Greg,

I am experimenting soon with a combination of Novistretch, Curb Alert (have a '15 and therefor no birds eye cameras) and Sto-n-Sho. This would allow both the front plate and the stretch mask at the same time. Will post how this works (or not) in a few weeks.

We have forum members who have used their Novistretch on their C7's without paint abrasion, fading or other concerns, one of who has gone over 22,000 miles on his, others with other 10,000 miles. I use a Novistretch on trips, not around town, and when I do, doesn't matter if over 100 degrees or driving rain -- no issues. On the plus side, it keeps tons of bugs, tiny pebbles, and other crap out of the radiator grill.

Regarding XPEL, have it on my car, and when and if I remove it years down the road, because it has gotten some surface hits from rocks (it will protect your paint, but takes a hit to itself sometimes), will pull it off and have a new piece installed. And if your installer is correct, that your paint could need to be re-polished at that time, so be it, and will repolish it first.

 

I love my NoviStretch bra and mirror covers. It snaps on to a total of about 5 snaps that are on screws that replace OEM screws on the bottom of the nose of the car and three on the inside of each front wheel well. The top of the NoviStretch has a loop on each side that attaches to existing points under the hood. It does stretch tightly. After you have done the first install, taking it off and putting it back on is a less than 5 minute job. I have driven the car with the NoviStretch in the rain without any problems and driving it at speed will dry it when it stops raining, but I do not leave the bra on there if it is damp or wet--no reason to since it is so quickly/easily put on/taken off.

With respect to front license plates, I too live in a two plate state (bummer). I have intalled the Sto-N-Go plate bracket. My plan is to make small holes in the bra for the posts to slide through, so that I can run the bra and the front plate. Though I haven't done that yet, I have read that making the small holes will not cause "runs" in the bra. However, I am not guaranteeing that and you would have to contact the manufacturer to get a confirmation on this application.

Here is a picture of the plate bracket installed.

Good luck Greg.

 

+1 what John said. The Novistretch does dry quickly. I also use it for road trips but not "around town". When I changed out my grill and had the bumper cover off, there was noticeable bug stuff in the radiator fins from when the Novistretch wasn't on so I feel it does a great job! It's a 1-2 punch with Xpel but I wouldn't go with just the Novistretch as a more permanent line of protection. As to breathability, the mesh is very breathable and won't restrict air flow. Can't speak to the license plate issue as TN doesn't have that requirement.

 

I have novistretch and I have used it on long road trips only. Did a great job of capturing bugs and was easy to clean. Seemed to dry pretty quickly.

 

My car will be a daily driver. Do NoviStretch masks dry well and allow "breathing", or bad idea in the rain? Not intended to be left on?

Anyone know of a good clear front mask product? Hate the only available black color.

Any expertise/experience/advice is appreciated!

Greg

Hi Greg,

NoviStretch masks dry quickly when driving. They also dry quickly after you wash them out and hang them up to dry out. They are usable in dry conditions and in rain. I have had no issues with engine temps in any situation, including extreme temperatures when driving through Death Valley with my NoviStretch on this past summer.

As for a clear mask product, I would go with EXPEL Ultimate. I have it on my 2014 and love it. And yes, I do still use my NoviStretch on road trips so I don't have as many bugs to clean off the car and to keep junk out of the radiator.

 

I've used my Novistretch on several long trips, including in the rain. No paint damage whatsoever! As for the front plate, if you use the factory aeroplate bracket, you can see the license plate through the Novistretch fairly well.

 

I installed my NoviStreatch a couple of days after I got my car last April. Like you, we have a front plate. For the first couple of weeks I only put it on at night. Then I realized that our plate, with a white background, is very visible through the mask. I put, almost 10,000 miles on my car this summer, no chips, no marks on the front bumper and I cleaned a lot of crap off the cover that would have been in the radiator. To clean it, I take it off and soak it in a pail of water and Dawn dish soap. After a good soak, while I am cleaning the rest of the car, I swish it around in the bucket, hang it up, rinse it off with the hose and a hour later I am good to go again. IMO, NoviStretch is a great product.

 

Like everyone else I use the novistretch when taking a long trip .....the only time during the trip that I took it off is when I was in West Virginia in some mid-November that was constant rain and some dirty roads, a lot of stuff kicking up. I stopped and took it off because Gritty crap was going between the bra and the paint.

 

My only complaint, if that is the right word, is that small pebbles, sand, and small gravel tend to accumulate in the lower corners of the mask where it goes under the front, leading edges of the wheelwells. It is worse when you are driving in wet weather. Now, having said all of that, I can't tell this flaw" causes any damage and the rocks fall out harmlesslessly when you remove the mask.

 

Thanks to everyone for the information. Now I'm kind of leaning back toward Xpel and Novi for trips lol. One final Xpel question....the installer says he will remove all badges before installing and then replace them to get a better fit. Is this normal procedure and has anyone had any issues with the badges being damaged, put back on wrong, etc? Thanks again.


Greg

 

Normal

 

What you installer is suggesting, removing front "V" emblem, is exactly what mine did. Installing a clear paint protector on a C7 is much harder than many cars (sharp edges, reverse cures, etc. Suggest you visit your intended installer and look at his work on other cars that have similar edges (maybe even a C7 he has done). Any good installer is proud of his/her work and would happily give you the name of a reference to check on his work.

No damage on them being reinstalled; look factory.

 

I purchased a Novistretch bra for my 15 Stingray.

Unfortunately, 2 months after installing it, I got hit by a burning ember on the freeway which created a small hole in the bra. I contacted Andrew from Novistretch for a repair procedure to prevent the hole from "running". Andrew recommended I return the bra and he immediately replaced it at no cost. A year later, Andrew assisted me with a small tear in the bra. He advised me to return it for assessment and promptly sent me yet ANOTHER replacement.

The customer service through this company is remarkable.

 

Ditto that Andrew and Novistretch have OUTSTANDING customer service. I too had a similar experience with a tiny whole in mine, and Andrew immediately send me a replacement one no questions asked. Got it at my house within three days.

Great, small American company!

 

I had an issue with my Novistretch Bra last year and contacted Andy via email. Although after hours, he answered right away and was relentless in getting me a replacement bra quickly. Later I was adding a front splitter and needed longer snap head screws. Again Andy was on it real quick, sending me extra long replacement hardware at no charge...not even a charge for postage! Andy's customer service is awesome....best of any vendor I have ever dealt with!

 

Is the extra long hardware required if you're running the OEM Stage 2 Z06 splitter?

 

When I received mine, the grommets were not installed well or were faulty. When I used it for the first time four of them came apart and fell out of the fabric. I contacted Novistretch by email and Andy replied very quickly. They shipped me a new one immediately with a return label for the faulty one. I have not had a problem since, excellent product, especially good for keeping the nasty bug guts off your radiator! If ordering one do not forget about the forum discount!

 

I also had a problems with mine, a few holes on it and Andy replaced at no charge. Got it within a few days, now that's what I call, great costumer service.
Jerry

 

I got Expel installed and I use Novistretch for highway and long trips with our brand new C7.

 

Novistretch is basically a stretchy Tee-shirt material. When stretched tight you can see through it. It's fantastic for keeping bugs out of the radiator, but don't expect it to protect the paint against larger debris (larger stones). Those that haven't had issues on long trips, just haven't had a large stone hit them (yet). Besides bugs, the Novistretch material will also collect small debris such as sand partials, so wash it regularly (yes, it dries quickly).

If your XPEL installer uses computerized cut patterns, the patterns will come around the badging. If your XPEL installer wants to use rolled XPEL material I suggest finding another installer. As my XPEL put it, rolled XPEL material is a bit less expensive, but requires all the seams be cut manually (with a razor blade or razor knife), and it's very difficult for the installer not to nick the paint.

 

Did anyone have a problem with the bottom snaps not I'm the right place? Mine did not line up with the screws. I went with the best look , but there is still a pucker in between 2 snaps.

 

Yes ours did that too

 

There is absolutely no comparison between the protection of Xpel vs. a Novastretch bra. Xpel is virtually invisible, and will protect your car from virtually anything short of a cement block laying on the freeway. Novistretch protects against bug guts and that's about it. They do a better job of making your car look ugly than they do of protecting it from anything. JMO.

 

Xpel is virtually invisible, and will protect your car from virtually anything short of a cement block laying on the freeway.

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...m/forum/stingray-corvette-appearance/7591-xpel-prevents-stone-chips-really.html

http://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...m/corvette-z06-accessories-appearance/18873-any-way-repair-xpel.html#post249513

 

Ok issue is solved. Really simple, just don't snap the center snap on the bottom. Andy is working on rewriting the installation instructions to clarify this issue. He was a big help. I am just looking for something that will help during luvbug season, not a permanent application.

 

Just recently purchased a Novistretch bra through their website. It is easy to install and fit's great! My only issue is when I use the bra, it covers both camera's on the front grille. You get a great picture of the texture of the material in the video screen! I did not see a model for C7's with camera's in the grille when I ordered online. I have sent an e-mail to Customer Service to see what I need to do to resolve my issue. Anyone else having this issue?

 

I have the issues with the front cameras seeing the fabric. You can still "sort of" see the yellow and red lines on the screen, but it's not clear. I was contemplating calling Andrew @ Novistritch and seeing if I could cut two small holes where the camera's see through, and burn the edges to keep if from fraying or growing. Would be GREAT if he had a model with the two holes already in there.

 

Rock,

Thanks for posting your question, and Andy's response..... Not exactly what I was hoping to hear, but at least I understand where it stands, and why. I too figured it would be difficult to position two small cutouts over the cameras and keep them in position....

I only use my Novistretch when going on a road trip for a day or so at a time. Just have to be extra careful when pulling into a curb or parking spot.