear the **** out of my clear coat. never again

 

Agreed. I had an OEM hood bra on my old car and it didn't do much damage.



It sounds like you, much like myself, wanted the hood bra for looks and not so much for function (protection). Function is kind of a joke because debris will get underneath and could damage the paint if you do not clean/wax underneath. If you want it for looks and are worried about damage, you could always buy a clear film bra to put down and then put the cloth bra over it. I know it sounds like overkill, but that will help protect the paint from the cloth bra causing damage in the long run.

With proper upkeep, your hood's paint will still look fresh when you take the bra off.

 

Just take it off whenever you wash your car and shake the bra off. Then put it back on when you're done.

 

Thanks for the input, I think I'll pass on it then. It's purely for aesthetics, but seems to be more upkeep than I wanna deal with lol.

 

How hard is it to take it off every so often and clean underneath it? It'll only fade the paint or harm it if you don't take it off and wash under it.