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To Bra or not To Bra
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To bra or not to bra?
Bra! I like the perkiness!
38%
 38%  [ 50 ]
No Bra! I like it au natural!
61%
 61%  [ 80 ]
Total Votes : 130

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shizzon
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:21 pm    Post subject: To Bra or not To Bra Reply with quote

That is the question...

I was thinking about getting one of these, esp. because a part of my front end is a little crunched and I don't want to pay $1000+ to fix it. ...Other than covering that up, what is the point of bras? I've never really understood. ...Are they really just cosmetic?
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Wellington
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can help prevent stone chips and bug gut splatter which is a pain to wash off.
Van ---bra
Wife --no bra.
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mr_vanagon
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem with a bra (on the van) is that the paint under the bra will not fade evenly with the rest of the van. If your paint is still good looking I say go without the bra. Also, I'm told that a bra should be removed every time it gets wet to dry the paint underneath to dry. Sounds like a lot of trouble for day-to-day use. I might think it's a good idea for a long trip but not for local errand use.

No bra
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shenan-agon
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I voted "bra", because I have the same issue as you - my front end is banged up. Though now the bra is so ratty/falling off, that I'm not sure it looks any better. If anyone wants to sell theirs, let me know...
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lovedavdubs
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Do it. As far as I'm concerned their crucial for highway driving. The last time I hit the highway without it on (because of rain), I took not one but two rocks to the face Evil or Very Mad For daily driving I usually role mine up and tuck it under the back seat. True, if you leave it on all the time it will cause your paint to fade unevenly. But if you only use it for road trips, etc., you'll be fine.

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82 Air-cooled Westy (Lola)...My other vehicle is a subway.
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Pengineer1
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:55 pm    Post subject: I just took mine off a few months ago... Reply with quote

I hated the looks of mine with the bra, so I finally took it off. It had been on there for quite a few years and had all kinds of dirt and pine needles... but it had done a good job of protecting the nose. There are a very few, small areas where the paint has been rubbed from the bra, but I can't complain. I should have been cleaning it more often underneath.

So I've thrown it away- it was too ratty and I prefer the natural look. I also like the big "Syncro" logo (tatoo?) that was under there. The whole van will need a paint job in another couple years so I'll let the paint all wear together now.

I think 3M was making an invisible bra that you could order pre-cut for most any vehicle. The idea was the clear plastic barrier protected about as well as the fabric of a bra but didn't look like a black mask...

Bill in CO
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mobowesty
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a bra, a "vanziere" if you will, and haven't used it since I drove it home from the PO last year. My Westy has an original paint job (turd brown), some minor scratches and dings, and definitely wouldn't win any car shows. I've kept it, thinking I would put it back on for long road trips, but I never do.

Bottom line: I don't like them. I know they make sense for protecting the paint, but I still associate bras with the first vehicles I saw them on - IROC Zs Shocked ! For me, it's a look that's right up there with those pink triple wipers blades with the little squares on them, the mullet, zipper pants, turned up collars, etc... grumble, grumble...

Shena-agon: you want it, you got it. Send me an email and we'll make a deal
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aviatorjames
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm way more interested in the protection it provides than how it looks!!
My '89 has very nice paint and I'd like to keep it that way.

The bra that I bought actually fits quite well and is easy to put on and take off.
It is very important to take it off every time it gets wet.
And also every couple of months to clean the grime that accumulates underneath.

Mine came from here at: BusDepot, but I see the price has gone up quite a bit!!


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...I found $650 cash about ten seconds after I took this foto!!
My lucky Vanagon.. I had driven here just to get her warmed up for an oil change.
It was such a pretty day, I thought I should get out and take a couple of fotos...
...and JackPot!!!

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aviatorjames
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luvdavdubs...

Where did you get the (VW) center-caps for your wheels?

jim

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lovedavdubs
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

aviatorjames wrote:
luvdavdubs...

Where did you get the (VW) center-caps for your wheels?

jim


Came with the rims. GoWesty Cool
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noganav
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Out of curiosity are they VW or GW?
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Dogpilot
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like mine for road trips, but I wouldn't leave it on all the time. I had to mod mine for the projectwo fog lights and the SA Grill. I took off the mesh over the headlamps and driving lights. I had to cut and sew a roll around the fod lights. All in all, kind of a pain, but the bra was only $40 off ebay. Besides, at twenty, the front needs a bit of underwire support.
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shizzon
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Out of curiosity, why do you have to take off bras when they get wet?

woah... I just realized how many different interpretations of that sentence there could be. Laughing
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aviatorjames
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The info that came with the bras I have... (except for that lacy one that I keep for when I'm feeling pretty!! haha!!) ...Passat & Vanagon both say that "clouding" of the clear-coat and/or paint can occur if you leave it on for extended periods after getting wet.
I personally haven't tested the theory.

Oh, here's that other bra...
This one doesn't have the VANAGON embroidery though
...but does come with a matching floor mat!!

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lovedavdubs
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

noganav wrote:
Out of curiosity are they VW or GW?


My rims?
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backcountrymedic
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 6:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a bra. Don't care for how it looks though. I use it when I head out on long road trips. Helps minimize the damage and bugs. However, recently, I was kinda lazy, and left it on after a trip. It rained, and dried, and got moldy on the fuzzy inner linings of the bra. YUCK! Took a while to clean that up! Lesson learned? Don't leave it on when it's wet!

-Jared
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psych-illogical
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I voted 'no' for a coupla reasons. Mine came with a bra and I liked the look of it. The nose had remarkably few stone chips out of it but, any grit or grime gets under there and it starts working like an abrasive on the paint. When I met my wife, she had a bra on her Subaru wagon and had never taken it off to clean things underneath. The paint was basically ruined. From the looks of my Westy the PO had at least cleaned underneath on a regular basis 'cuz the paint was fine. So maybe the potential damage isn't much of an issue as long as you clean regularly.

The other thing is that that screen mesh that lets the air through to the radiator effectively reduces the amount of air passing through by about 20%. I always felt that my Westy ran a little hot and it finally dawned on me that it could be the bra. I removed it and I noticed a BIG difference in where my temp gage ran, especially on hot days. There was a thread about this a while ago and someone else commented that the difference was even bigger if you're running A/C.
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psych-illogical
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

aviatorjames wrote:
luvdavdubs...

Where did you get the (VW) center-caps for your wheels?

jim


I bought the GoWesty rims for mine and like 'em a lot. But, the "VW" center cap is actually a very cleverly stylized "GW."
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basil
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have one for my Eurovan. I intedned to only use it for long trips, but made the mistake of being lazy and not taking it off last summer. I now have a couple areas of clouded clear coat on the hood. No rock chips, however.

When I had my windows tinted, I looked at a 3-M clear film product that gets applied on the hood and acts as a stone guard. I kick myself now for not shelling out the $300 to have it applied. It's going to cost me a lot more thna that to re-pain tthe hood. Oh well...live and learn.
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Terry Kay
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I run The "Vanzerre" simply because the Van has new base clear paint and I want the front end to remain rock, stone, and bug blast free.

The maroon paint & my labor was a buch more expensive then the bra---

I've had it on in the rain, & through car washes, and I have nothing to report in the way of paint damage from getting wet under the front end cover.

Witches tale.
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