I am trying to prepare for the long haul to Billings,, I have a Grille Mask Protector "Aka front end Bra). The application is on a 69 camaro. This may not apply to a 67 or 68.

My problem is that when I have this bra installed and fastened in place and out on road, the rear part of the fabric flaps wildly against the peaks on the fender and hood. This bra has the air foil peaks and I even went to extent of adding too more to create an airfoil and force the lip down. No luck.

Its apparent to me that the air is coming thru the bug screen protector and getting under the bra,, trying to ballon. I am out of ideas.

Do we have any aero dymanic engineers out there or someone with some Nasa engineering?

I don't know how many of you may have gotten into this but if you have any ideas ,, could you please share.
I don't think that this would be an issue for 67-68 bodies as the fender does not have the high peaks in front like a 69?? Anyone?

I'm thinkin I'm gonna stick some sorta cling wrap all over the front of the car!

i'm a nasa enginneer and my specialty is laminar airflow. i reccommend duct tape........

im kidding of course.......

i reccommend duct tape........

im kidding of course....... Just ask them Nascar fellers, Duct tape IS aero-science!!!!! I'm kidding also, JB


Seriously, Get that cover good and tight. (which seems like thats what you are trying to do.) I saw a brand-E-new '02 Park Avenue Ultra with a loose bra, and it ruined the clear-coat in about 2000 miles. The guy had to have the grill and fenders re-shot......Jb

Jim,, you are good. May need to consider this in case you are still thinking about one. I have had this bra since last year and have struggled with this issue since.. Guess its not possible. There is too much air getting under the thing. On my trifives this was not an issue as they flat nosed.

Well I prolly knew better , like some have mentioned and I have suspected,,, I will take my chances with the bug juice and rocks,,, I stand to have more damage with the bra. After all , real street machines have rock chips! Thanks again.

I once had this problem on a 72 Monte Carlo. At freeway speeds the rear part of the cover would buzz.
I solved the problem by cutting some strips of foam rubber packing material, they were about a foot long and 1" to 2" thick and several inches wide. I stuffed them under the Bra trailing edge at the problem area and it worked great,and did not scuff the paint.

I had a "bra" on my 28 Ford Sedan Delivery street rod years ago. It worked great until dust got underneath it, followed by driving through a rain shower. Talk about an effective wet sand job. I ended up repainting the whole front of the car and selling the bra at a swap meet.

ZAPPER

Yeah, forget the bra, all it does is remove paint.

Yeah, forget the bra, all it does is remove paint.

True!

But really, what you are seeing is the turbulent airflow as the nose of the car pushes through the air. If the flow were to be laminar, there would be a constant low or high pressure (depending on how the air flows on a Camaro, anybody have a wind tunnel?) and the bra would remain up (in low pressure), or down. This explaination is so basic it's disgusting, but you get the point. Cinching it down tight is probably the best bet, but like mentioned above, it sands the paint pretty well.

I am still listening,,, I tried the stuffing part but so much air got underneath that it blew rolled up towels out . Just catches too much air. I am gonna leave it off for this cruise , like you all said,,, very effective with dirt and if it got wet,, then wet color sanding will occur.... Thanks for all input...

Just drive it!!! I went on 2 Power Tours and only got 1 rock chip on those---the rest of the rock chips come from driving around town to the local cruise nights! :confused: I have seen way too many of those bras that cause more damage than they prevent!

Purple, my last tour was out of the ball park, but then I had my '57. Friends are leaving in the morning, headed to Fla then New York, unfortunately I am going west on he Route 66 cruise ...Hope you get to go to Billings, I would like to cruise with a convoy. Prolly pick someone up in Denver..

Bras do two things:

1. They beat hell out of the paint, especially if dirt/sand particles get underneath.

2. They fog your clearcoat when moisture gets under the bra and turns to steam when the sun comes out.

Ditch the bra and don't worry about it - that's what they make touch-up paint for. Really.

:beers:

True!

But really, what you are seeing is the turbulent airflow as the nose of the car pushes through the air. If the flow were to be laminar, there would be a constant low or high pressure (depending on how the air flows on a Camaro, anybody have a wind tunnel?) and the bra would remain up (in low pressure), or down. This explaination is so basic it's disgusting, but you get the point. Cinching it down tight is probably the best bet, but like mentioned above, it sands the paint pretty well.

That's what I'm thinking. And I DO work at NASA :D :rolleyes:

I have never understood the bras that have those triangular peaks added to them. As far as I can see, you get a Bernoulli effect. Basically a wing. When air speed slows down moving over an object like the raised peak, the surface pressure goes down and lift is generated.