Bugs revisited
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 383
Likes: 33
Bugs revisited
Previous post about my 2600 mile trip and all the bugs on my clear mask, after through cleaning the bug streaks would not come out of the mask, tried different cleaners mention by you guys, no luck, it was 3M Xpel, went to the installers, good people and well respected, they replaced it with promise to talk to the manufacture, don't think I would buy this product again, bought thru the dealer I bought the car from, learned a lesson there also, dealer charged me $1200.00, if I had gone to the installer on my own the price was $900.00......lesson learned ...ask questions. Mike
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
Previous post about my 2600 mile trip and all the bugs on my clear mask, after through cleaning the bug streaks would not come out of the mask, tried different cleaners mention by you guys, no luck, it was 3M Xpel, went to the installers, good people and well respected, they replaced it with promise to talk to the manufacture, don't think I would buy this product again, bought thru the dealer I bought the car from, learned a lesson there also, dealer charged me $1200.00, if I had gone to the installer on my own the price was $900.00......lesson learned ...ask questions. Mike
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,267
Likes: 8,542
From: Rochester, NY
My non popular opinion is that all the money spent on clear bras are a waste. They really offer very little protection, look terrible in time, and for what?
As for bugs a few coats of Rejex, Liquid Glass or product of your choice on the front end, bugs wipe right off.
As for bugs a few coats of Rejex, Liquid Glass or product of your choice on the front end, bugs wipe right off.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,495
Likes: 1,263
From: Jacksonville FL
Keep a good coat of wax or sealant on the front of your car and the bugs come right off. You don't leave them on your car a week and then try to remove them.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
The Dawn will strip the Rejex off the paint, so I then do the nose with spray detailer. I have found that the soap used in car washes and the mild soaps sold to wash cars(and not strip the wax) don't do a good job of getting the bugs 100% off.
That's to clean the normal bugs off the nose when driving 400-500 miles each day. If the car is really dirty, I take it to a local self serve car wash(before I leave home I look up the location of car washes using Google maps for each town where I'll be spending the night), but I still use Dawn on the nose, at the car wash.
If the amount of bugs is very little, I just use Windex on the nose, then the spray detailer.
When I get home, to get the road grime off the car, I wash the complete car with Dawn, and apply a fresh coat of Rejex.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,648
Likes: 2,933
From: NW Indiana
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '24
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 383
Likes: 33
I have use this and it works quite well.
http://www.autogeek.net/best-bug-sponge.html
http://www.autogeek.net/best-bug-sponge.html
Pro
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 535
Likes: 20
From: TX
Installed Xpel, but the bugs were making marks in the clear bra so that it was not smooth any more. Ordered and installed a Neo-Stretch Bra (and mirror covers). I think I should have done that in the first place. I spent enough on that Xpel clear bra to repaint the front cover.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 2,648
Likes: 2,933
From: NW Indiana
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '24
The product was 3M, the problem was not getting the bugs off of the clear mask, that was easy, but they left streaks after cleaning that were edged into the mask, no product could remove or soften them so they replaced it. They could not explain why this happened and were going to check with manufacture.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 761
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
I spray after a road trip the front of the car with WD40.....then next morning head to the self serve spray off wash. WD40 emulsifies bug splat well. Don't spay your clear bra cars though.......it will emulsify the adhesive too!
Last edited by longboy4; Jul 10, 2015 at 04:23 PM.
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 39,079
Likes: 17,935
From: DFW Area TX
Xpel Ultimate and 3M Professional both have a clear coat top coat. They act just like paint with regards to bugs, bird droppings, dirt, etc. Other clear films do not have the clear coat. They are much less resistant to bug guts, bird droppings, etc. and are much more prone to staining.
Bottom line ... cheaper films are cheaper for a reason.
Bottom line ... cheaper films are cheaper for a reason.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 49,232
Likes: 3,900
From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
When I do my long road trips, I apply a coat of Rejex on the nose of my Z06 just before I leave home, and each evening at the motel I use the motel's ice bucket with some Dawn to wash the nose and windshield of my Z06. I also carry a plastic bucket, and a small stool to sit on(legs and knees don't let me squat down), and I fill the bucket with clean water to rinse the soap off the nose. I carry some old towels also.
The Dawn will strip the Rejex off the paint, so I then do the nose with spray detailer. I have found that the soap used in car washes and the mild soaps sold to wash cars(and not strip the wax) don't do a good job of getting the bugs 100% off.
That's to clean the normal bugs off the nose when driving 400-500 miles each day. If the car is really dirty, I take it to a local self serve car wash(before I leave home I look up the location of car washes using Google maps for each town where I'll be spending the night), but I still use Dawn on the nose, at the car wash.
If the amount of bugs is very little, I just use Windex on the nose, then the spray detailer.
When I get home, to get the road grime off the car, I wash the complete car with Dawn, and apply a fresh coat of Rejex.
The Dawn will strip the Rejex off the paint, so I then do the nose with spray detailer. I have found that the soap used in car washes and the mild soaps sold to wash cars(and not strip the wax) don't do a good job of getting the bugs 100% off.
That's to clean the normal bugs off the nose when driving 400-500 miles each day. If the car is really dirty, I take it to a local self serve car wash(before I leave home I look up the location of car washes using Google maps for each town where I'll be spending the night), but I still use Dawn on the nose, at the car wash.
If the amount of bugs is very little, I just use Windex on the nose, then the spray detailer.
When I get home, to get the road grime off the car, I wash the complete car with Dawn, and apply a fresh coat of Rejex.
I have Xpel Ultimate on mine. Drove 500 miles yesterday, which included through several thunderstorms. Car was gross, including lots of bugs. I took it to a self service car wash this morning, bugs came right off the Xpel. I didn't even bother to dry it off. We'll be driving 500 miles back home Sunday and it'll be gross again. I leave for Japan early Monday morning so it'll sit like that in the garage until next weekend, which would drive most Vette owners crazy.
