Fitting Car Bra!

[Volkswoman]

Hi all!

Maybe someone can give me a holler. I have just received my brand new Perfect Fit Crawler style car bra. boy am I happy - after searching for months on line for a bra that I really liked I placed a wanted ad for a crawler style and was able to buy a new one. Only problem is that I can't get it to fit perfectly! So much for the name PERFECT FIT! I'm sure I am doing something wrong. I installed it on a warm day, but can't seem to get all the tabs on the lower piece to attach to the bumper. Does it just need to sit for a few days and stretch out or what?

As far as the top hood piece, it went on very easily, only now the hood doesn't close all the way. I am not forcing it, just waiting. Any suggestions?

[mloeks76]

I am very interested in your experiences...I just ordered and am waiting for my Turbo S bra to arrive. I've been afraid of having a similar experience and not knowing what to do.

[hestersu]

I just sent these instructions to another org member via Facebook. Try these and see if you do OK.

Note that this org member is in Texas which requires a front plate. If your state does not require a front plate, don't clip the license cut out off the front of the mask.

If you have a dryer, put it in there to warm it up for about 10 minutes or less. You just want it pliable. If you don't have a dryer, then lay it outside in the sun all stretched out. Before you do that, clip the thread to remove the license cut out being careful not to clip the thread that is holding the black binding around the opening itself.

Put the hood piece on first. It fits quite easily. Secure the 2 or 3 tabs up by the hood latch to keep them out of the way. You just bend the metal tabs to make a J hook. The bungee cord looking things hook into the cloth tabs on the under side of the hood piece. You should see them.

Before you put on any of this, make sure your car is clean. Wipe down with a soft cloth and some Meguiers quick detail spray.

To put on the bottom part, open the hood. Start at the center by the hood latch and make the metal tabs into J hooks and hook over the bumper fascia working your way around the inside of the engine bay. Make sure you get the mask under the hood release and not over it. Go back to the center and fit the license opening. Work around the bottom creating the J hooks and clip to the bottom of the fascia. Work to one side or the other - doesn't matter which side. When you get around to the wheel well, you want the top J hook to go past the point where the front fascia meets the fender (where the line is by the headlight). Feel along the joint and you will feel an obvious connecting point at the joint. You want the J hook to be on the fender side (towards the car door). This is how the mask will stay in place and not flap. Do the other side the same. You may need to stretch the mask a little to get it in place. This is good. You want it taut.

Close the hood. You may have to use some force to get it to latch. Make sure the palm of your hand is on the VW emblem. The latch will be more difficult because of the bulk of the fabric. It will work but takes some effort.

Do not leave the mask or hood piece on for an extended period of time (like days). You need to remove it to clean any collected dust and clean the inside of the mask and hood of bugs and debris. Always clean the paint and wax/polish before putting the mask/hood cover on.

Wash the mask/hood with a hose to remove bugs and other debris. If something doesn't come off, then pick it off. Don't put it back on the car until it is clean. Store inside in a box or something to keep it clean.

Keep a soft cloth and Meguiers quick detail spray to clean under the edges if needed.

I should also mention that you will want to check it for flapping after you have been driving for say 20 minutes or less. If everything is still secure, then you are good to go. If not, fix it and check in another 20 minutes. It will ruin your car if it is beating it to death. Just get all those J hooks nice and tight and secure. Triple check everything and then check again. Check while you are on the road. Be careful of parking blocks - they will tear up the mask. I won't even pull up to one of those. The most likely place for the mask to come loose is up by the joint or down low on the wheel well. If something is loose then readjust the mask. If its still loose, take it off for the duration of your trip until you can get somewhere to spend the time to work on it.

[Volkswoman]

Thanks - I will give these suggestions a try.

[mloeks76]

Thank you. I have never put a bra on a car before...glad to have instructions beforehand.

[marvins_dad]

You will have to slam the hood down, esp if you have the crawler style. I've had 3 Perfect Fit bras since 2003 and that is perfectly normal.

Never had a problem getting it to fit properly. You might need to make sure the tabs are going in the correct locations...maybe I should shoot some pics and post if you like?

[mloeks76]

Pics would be great!

[marvins_dad]

Sorry for the delay took photos a couple weekends ago.

[salsa-man]

Yeah thanks for the pics. I just bought one of these for Farrah - got it in the mail last week. I gotta put it on her this weekend.

[Volkswoman]

Okay, so now I have had the bra on for over three weeks. After it was on a while it started to stretch. It fits better now. I take it off each week when I wash my car. I wipe it down with a damp cloth and put it back on. It's very easy to keep clean because I cover my car every nite and wash car once a week. Now, the only problem I have is that I still can't close the hood properly. It looks like it's closed but when I lift it I find it's not latched/locked. I have followed all the advice on this but no cigar. Does any one know how to adjust the hood latch so that it will close properly? I read somewhere that there was an adjustment for this latch, but don't remember where and the instructions were not given.

[mloeks76]

It's been raining so much here over the last few weeks that I didn't get to keep mine on. I am a little jealous.
Did you go with a car cover specifically made for a beetle?