Does anyone use a bra for their ride? these texas love bugs are extreme at this time of the year, and they will eat your paint right off of your car..

any help is appreciated..
jon

 

what about a bug shield? any advice?
how about a good way to get these bugs off?

thanks for the input.
jon

 

First, polish the car and apply a good coat of wax, paying particular attention to the places the bugs strike, bumper, grille, headlights, etc. Be sure to catch that inch or two just above the windshield, and the mirror fairings too.

I travel a lot in Texas at this time of year, and discovered a long time ago that you DON'T want to leave their acidic little bodies smushed on your paint, especially in the hot sun. While on the road, I make a habit of washing the front end of the car at a local coin-op carwash as soon as possible after sunrise. The overnight moisture will loosen the little critters and make them easier to flush off. The rest of the car gets a quick spray wash and rinse, just to wash the dust off. A 60 mph blow dry handles the rest.

I learned this lesson the hard way - back in college I repainted a car and a few weeks later I drove up to school through the love-bug storm. Not really thinking about the bugs, I left them on until I could wash the car the next weekend. Too late. I ended up repainting the front end of the car - the bugs "bodily fluids" had eaten into the paint badly.

Bug shields and bras are OK, but a few of your "incoming" missiles will get around your defenses. You still need to wash down the front end of your car within 24 hours of getting it splattered. Same applies to roadkill - get that gunk off asap. Some of it REALLY stinks. Hawk, armadillo, and skunk - well YOU know . . .

 

Boy can I relate to this!!,I was stationed @ Fort Polk LA in the 80`s,I was surprised at the damage that these little buggers can do.What I did was basically the same as Lil4x mentioned,I just kept a fresh coat of wax on the front of the car,and rain-x`d the hell out of the windshield too.I have seen the damage of what front end bra`s can do to your paint,i.e the sandy type of environment down their would get behind the bra,and actually ruin the paint.Oh,I also put one of those bug net`s they sell down their behind the vehicles grill,but in front of the a/c condenser.That kept a whole lot of bugs off of my condenser.Dont put it on the front of your car!!,like a lot of people do.That will ruin the paint as well.Unfortunately,our planet has some harsh envirnments for our vehicles,up here I have the road salt/grime to look forward to

 

I'll tell you what, I wish I had did on the way from Mexico to Florida. Now Lil4x did see my RX when my father and I rolled through Houston, but I had already washed it earlier that day. However, by the time I went from Mobile to Bradenton, Florida (just south of Tampa) damage had already been done because I let the RX sit over night. Bumper is pretty chewed up, but I plan to leave it as such until the far future. I'll take a picture when I can get some sun (Ike is about to grace us with part of its presence).

 

Yeah,secure your self Lex,this is a powerful one coming through.Good luck,and God bless.

 

That plastic screen in front of your condenser and radiator will save you a LOT of pressure washing to get the bugs out of the crannies. Be sure to check it at rest stops to be sure it's not getting too clogged up. Watch your temperature gauge - these little guys can get thick, especially early and late on windless days in river bottoms and open fields.


Photo courtesy Univ. of South Carolina - scale reads cm.

Anyone on the Gulf coast with love bugs on their Lex, just leave it parked outside this week. Free high-pressure carwash on the way. For best results, point it into the wind and squirt a little soap into the breeze.

 

No rain, not a drop.

 

One time, I think July 2002 if I remember, I was making my first drive up to Lexus in San Antonio from Mexico and not too far after crossing the border I pulled in for some gas and noticed some of the most colorful bugs ever to grace the front bumper of my RX300 and these ones shown very much look like those bugs.

 

thanks guys, I think the bra is out then, don't want any paint scratches and I live on an extremely savage dirt road to say the least. I will just do the wash and wax thing..I also read that you can put on some mineral oil too, I will try them all, will look into the net behind the grill also thanks everybody for the input..

jon

 

Many years ago my father-in-law used to spray PAM along the front of his car. Sounds wierd, but he swore by it.
I cannot confirm results from this method.
Once he mistakenly said SPAM (instead of PAM)offering a relative advice.....MESSY!

 

I hadn't thought of that trick in years - I remember a friend used to do that and it was a real mess, but it worked!