| Chuck540Z3 |
I generally don’t like nose masks since they are a real pain to install and keep clean underneath them. With that huge pretty plastic front bumper on the MDX sticking its chin out to take whatever may come, I bought the nose mask anyway since I travel a lot on the highway and I get a million insect hits in summer and a lot of gravel in the winter.
This last weekend I traveled through our Canadian Rockies where there was A LOT of gravel on the road because of recent snow. For some stupid reason the gravel on the highways is HUGE and a rock hit will definitely leave its mark. Every time somebody passes you a shower of rocks sprays the front of your vehicle, so the nose mask is almost a must.
Anyway, after getting to my destination 300 km later, a friend of mine was admiring the front of my MDX (he has one on order for ’02) and he noticed a quarter-sized puncture on the mask where a rock had hit. Upon closer examination, I found 3 more rock strikes that had actually ripped the vinyl. After I removed the mask to clean it and my MDX, I’m pleased to say that the front is blemish free. A little vinyl repair should get the nose mask looking good again.
The nose mask is a little tricky to install (aren’t they all?), but based upon my experiences this weekend, the nose mask is a must on the highway if you get snow. |
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| lester123 |
Hi Chuck-
I will rarely ever see snow, since I spend the winter in southern Florida. I have considered the mask, since I hate cleaning off the bugs whenever I make trips. Would you still have gotten the mask if you were I? (In Florida they get lots of rain, and it seems cleaning and installing the mask can be a "pain".) |
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| gto-dave |
| Try a front wind deflector. Mine has protected hood from many rocks already, and it's maintenance free. Put it on and forget-about-it. For Life! |
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| Chuck540Z3 |
Wind deflector protects hood but not bumper, which is the largest surface area.
If I lived in Florida I wouldn't bother with the nose mask for just bugs. If you own one already for rocks (like me), then putting it on in the summer occasionally is OK, but they are a pain. |
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| bef |
I live in So Cal and I ordered the full mask based on all the damage my CL sustained driving on freeways/streets that are frequented by construction crews.
I looked at the front wind deflector and opted for the larger coverage of the full mask. Besides, there is no significant difference in price.
The other problem I had involved debris hitting the windshield. I'm hoping the height of the MDX will protect it. |
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