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Well the "Love Bugs" are back. For those of you who don't live in teh southeast here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Its character as a public nuisance is due not to its bite or sting (as it is not capable of either) but to its apparently highly acidic body chemistry. Because airborne love bugs are drawn in enormous numbers to roadways, they die en masse on automobile windshields, hoods, and radiator grills. If left for more than an hour or two, the remains become dried and extremely difficult to remove, and their acidity pits automotive paint and chrome
So on to my question. Outside of washing my car every day (which is exceptionally hard to do while watching an infant), what should I use to clean the bugs off of my car? I have thought about using my Z7, but I don't want to have bug parts as a permanent part of my Zaino shine. Anyone have any better ideas?
I feel your pain! Central Florida is crazy w/ love bugs right now. There are just tons and tons of them. I got a tip from this site and I've used it successfully - baking soda. Just put some in the area and then wash off w/ water and the bugs will fall off. Although I'm hoping that with some layers of Zaino on the paint, a wash w/ the Zaino car wash will quickly remove them.
Good luck and I'll be in Orlando till Sunday so if you see a CR/B expect a waive!
__________________ Premium & Sport
Piano Black w/ chrome interior
LSD & Hi-Fi
Officially named...meet Valentino
Florida's West coast is loaded with 'em... Here's an old trick learned years ago... Spray the front areas of your car with Pam or any spray cooking oil prior to hitting the road. When you return, a quick wash will sweep them away with no trouble at all... Like having a "Teflon" finish.. No stick!!!
__________________ Speedee.... 06 MSCa, All factory options except nav, 15% pulley, Iridium plugs, Milltek cat-back, Minspeed CAI, WMS By pass valve, EBC Greenstuf pads, auto-up windows,pulsing 3rd brake light, Nuvi GPS,... More to come.. LOVE motoring in Speedee!
Whats even worse is that in SE Florida we are under Level III water restrictions...can only wash your car one day per week during certain hours. Can't even wash off those bugs on a daily basis even if you had the time!
I would apply a good coat of wax on it and QD after each drive.
So the 4 coats of Z2 that i applied before the dragon should count as the "good coat of wax". Will dried bug residue (live bugs are very hard to remove after 2 or 3 hours) get stuck permanently by using a QD such as Z7?
Those things are nasty! The first thing I do after our September treck down is wash off the Love Bugs. By the time I get there they are usually pretty crusted on the front of the car and a pain to get off.
Personally, if my MCS/G was to travel at expressway speeds for more than 100miles and not planning to return that same day, I would painters tape it. Remove at the event, then QD and re-tape it when ready to go home.
But don't have plans to go to such events so doesn't apply to my immediate future.
It's really, really sad that ken is so hopelessly OCD over his MCS that he couldn't even consider driving to the Dragon...
These cars are made for drivin'... poor little car never even gets to play in the wet...
This was GREAT fun and didn't hurt a thing...
Oh yeah, and to keep it on topic, love bugs suck.
arf arf, speak for yourself. some people have responsibilities and routines
that can not be broken when in time of need. not attending the Dragon
has nothing to do with my car being clean.
also my hobby cars will be played the way i want to play with them.
motoring alone is not the way i play the game. there's also just the
vanity factor of admiring the car (ofcourse after detailing ),
working (mods) on them, and just enjoying the plain fun of ownership.
you have to remember i bought this car back in 2003. ive driven it
many times, although not high miles but miles with meaning.
and back to topic, try not driving in rural areas and also drive during
the day. that alone will cut down on the amt of bugs ending up on
your front-end.
I'm not sure what kind of bugs I slaughtered this morning on my way to the shop to have my checkered roof graphic installed, but... it was like I had hundreds of little clear speckles all over the bumper, grille, bonnet and windshield.
Maybe it was a swarm of Mid Atlantic MINI Cooper Bomber Bugs ?!?!
arf arf, speak for yourself. some people have responsibilities and routines
that can not be broken when in time of need. not attending the Dragon
has nothing to do with my car being clean.
also my hobby cars will be played the way i want to play with them.
motoring alone is not the way i play the game. there's also just the
vanity factor of admiring the car (ofcourse after detailing ),
working (mods) on them, and just enjoying the plain fun of ownership.
you have to remember i bought this car back in 2003. ive driven it
many times, although not high miles but miles with meaning.
Just messin' with ya'. We love you, man.
Miles with meanin' - and loving glances over your shoulder as you walk away from it - that's what it's all about.
And, yeah, grown-up responsibilities have a way of cutting into fun time for me, too. Teenagers and college students don't know how good they have it. What's the saying? Youth is wasted on the young...
And, oh yeah, love bugs suck.
__________________
I'm Paul, The car is Blimey--- BlimeyCabrio's Blog--- 2006 MCSCa w/lotsa mods and Union Jacks
Ten-time Dragon Veteran - Occasional Trackrat - Extreme Twisty Addict - Rhymers Ferry Road Fanatic
Miles with meanin' - and loving glances over your shoulder as you walk away from it - that's what it's all about.
And, yeah, grown-up responsibilities have a way of cutting into fun time for me, too. Teenagers and college students don't know how good they have it. What's the saying? Youth is wasted on the young...
And, oh yeah, love bugs suck.
yah, i know. btw, i was motoring out in the rain today cause
i was going to wash my MCS anyway to try out OG's BW. have to say
my MCS runs SUPER in the wet with GS-D3's. the way i setup this car
is just simply awesome. (ok, that was the vanity part).
going back to subject, im going to be washing my Legacy's bug infested
facia in about 15min using Wizard's BugRelease which i got from DP.
the stuff is simply awesome. bugs? where? wat bugs?
I still can't imagine anything working better than the full strength NXT soap I used last time - pretty much instant dissolval... (is that a word?)
And didn't require me to buy a new specialty product...
__________________
I'm Paul, The car is Blimey--- BlimeyCabrio's Blog--- 2006 MCSCa w/lotsa mods and Union Jacks
Ten-time Dragon Veteran - Occasional Trackrat - Extreme Twisty Addict - Rhymers Ferry Road Fanatic
I still can't imagine anything working better than the full strength NXT soap I used last time - pretty much instant dissolval... (is that a word?)
And didn't require me to buy a new specialty product...
that's good. cause by the 2nd year your MINI might be 5% smaller.
That's cool. The MINI is about 20x as good as my MINIvan (uh, I mean minivan). Which is about 4x the size of the MINI. So if the MINI gets more mini, maybe it will be even MORE awesome...
__________________
I'm Paul, The car is Blimey--- BlimeyCabrio's Blog--- 2006 MCSCa w/lotsa mods and Union Jacks
Ten-time Dragon Veteran - Occasional Trackrat - Extreme Twisty Addict - Rhymers Ferry Road Fanatic
[QUOTE=COOP310;1528277]Well the "Love Bugs" are back. For those of you who don't live in teh southeast here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Its character as a public nuisance is due not to its bite or sting (as it is not capable of either) but to its apparently highly acidic body chemistry. Because airborne love bugs are drawn in enormous numbers to roadways, they die en masse on automobile windshields, hoods, and radiator grills. If left for more than an hour or two, the remains become dried and extremely difficult to remove, and their acidity pits automotive paint and chrome
We just got back a few hours ago from a drive to Sebring. So many love bugs. I just washed and Z2'd the car yesterday. So they came off pretty easily. Windshield was a mess. I took a picture of the car and all the bugs hanging around while at the track. Looks like there was something on the lens as the bugs are 'hanging' in the air.
__________________
keith
MiamiMini
'05 S
CR/W, 15% pulley, Alta CAI, Alta rear sway bar
"Rangers Lead the Way"
I'll bet no more than any brand of bug-gut-remover would. And 95% is on my clear bra, so who cares? (I don't - clearbra rocks that way).
And immediately following the wash I use... (wait for it, wait for it....)....
HYDRO
So it's all good.
Be careful. I have a clearbra also. We picked up a bunch of love bugs a year ago, and then went on a cruise. I didn't get to wash them off before we left because of time constraints. Little did I know that they would left PERMANENT marks in the clear bra. Who knew? I sure didn't think they would permanetly leave marks. Well I know now and make sure to get them off ASAP.
__________________
keith
MiamiMini
'05 S
CR/W, 15% pulley, Alta CAI, Alta rear sway bar
"Rangers Lead the Way"
Be careful. I have a clearbra also. We picked up a bunch of love bugs a year ago, and then went on a cruise. I didn't get to wash them off before we left because of time constraints. Little did I know that they would left PERMANENT marks in the clear bra. Who knew?
For those of you who don't live in teh southeast here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:
Premium & Sport
Speedee.... 06 MSCa, All factory options except nav, 15% pulley, Iridium plugs, Milltek cat-back, Minspeed CAI, WMS By pass valve, EBC Greenstuf pads, auto-up windows,pulsing 3rd brake light, Nuvi GPS,... More to come.. LOVE motoring in Speedee!
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