DubbsFaris Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 Apparently, the bugs that I hit at highway speeds :wink: are embedded and won't come off. This happened at Terlingua event, and I know its been a month, but its been garaged for a month and I haven't had a chance to clean it until now... Anyone have a suggestion? I do have a couple chips, I admit, but I'll have to repaint both fenders, bumper and hood if I can't get this clean...really? bugs become permanent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingram4868 Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 In the past I've have good luck with WD40 with stubborn bugs. I have not tried it on large areas. Pick the biggest and ugliest bug spot and give it a try. Oh, let it penetrate for maybe 10-15 minutes and add a little bit if it starts to dry up. It might take a few applications but more will come off each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 WD40 will help as well do a good clay bar job on it. The clay bar works wonders. Get it all off and really see what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyman Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 I don't drive my Shelby two months out of the year here in Texas. The Love bugs are terrible and as you can tell they are a problem to get off when not washed off quick. They will etch the paint. Good luck http://cricket.biol.sc.edu/luvbug.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mciarochi Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 Wow, a whole paint job is pretty harsh. Ditto on the WD-40. I sprayed down a couple of times in Terlingua as a pro-active measure, too. I had maybe five or so tiny chips from the trip - I've had much bigger ones on this car. They fill up with touch-up paint and a Lanka kit makes it all better. http://www.langka.com/ Way cheaper than a whole paint job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07SGT4578 Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 in small amounts, if carefull, and you can wash it right off kerosene works awesome. It also works good for tar, and rubber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr8snkbite Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 use windex............. sorry, couldn't resist....that sucks though. I clean right after every drive, especially for the bugs. Gotta love winter months.....less bugs.. :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPRSNK Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Sounds like an excuse for those flat red stripes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 clear bra after the WD40 and claybar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne4162 Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have a bug collection just about every trip I make. Don't have the time to clean so they become part of the paint for a month or three. Every once in a while, I do get a chance to clean the car and YES you can clean them off easy. In fact, we forget just how things got done 30 years ago prior to armorall, techno wax, micro stuff. We called it, soap and water. Not to be sarcastic, let me share with you a little secret. First, I have my washer/dryer/hot water heater in my garage. So why not tap into that nice hot water tank. After a quick trip to Lowes and a "Y" tap later, I'm bleeding down my hot heater and it's nothing but nice HOT #$% water. Next, use a great neutral soap like the JAX WAX pink soap. It is literally a pure flat (not alkline, acidic) soap. If your home water is hard, get a filter at the end of your hose (like the Mr. Clean nozzle kit), this will end water spotting--period. Soak the front area first and continue to clean the rest of the car occasionally reverting back to the front and keep hitting it with hot water to loosen up them bugs. End your cleaning session at the front of your car and concentrate on some elbow grease action. At this point, they're like butter sliding off. My SHELBY is black and it shows everything, so you become a cleaning expert rather quickly. Invest in a good cleaning kit, again JAX WAX sells a complete package (soap, rags, bug remover that you won't need, window cleaner, their pure carnuba wax) with a bucket and strainer for about $70.00. The bucket and strainer is the key to a scratch free finish. If you piece it all together you'll be way over that price in no time. Airborne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSXKILLER Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Apparently, the bugs that I hit at highway speeds :wink: are embedded and won't come off. This happened at Terlingua event, and I know its been a month, but its been garaged for a month and I haven't had a chance to clean it until now... Anyone have a suggestion? I do have a couple chips, I admit, but I'll have to repaint both fenders, bumper and hood if I can't get this clean...really? bugs become permanent? OMG dude I never do that. If you get bugs wash those little shits off as soon as you get home. The blood, guts or whatever in those little bastards is acidic and if you leave them on your car YES they can permanently dmage the paint. And it will probably damage the stripes even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudguy4 Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 OMG dude I never do that. If you get bugs wash those little shits off as soon as you get home. The blood, guts or whatever in those little bastards is acidic and if you leave them on your car YES they can permanently dmage the paint. And it will probably damage the stripes even more. +1 As a car detailer for over 16 years now, I know from experience that the acidic make-up of bugs will eat through your paint if not taken off in a reasonable amount of time, leaving the front end looking "bugged", especially after waxing, as wax will fill in those small areas that are missing clear and base coat. I would recommend to NEVER leave bugs on your car for longer than a week......even if you don't have time to wash the entire car, wash the front end off every week to keep it looking its best. Besides wheels, the front end gets the most abuse of any part of our vehicles, and it needs extra car to stay looking new. I would also recommend applying a thin coat of wax to the front end every month. This reduces the effect bug juice will have on it. Sudguy4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston Mike Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 try the Ultra Ion cleaner by DriWash Solutions........PM me if you need to find where to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DubbsFaris Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Well, Im a lazy bastard....what can I say? I drove home from Terlingua, and after a 10 hour drive I had to get on a plane 8 hours after that and fly out to L.A. for a week. Didn't leave me with much opportunity...so damage done, and I'll try WD40, and then the others too for safe measure. I had waxed my car the day before I left for Terlingua, so it had a fresh wax job. Oh, and the stripes already had rock chips...they're trashed anyway. I have other plans for them, so Im not too worried about the hood or stripes on the hood. Im more worried about my bumper and fenders, but I will wor on it this weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 +1 As a car detailer for over 16 years now, I know from experience that the acidic make-up of bugs will eat through your paint if not taken off in a reasonable amount of time, leaving the front end looking "bugged", especially after waxing, as wax will fill in those small areas that are missing clear and base coat. I would recommend to NEVER leave bugs on your car for longer than a week......even if you don't have time to wash the entire car, wash the front end off every week to keep it looking its best. Besides wheels, the front end gets the most abuse of any part of our vehicles, and it needs extra car to stay looking new. I would also recommend applying a thin coat of wax to the front end every month. This reduces the effect bug juice will have on it. Sudguy4 What's your opinion on the clear bras? I used to have a vinyl bra on an old Toyota and it seemed to do more damage than good. Thanks in advance for any info. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b-52gunner Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 PAM works very good as well at keeping bugs off on trips and and the drag strip - there is also a product - forget what it's called - Autoge$k sells it on there site - it leaves a clear protective coating where you apply it and when you are done just washes of with water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 What's your opinion on the clear bras? I used to have a vinyl bra on an old Toyota and it seemed to do more damage than good. Thanks in advance for any info. Ken It saved my front end in Terlingua. When the sun or light hits it, you can see all the indentions and scratches. I had it put on just before I left for west Texas. White car so the edges show the dirt but it did what it was supposed to do which was protect my paint and all my lenses. I hate the way it looks on a white car but the benefits out weigh the ugliness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboGT Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I got good results recently using Turtle Wax spray on Bug & Tar Remover. I addition to bugs I had some big globs of pine sap that wouldn't come off with clay or soap. Sprayed on the Turtle Wax stuff and let it sit for a couple minutes and the bugs & hardened sap came off by just wiping with a micofiber towel. Some of the places where the sap had baked on from the sun required a couple applications, but they came off and left no marks and you can't tell they were ever there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudguy4 Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 What's your opinion on the clear bras? I used to have a vinyl bra on an old Toyota and it seemed to do more damage than good. Thanks in advance for any info. Ken Ken, I personally am not a big fan of them. I guess it depends on the conditions you are driving in. For example, if I was driving a lot of interstate roads, especially around construction areas, I would possibly look into it. But, I've never liked the idea of seeing a piece of clear tape across my hood....and some guys on here have really had trouble getting it done correctly with the stripes on their GT500s. Just my two cents since it was asked of me. Sudguy4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 If a clear bra is put on correctly with the edges wrapped....the dirt will not build up on the edges.....because they are wrapped under the hood and into the fender lips. This takes a skilled installer to do this type of install. My bra has been on for 1 year and 3 months. You can't even tell it's on. ....oh ya, I don't have any rock chips. :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Clear bra saved me last month when I hit a license plate on the highway. Done right it's the best! Way better then chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildAzCat Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Wow, that's a beautiful job on the clear bra. I got a quote of 400 for the whole front end... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sudguy4 Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 If a clear bra is put on correctly with the edges wrapped....the dirt will not build up on the edges.....because they are wrapped under the hood and into the fender lips. This takes a skilled installer to do this type of install. My bra has been on for 1 year and 3 months. You can't even tell it's on. ....oh ya, I don't have any rock chips. :happy feet: Rob, I was wondering when you going to post on this subject! The individual did a great job on your car, but here is my question for you.....when/if you decided to pull that clear plastic off the car, is it not going to pull on the stripes, possibly causing some damage? Sudguy4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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