Colgan Bra For 2008 Rx350

[GDixon]

I have a few questions about the Colgan bra and mirror covers for those of you who have one for your RX. The bra would only be occasionally used for long high-speed trips and not in the rain or snow.

1) Is the Carbon Fibre Vinyl option an advantage in any way? If it looks better with the same protection then that is enough for me.

2) The "T-style" for the hood appears to attach to the hood near the wiper blades and looks like it would flap less while covering the sloped hood even more against damage. What are the thoughts about that option? It seems to be available for the RX.

3) In searching the Colgan website for a 2008 Lexus RX350 bra, the results come up with a RX330 bra. They have not replied to a questioning email yet so I'll try here. Is there any difference in the front end design of the RX330 vs the 2008 RX350? They look the same but a half inch here or there could cause a problem. An ill-fitting bra is not acceptable and may cause more damage than not having one at all. :cries:

Thanks in advance for the information.

[Rya]

I have a few questions about the Colgan bra and mirror covers for those of you who have one for your RX. The bra would only be occasionally used for long high-speed trips and not in the rain or snow.

1) Is the Carbon Fibre Vinyl option an advantage in any way? If it looks better with the same protection then that is enough for me.

2) The "T-style" for the hood appears to attach to the hood near the wiper blades and looks like it would flap less while covering the sloped hood even more against damage. What are the thoughts about that option? It seems to be available for the RX.

3) In searching the Colgan website for a 2008 Lexus RX350 bra, the results come up with a RX330 bra. They have not replied to a questioning email yet so I'll try here. Is there any difference in the front end design of the RX330 vs the 2008 RX350? They look the same but a half inch here or there could cause a problem. An ill-fitting bra is not acceptable and may cause more damage than not having one at all.:cries:

Thanks in advance for the information.

There is no advantage to the Carbon Fiber look, it's just a style prefernce.

The Colgan products fit very tightly against the vehicle. I have not used one on my RX, but my hubby had one for his old 94 Mustang & it took him a good effort to get the product on. Very tight fit tolerance. You won't have any "flap" trouble with any Colgan products. They are the best in the industry.

Sorry, I can't help with the fit question. You could also try looking at Covercraft's website just for fitment info. See if they have a different part number for the 350 & 330. If there are 2 different numbers, then the 330 won't fit.

Good luck!

[GDixon]

Thanks for the Covercraft website hint. It was checked and they don't have anything listed for the 2008 RX350 except a whole car cover. They call them "front end covers" since "bra" is apparently too spicy. That must mean that the RX330 is slightly different in the front than the 08 RX350. A Google search doesn't come up with anything either. I'll keep looking and perhaps give Colgan a call since their response to my email questions about the fit has not come for several days.

[Rya]

"front end covers" since "bra" is apparently too spicy

I was in the accessory biz. for almost 10 years & we bought/sold Covercraft. The business was owned by my in-laws. I changed our catalog & computer from "bra" to "front end cover" used by Covercraft. Completely freaked me out to have my father-in-law ask me about bras....

[GDixon]

"front end covers" since "bra" is apparently too spicy

Completely freaked me out to have my father-in-law ask me about bras....

If they were called "jock straps" and my mother-in-law asked about them, I might feel the same way.

[Rya]

If they were called "jock straps" and my mother-in-law asked about them, I might feel the same way.

Some things just don't need to be discussed!!

[Rya]

http://www.autoanything.com/car-bras/62A1053A0A0.aspx

This is for the '07, but you may try emailing this company to see if it will work on your '08. This link is for the carbon fiber, but black is also available.

[GDixon]

Thanks for the link and the research done to find it. There is a red box on the web page that specifically states that the product is not available for the 2008 RX350 so the front end must be slightly different than the 07. The Colgan factory will get a call to find out what is up. They should have the answers.

[Rya]

Ooops - didn't see the red box, sorry! But you have your answer. Like DC said, Colgan should be able to custom fit one for you. Hopefully they'll come back with something. :)

[GDixon]

Thanks to those that have responded to my "bra" question.

Colgan finally answered my email. They do not stock the 2008 RX 350 bra but will make it over a 3 week period after ordering. It will be a "T style" hood cover. Mirror covers will be ordered as well. Since I have a two month window, the time frame works very well. The order will be put in on Monday when they open.

Once again, I appreciate this forum and the informed people that frequent it.

[Rya]

GREAT NEWS!!! I'm so glad you're able to get what you need. Let me know how you like it, maybe post a pic so we can see it.

[GDixon]

Here are a couple of pics of the Colgan bra/jock/front end cover for the RX350 - mirror covers as well. It has to be ordered specifically to get the "T" type hood cover.

The Colgan label had RX330 on it but it fit perfectly and tightly on my 08 RX350 so anyone who wants one can just order the RX330 item.

Cost was $200 and it took four weeks to get it.

[Rya]

Looks great! :)

[GDixon]

Just returned from a 3500 mile trip with the bra. The results were not so great. At 80+ mph the bra starts to flap and at 100+ the Bernoulli effect lifts it off of the hood about 6 inches. It resembles a "stuffed" bra. It starts out as a 28A and ends up a 42DD.:whistles:

I will try punching some holes with grommets in the "T" section that fits under the top of the hood and use some heavy duty bungee cords to try to keep the bra tight and down on the hood. It is doubtful that the modification will work but it will be better than trying nothing.

If anyone is thinking of a Colgan bra, it might be best to get the style that has the "bug deflectors". They are actually wind deflectors that hold the bra down at higher speeds.

BTW, the RX350 engine does cut out at 111 mph as stated in the manual. The speed was verified by a Garmin 2720 GPS as well as the speedometer. All three (engine/manual, GPS, speedometer) matched perfectly.

The best gas mileage during the trip was two days in Yellowstone National Park at park's 45 mph speed limit or less. The RX 's display showed 26.9 mpg and the gas fill-up calculated 27.1 - well within error range and almost as good as a hybrid. There is probably a lesson to be learned here but it will be ignored.