Re: bras vs clear coat protection
+fireamx, that is a horror story. I suspect it was made worse by being at the sea shore -- the gentle ocean breeze deposits the ingredients for fine sandpaper over your car and it obviously worked then washed it's way in. I keep a close eye on mine and no such problem, but as I stated they are rarely out in bad weather, are garaged, are washed and waxed frequently, and I only drive them <5k miles a summer. But, yes, I occasionally find some damage from crap that gets under the bra and have to Scratch-X it out. It still beats the nicks and dings from road debris. So the poor guy now has three choices - clear bra, black pleather bra, or bra-less.
PS - The days of getting bra-less babes in this old man's car are long gone.