daleslanche
New Member
Has anyone seen an AV with a front end cover (BRA)? Im stuck out in west Texas and dont see to many AVs mine is metallic green 04, 66 AWESOME vehicle
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Avalanche bras
- Thread starter daleslanche
- Start date
I'm sure someone must make one, but my advise is 'don't go there'. I have seen so many horror shows as a result of the fit not being perfect and the paint being sanded off.
martin
Full Member
Have not seen one either...you can try a bug shield and maybe those clear plastic stick-on lens protectors..Im in Far West Texas...El Paso and Ava are a dime a dozen ...especially cladded ava...but have yet to spot anothe one with amber DRL's 
AVALANCHE JIM
Full Member
Colgan makes I thing 3 different styles that fit the Avy.
daleslanche said:
Well I'm a little West of Texas and I have a Bra on the AV. I've been running it for about 9 months now.
I throw it in the washing machine when I clean the truck up every 2 or 3 weeks. I don't see a lot of sand in the fabric.
Today I noticed how pitted the light lenses are getting. I used to run the Bra just for road trips, but it now on about 90% of the time.
I'd rather plan on repainting the whole area instead of dealing with the rock chips that I caught in first 6 weeks before the Bra came in.
It's a great bug catcher too.
steelheadchaser
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Full Member
I have the GM bra for the Av. Unfortunately, I don't have any photo's with it on. I use it only occassionally. It is well tailored and fits very snugly.
02-Z66
Full Member
i have a GM front end bra for the my AV. i have not had any problems as far as it scratching from improper/ loose fit. it fits very wel as a matter of fact.
i will mention that when i was in Texas for the Poteet GTG i had quite a bit of dust and debris that had worked it's way in between the edge of the bra and hood. the conditions were very dusty where we were located. not sure if you are in a similar area. if you are i would suggest a bug deflector instead.
i will mention that when i was in Texas for the Poteet GTG i had quite a bit of dust and debris that had worked it's way in between the edge of the bra and hood. the conditions were very dusty where we were located. not sure if you are in a similar area. if you are i would suggest a bug deflector instead.
I love my AV bra. With the amount of road debris on these FL highways, I think my front end would have a more "weathered look" without it. Check my pix for a view.
I have the half bra (and mirror bras). I only use it on long trips and take it off for day-to-day city use.
No issues with the fit or performance. I installed the double-sided tape that came with it to resolve the windshield/mirror vibration that owners originally complained about with the bras and deflectors.
No issues with the fit or performance. I installed the double-sided tape that came with it to resolve the windshield/mirror vibration that owners originally complained about with the bras and deflectors.
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Obviously I am in the minority here. I've just seen some horror shows with other vechiles and bras.
But, experience and comments from current Av owners is far more important. Can't argue with that
But, experience and comments from current Av owners is far more important. Can't argue with that
docopharm
Full Member
sparky said:Obviously I am in the minority here. I've just seen some horror shows with other vechiles and bras.
But, experience and comments from current Av owners is far more important. Can't argue with that
I've heard some bad reports about these as well. I bought one after I first got the AV. Ended up not using it b/c I have a lot of pines and pine straw kept getting under it - I was worried about it scratching. Also, maybe it was just me, but mine would get moldy underneath pretty quick.
SWFLA1
Full Member
Another way to go - My business partner has a clear, kinda saran wrap kinda thing across the front of his truck - the color shows through and supposedly it protects the front end... i'm letting him test it before doing it to the AV, but so far, so good....
This is one of those items that has both positive and negative effects.
In places where it tends to rain frequently or experience high levels of humidity, the mold can be a problem. In areas with a lot of trees, pine needles and leaf stems, well, more issues to consider. In the drier climes, it's going to be sand & grit.
Obviously, this is not the perfect solution for everyone nor will it be practical for every location or for the whole year.
Here in Southern California, rain is not our biggest problem. The trees can be, but I tend to avoid them because of the bird & sap droppings.
I've run a bra on another car, wind deflectors on others and the most problematic issue has been the sandblasting effect of the smaller particles pitting the flat front edges and the heavier chunks chipping the hood, side mirrors, and front facing edges of the doors.
Since acquiring the Avalanche nearly a year ago, I've played around with using it daily and leaving it off between washings. By the third cycle of this routine, it was obvious it needed just as much protection around home as it did on lengthier road trips.
It's a tough environment out there. Take a good look at your windshield and look at all the pits since the last time you cleaned it. There is only so much we can do to slow this destruction, but we'll never stop it.
As much as I try to leave a decent following distance on the freeway, some yahoo manages to close the gap and create a debris trail.
I also put a Bra on my wife's new CTS. I ordered a Bra for it after 3 weeks. I kept it on and watched to see what the inside edges looked like and what was happening to the exposed flat surfaces.
I took it off to install the recently arrived license plates and didn't put it back on until I washed it again, 2 weeks later.
There were a lot of dings and chips from the short period of not using it.
The bottom line is, nothing is perfect, but anything will help, one way or another.
The above post was not a rant. Just a reflection on my recent and long term experiences.
Regardless of your decision to use any device or not, Your Mileage Will Vary.
Drive On!
In places where it tends to rain frequently or experience high levels of humidity, the mold can be a problem. In areas with a lot of trees, pine needles and leaf stems, well, more issues to consider. In the drier climes, it's going to be sand & grit.
Obviously, this is not the perfect solution for everyone nor will it be practical for every location or for the whole year.
Here in Southern California, rain is not our biggest problem. The trees can be, but I tend to avoid them because of the bird & sap droppings.
I've run a bra on another car, wind deflectors on others and the most problematic issue has been the sandblasting effect of the smaller particles pitting the flat front edges and the heavier chunks chipping the hood, side mirrors, and front facing edges of the doors.
Since acquiring the Avalanche nearly a year ago, I've played around with using it daily and leaving it off between washings. By the third cycle of this routine, it was obvious it needed just as much protection around home as it did on lengthier road trips.
It's a tough environment out there. Take a good look at your windshield and look at all the pits since the last time you cleaned it.
There is only so much we can do to slow this destruction, but we'll never stop it.As much as I try to leave a decent following distance on the freeway, some yahoo manages to close the gap and create a debris trail.
I also put a Bra on my wife's new CTS. I ordered a Bra for it after 3 weeks. I kept it on and watched to see what the inside edges looked like and what was happening to the exposed flat surfaces.
I took it off to install the recently arrived license plates and didn't put it back on until I washed it again, 2 weeks later.
There were a lot of dings and chips from the short period of not using it. The bottom line is, nothing is perfect, but anything will help, one way or another.
The above post was not a rant. Just a reflection on my recent and long term experiences.
Regardless of your decision to use any device or not, Your Mileage Will Vary.
Drive On!
I have had a hood and mirror bras on my Av, for about 2 1/2 months. I use it 90% of the time as I try to take it off before a storm comes in, nothing worse than a soggy bra..
I have had no problems with discoloation etc, I will try to post a pic later today.
I have had no problems with discoloation etc, I will try to post a pic later today.
pogo
Full Member
I ordered the full front end bra from Colgan less than a week after I took the AV home. I ended up sending the grill piece back because I didn't like the way it made the top of the bumper/cladding pull away from the body. I kept the hood piece a little longer but got tired of my mirrors vibrating from the wind deflector on the hood piece. I sent that back and switched it for the "T" style which doesn't have any wind deflectors to make the weather strip or the mirrors vibrate. It fits and looks awesome!
I have had no ill effects from any of the Colgan bras I have used on the AV or any of my past trucks('98 Z71, '01 Z71). I had a GM front end cover on the '98 that caused a little scuffing of the paint, so I switched manufacturers and been happy ever since with the quality, fit, and ease of install of the Colgan bras.
I do get some debris under the bras but I take it off when I wash the truck every week or two, but never had negative results!!
Sorry so long, and this is not an ad for Colgan, just my expierence!!!
Mike
I have had no ill effects from any of the Colgan bras I have used on the AV or any of my past trucks('98 Z71, '01 Z71). I had a GM front end cover on the '98 that caused a little scuffing of the paint, so I switched manufacturers and been happy ever since with the quality, fit, and ease of install of the Colgan bras.
I do get some debris under the bras but I take it off when I wash the truck every week or two, but never had negative results!!
Sorry so long, and this is not an ad for Colgan, just my expierence!!!
Mike
02-Z66
Full Member
sparky said:Obviously I am in the minority here. I've just seen some horror shows with other vechiles and bras.
But, experience and comments from current Av owners is far more important. Can't argue with that
Sparky, you are absolutely correct. most of the time bras can cause damage to a vehicle. scratching and discoloration are two of the most common. i try to take the bra off when it's about to rain. if it rains before i take it off i remove it right after. i never leave it on for extended periods of time while wet. this will cause discoloration. when installing/ removing i always make sure the hood and bra are both free of debris to prevent scratching. also making sure it is applied properly keeps the bra from flapping around causing it to scratch the paint. i would also think a nice coat of wax on the hood from time to time would help protect the paint as well.
bryker
Full Member
I have had bra (front end cover) on one of my previous trucks and had nothing but problems with it and in the long run might have caused more damage than otherwise. Iwould never have another. I now use winddeflectors, but as in a previous post was mentioned,nothing is perfect. I guess we will have wait for the all vehicle covering forcefield that keeps away all flying debris while driving and all other things (i.e. people with their keys etc.) while parked anywhere.
Ah!!! THe Av forcefield. I like it!! It's range would increase with raod speed, and any atricles thrown at it would retunr on the exact same path in order to repay the offender. Like have a key bounce up their nose
Wow, I never heard so many negatives on the AV bra. I use mine religiously, with no problems. Then again, I live in Miami, so I don't get a lot of small leaves that get caught in the grill. When it rains, it dries out very quickly, probably because of our high heat. I wash my AV just about weekly and keep a good coat of wax every month or so, and I've had no problems, no scuffs. When I wash the AV, I rinse and condition the bra after get the dust and sand out. I need to get covers for my mirrors though. Who sells those?
cudaowner
Full Member
So, where can I buy one of these Colgan bras?
I have used mine off and on for two years. If you keep it clean between the hood and itself it works great. I find that when it rains the dirt accumulates and I supose it could scratch but I just take it off and clean it.............
Tractman
Tractman
Check this link for the mirror bra - http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?board=119;action=display;threadid=25921;start=msg411243#msg411243
You can also do a search on the net or on this site for 'mirror bra'.
You can also do a search on the net or on this site for 'mirror bra'.
pogo
Full Member
Cuda, I ordered mine direct from Colgan, the link below has their contact info. I know other mail order companies also sell them, like Stylinconcepts, and Performance Products. I am not sure where you will get the best price, when I ordered mine for the AV they were having a sale and I got it cheaper through them than any other, but they were more expensive when I bought mine for the '01 Silverado.
http://www.colgancustom.com/
http://www.colgancustom.com/
Dangnabbit, Pogo!!! Now that I've seen the Colgan website, I have to figure out a way to convince my wife to let me have the carbon fiber front end and mirror bras. They look good. 